Californians living through a fifth year of historic drought received what seemed like a bit of good news last month: Researchers at Stanford found significantly larger-than-expected groundwater supplies 1,000 to 3,500ft (300 to 1,000m) below the state’s surface, in a first ever assessment of water supplies in California’s deep underground aquifers. Updated estimates of our […]
California decision makers are at a historic crossroads in the long-standing California water crisis. The outcome will permanently alter the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Your voice can steer these decisions in the right direction and now is the time to speak up. On July 26, 2016, the State Water Resources Control Board will begin a series […]
Forget about Tesla Motors Inc.’s batteries: The hottest way to store energy in the electricity business today is a century-old technology that involves moving water to stash power. Known as pumped storage, the giant facilities push large volumes of water uphill when there is surplus electricity, and then let gravity move it back down through turbines […]
Leaders in the Bay Area community of East Palo Alto imposed a moratorium on development until the city can increase its water supply. For the past 14 years, the city has used nearly all of its annual water allotment, making it increasingly difficult for East Palo Alto to approve new developments, unless they can essentially […]
Late last week, several hundred northern California farmers suddenly became tenants of an unlikely landlord. On July 15, after three months in legal limbo, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California became the proud owner of four rural islands and their water—300 miles north of its jurisdiction. To anyone familiar with southern California’s history of […]
Summer isn’t the easiest time to save water, but users in the Sacramento-area reduced their water use by 22 percent in June compared to the same month in 2013. The savings is the first following the end of mandatory statewide conservation rules. The June 2016 conservation analysis is from the Regional Water Authority, which represents water […]
Complications of ‘New’ Deep Groundwater
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Kirsten JamesCalifornians living through a fifth year of historic drought received what seemed like a bit of good news last month: Researchers at Stanford found significantly larger-than-expected groundwater supplies 1,000 to 3,500ft (300 to 1,000m) below the state’s surface, in a first ever assessment of water supplies in California’s deep underground aquifers. Updated estimates of our […]
A True Water Emergency Threatens the Delta
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Lodi News-SentinelCalifornia decision makers are at a historic crossroads in the long-standing California water crisis. The outcome will permanently alter the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Your voice can steer these decisions in the right direction and now is the time to speak up. On July 26, 2016, the State Water Resources Control Board will begin a series […]
Pumped Up: Renewables Growth Revives Old Energy-Storage Method
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Wall Street Journalby Rebecca SmithForget about Tesla Motors Inc.’s batteries: The hottest way to store energy in the electricity business today is a century-old technology that involves moving water to stash power. Known as pumped storage, the giant facilities push large volumes of water uphill when there is surplus electricity, and then let gravity move it back down through turbines […]
California City, Lacking Water, Halts Development
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Builder Magazine (Washington, D.C)Leaders in the Bay Area community of East Palo Alto imposed a moratorium on development until the city can increase its water supply. For the past 14 years, the city has used nearly all of its annual water allotment, making it increasingly difficult for East Palo Alto to approve new developments, unless they can essentially […]
SoCal’s Massive Water Agency Grabs Up Land on NorCal’s Wettest River
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Wired (IA)by Nick StocktonLate last week, several hundred northern California farmers suddenly became tenants of an unlikely landlord. On July 15, after three months in legal limbo, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California became the proud owner of four rural islands and their water—300 miles north of its jurisdiction. To anyone familiar with southern California’s history of […]
Drought Persists And So Does Water Conservation In Sacramento
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Capital Public Radio News (Sacramento)by Ed JoyceSummer isn’t the easiest time to save water, but users in the Sacramento-area reduced their water use by 22 percent in June compared to the same month in 2013. The savings is the first following the end of mandatory statewide conservation rules. The June 2016 conservation analysis is from the Regional Water Authority, which represents water […]