Congressional battles over California water have intensified, unleashing a surge of mostly divisive and ill-advised federal legislation. On Friday, presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump even dived into the fray at his Fresno rally when he declared, “There is no drought,” accusing state water officials of denying water to farmers to save a 3-inch […]
In a case that highlights how difficult it is to enforce agricultural water reductions in California, a state panel has moved to dismiss a $1.55 million fine it levied last year against a Delta-area agency accused of ignoring an order to stop diverting water in the drought. State water regulators alleged last June that Byron-Bethany […]
House Republicans are trying a new approach to divert more water from Northern California. Check that. They’re dusting off a stale and disreputable tactic: attaching a proposal that can’t pass on its own to unrelated legislation that has bipartisan support. In this instance, they’re hitching a ride on Senate-approved energy measures that reached the House floor […]
When California officials announced an end to restrictions on urban water use last week, they cited the recent wet winter as one reason. El Niño, the climate pattern that brought a succession of storms to Northern California, had given the state a reprieve from its water woes, they said. Those storms left a mountain snowpack […]
El Nino couldn’t bail California out of an unprecedented drought. Don’t count on La Nina to do any better. California, in its fifth year of drought, gets most of its water from November to March. The El Nino that’s been in place for about a year helped fill some northern reservoirs but failed to bring much […]
Wading into a longstanding California water war, the House of Representatives Wednesday endorsed a Republican plan to shift more water to San Joaquin Valley farmers and cut the flow for threatened fish and growers in another part of the state. Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., tried to strike that proposal from a spending bill, but lost […]
OPINION: How Do We Share California Water, a Diminishing Resource?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco ChronicleCongressional battles over California water have intensified, unleashing a surge of mostly divisive and ill-advised federal legislation. On Friday, presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump even dived into the fray at his Fresno rally when he declared, “There is no drought,” accusing state water officials of denying water to farmers to save a 3-inch […]
State Moves to Drop $1.5 Million Fine in Water Rights Case
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Bee by Ryan SabalowIn a case that highlights how difficult it is to enforce agricultural water reductions in California, a state panel has moved to dismiss a $1.55 million fine it levied last year against a Delta-area agency accused of ignoring an order to stop diverting water in the drought. State water regulators alleged last June that Byron-Bethany […]
OPINION: Another Water Grab Surfaces in Congress
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)House Republicans are trying a new approach to divert more water from Northern California. Check that. They’re dusting off a stale and disreputable tactic: attaching a proposal that can’t pass on its own to unrelated legislation that has bipartisan support. In this instance, they’re hitching a ride on Senate-approved energy measures that reached the House floor […]
Curbs are Lifted, but Water Issues Remain for California
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The New York Timesby Henry FountainWhen California officials announced an end to restrictions on urban water use last week, they cited the recent wet winter as one reason. El Niño, the climate pattern that brought a succession of storms to Northern California, had given the state a reprieve from its water woes, they said. Those storms left a mountain snowpack […]
El Nino Couldn’t Save West From Drought, La Nina May Not Either
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Bloombergby Brian K SullivanEl Nino couldn’t bail California out of an unprecedented drought. Don’t count on La Nina to do any better. California, in its fifth year of drought, gets most of its water from November to March. The El Nino that’s been in place for about a year helped fill some northern reservoirs but failed to bring much […]
House Wading Into California’s Long-Running Water War
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /NBC Bay Areaby Andrew TaylorWading into a longstanding California water war, the House of Representatives Wednesday endorsed a Republican plan to shift more water to San Joaquin Valley farmers and cut the flow for threatened fish and growers in another part of the state. Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., tried to strike that proposal from a spending bill, but lost […]