California’s megadrought is stretching into its fifth year, and as the best hope for rain, El Niño, fizzles, the outlook is grim. While Northern California’s winter precipitation approached normal, 60 percent of the state remains in a severe drought. So a new discovery under the Central Valley has residents excited; researchers from Stanford mapped out a deep groundwater reservoir under the […]
Westlands Water District, which has come under fire from farmers and the federal government over its financial and other dealings, has decided it no longer wants its general manager to also function as the district’s top lawyer, agency officials said Monday. Tom Birmingham will no longer serve as both general manager and general counsel of […]
California’s combination of climate, native ecosystems, and human uses makes water management inherently hard, unsatisfactory, and evolving. California is doomed to have difficult and controversial water problems. No matter how successful we are. California is one of the few parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate (Figure 1). These climates tend to be dry […]
Native American tribes in the Colorado River basin already have legally quantified rights to roughly one-fifth of the river’s flow, according to a new report from the non-partisan Colorado River Research Group. CCRG said that tribal water rights are a misunderstood and underpublicized facet in dealing with water shortages in the Southwestern United States. Of the […]
As marijuana laws liberalize across the country, much attention will need to be given to the impact that large-scale production could have on the environment, a pair of university scientists assert. Existing cannabis grow sites pose a high risk of ecological consequences because they potentially use large amounts of water and are near the habitat […]
A half century from now, the residents of Calaveras County may remember our time as one of drought, fire and dying forests. But if even a few of the visions discussed at a historic meeting on Thursday are realized, they will also remember that 2016 was a time of hope. The meeting in the Chesborough […]
“Water Windfall” Discovered Under California’s Drought-Stricken Central Valley
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Smithsonian.comby Jason DaleyCalifornia’s megadrought is stretching into its fifth year, and as the best hope for rain, El Niño, fizzles, the outlook is grim. While Northern California’s winter precipitation approached normal, 60 percent of the state remains in a severe drought. So a new discovery under the Central Valley has residents excited; researchers from Stanford mapped out a deep groundwater reservoir under the […]
Westlands Water District to Split Top Jobs Amid Missteps, Criticism
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Fresno Beeby Rory AppletonWestlands Water District, which has come under fire from farmers and the federal government over its financial and other dealings, has decided it no longer wants its general manager to also function as the district’s top lawyer, agency officials said Monday. Tom Birmingham will no longer serve as both general manager and general counsel of […]
BLOG: How Bad is Water Management in California?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /PublicCEO (Sacramento)by Jay LundCalifornia’s combination of climate, native ecosystems, and human uses makes water management inherently hard, unsatisfactory, and evolving. California is doomed to have difficult and controversial water problems. No matter how successful we are. California is one of the few parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate (Figure 1). These climates tend to be dry […]
Tribal Water Rights a Component to Unraveling Drought on the Colorado
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /inewsnetwork (Denver, Colo.)by Jim TrotterNative American tribes in the Colorado River basin already have legally quantified rights to roughly one-fifth of the river’s flow, according to a new report from the non-partisan Colorado River Research Group. CCRG said that tribal water rights are a misunderstood and underpublicized facet in dealing with water shortages in the Southwestern United States. Of the […]
Researcher: Environmental Analysis Crucial as Pot Laws Liberalize
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Capital Press (Salem, Ore.)As marijuana laws liberalize across the country, much attention will need to be given to the impact that large-scale production could have on the environment, a pair of university scientists assert. Existing cannabis grow sites pose a high risk of ecological consequences because they potentially use large amounts of water and are near the habitat […]
Resource Advocates Envision a Greener Future for the County
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Calaveras Enterpriseby Dana M. NicholsA half century from now, the residents of Calaveras County may remember our time as one of drought, fire and dying forests. But if even a few of the visions discussed at a historic meeting on Thursday are realized, they will also remember that 2016 was a time of hope. The meeting in the Chesborough […]