Two counties in California and an environmental group have partnered together to file an appeal against Southern California’s biggest water supplier, blocking its purchase of the Delta farm islands. Contra Costa and San Joaquin counties, along with Restore the Delta group, have sued Metropolitan Water District in an attempt to stop its plan to buy […]
California and Victoria, Australia, are both drought-prone states that face major challenges in managing freshwater-dependent ecosystems and native species during dry times. Both states have experienced intense controversy over balancing water for environmental needs and agricultural and urban uses. But while California’s environment has suffered greatly during its latest drought—with many species pushed to the […]
Judge Michael Kenny of the Sacramento Superior Court today ruled that the Delta Plan is “invalid” after a successful legal challenge by multiple Delta parties who argued that the controversial plan is not protective of the water quality or the fish species that depend on fresh water flows for their survival. The Court, in its […]
The water level in Lake Shasta, California’s largest reservoir, had plunged to less than a third of normal by the end of last year. Then came the El Niño rainfall, which by April had tripled the volume of water in the lake. The story is similar in Trinity Lake, part of the same network of federal […]
/in California and the U.S./by Mike Lee /Union of Concerned Scientists (Cambridge, Mass.)by Juliet Christian-Smith Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Necessity is the mother of invention and California’s ongoing drought is teaching us that water suppliers can be very creative when they need to be. Sometimes that is a good thing, particularly when we see water utilities meeting and exceeding Governor Brown’s call for 25 percent water conservation. In other cases, pursuing new, “drought-proof” water […]
It would be easy to think California may not have a lot to learn from farmers in places like the Great Plains. After all, the Golden State is a leader in so many things: computer technology, environmental policy, social justice issues, lifestyle and culinary trends. But farmers in the Great Plains and other parts of […]
Water Supplier Temporarily Blocked from Delta Island Purchase
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Northern California Recordby Dawn GeskeTwo counties in California and an environmental group have partnered together to file an appeal against Southern California’s biggest water supplier, blocking its purchase of the Delta farm islands. Contra Costa and San Joaquin counties, along with Restore the Delta group, have sued Metropolitan Water District in an attempt to stop its plan to buy […]
BLOG: Lessons on Sustaining the Environment During Drought
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Public Policy Institute of California (San Francisco)by Jeffrey MountCalifornia and Victoria, Australia, are both drought-prone states that face major challenges in managing freshwater-dependent ecosystems and native species during dry times. Both states have experienced intense controversy over balancing water for environmental needs and agricultural and urban uses. But while California’s environment has suffered greatly during its latest drought—with many species pushed to the […]
Sacramento Judge Rules Delta Plan Is “Invalid”
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /SF Bay Area Indymedia by Dan BacherJudge Michael Kenny of the Sacramento Superior Court today ruled that the Delta Plan is “invalid” after a successful legal challenge by multiple Delta parties who argued that the controversial plan is not protective of the water quality or the fish species that depend on fresh water flows for their survival. The Court, in its […]
OPINION: California needs to conserve water like the drought is here to stay
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Los Angeles TimesThe water level in Lake Shasta, California’s largest reservoir, had plunged to less than a third of normal by the end of last year. Then came the El Niño rainfall, which by April had tripled the volume of water in the lake. The story is similar in Trinity Lake, part of the same network of federal […]
BLOG: Water Sector Is at a Crossroads as Drought Drags On
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Union of Concerned Scientists (Cambridge, Mass.)by Juliet Christian-Smith Mentioned: San Diego County Water AuthorityNecessity is the mother of invention and California’s ongoing drought is teaching us that water suppliers can be very creative when they need to be. Sometimes that is a good thing, particularly when we see water utilities meeting and exceeding Governor Brown’s call for 25 percent water conservation. In other cases, pursuing new, “drought-proof” water […]
BLOG: California: Catching Up With the Irrigation World
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserIt would be easy to think California may not have a lot to learn from farmers in places like the Great Plains. After all, the Golden State is a leader in so many things: computer technology, environmental policy, social justice issues, lifestyle and culinary trends. But farmers in the Great Plains and other parts of […]