In 1941, Los Angeles came for the scenic lake here. After diverting the inflows to Owens Lake — setting it on course for ruin — the city extended its aqueduct 100 miles north in the eastern Sierra Nevada and captured virtually all of Mono Lake’s tributaries. Like Owens Lake, Mono Lake’s water level began to drop […]
California’s big urban water districts should be ashamed of themselves. After asking for a good-faith policy change in the state’s water restrictions, they’ve decided that they’re not going to save any water at all.
California’s climate has always been hospitable to fire – it comes with the territory. But add five years of drought, a bark beetle blight killing trees by the millions and rising temperatures, and it’s a recipe for disaster. “We are seeing the compounded effects of climate change that includes five consecutive years of drought and […]
California is in its fifth year of drought, yet residents are receiving mixed signals as to whether water conservation should still be a priority. A study published in Geophysical Research Letters has estimated that it will take about 4.4 years for the Sierra Nevada snowpack to recover. Out of the 65 years studied, the current […]
The 2014 experimental controlled pulse of water to the Colorado River Delta has revealed an interesting twist on how large dry watercourses may respond to short-term flooding events: the release of stored greenhouse gases. This work is reported at the Goldschmidt conference in Yokohama, Japan. As presenter Dr Thomas Bianchi said: “We saw a rapid […]
California is no longer facing an acute drought. But we’re waking this morning to a vivid reminder of another environmental threat. Major wildfires, from the Mexican border to Oregon, burned through the weekend. And it’s only the start of summer. The largest fire, in Kern County near Bakersfield, spread quickly, destroying at least 250 structures and killing at […]
Drought Threatens ‘Genius’ Regs That Stopped L.A. Water Grab
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Environment & Energy Publishing (Washington, D.C.)by Jeremy P. JacobsIn 1941, Los Angeles came for the scenic lake here. After diverting the inflows to Owens Lake — setting it on course for ruin — the city extended its aqueduct 100 miles north in the eastern Sierra Nevada and captured virtually all of Mono Lake’s tributaries. Like Owens Lake, Mono Lake’s water level began to drop […]
OPINION: California’s Water Districts are Loath to Save Resources
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco ChronicleCalifornia’s big urban water districts should be ashamed of themselves. After asking for a good-faith policy change in the state’s water restrictions, they’ve decided that they’re not going to save any water at all.
BLOG: Perfect Storm Brewing for California Fire Season
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Tara LohanCalifornia’s climate has always been hospitable to fire – it comes with the territory. But add five years of drought, a bark beetle blight killing trees by the millions and rising temperatures, and it’s a recipe for disaster. “We are seeing the compounded effects of climate change that includes five consecutive years of drought and […]
California Drought Remains Serious; Tens of Millions of Trees Dead
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Total Landscape Care (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)by Jill OdomCalifornia is in its fifth year of drought, yet residents are receiving mixed signals as to whether water conservation should still be a priority. A study published in Geophysical Research Letters has estimated that it will take about 4.4 years for the Sierra Nevada snowpack to recover. Out of the 65 years studied, the current […]
Controlled Colorado River Flooding Released Stored Greenhouse Gases
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Phys.org (United Kingdom)The 2014 experimental controlled pulse of water to the Colorado River Delta has revealed an interesting twist on how large dry watercourses may respond to short-term flooding events: the release of stored greenhouse gases. This work is reported at the Goldschmidt conference in Yokohama, Japan. As presenter Dr Thomas Bianchi said: “We saw a rapid […]
California Today: Wildfires, Earlier Than Ever
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The New York Timesby Ian LovettCalifornia is no longer facing an acute drought. But we’re waking this morning to a vivid reminder of another environmental threat. Major wildfires, from the Mexican border to Oregon, burned through the weekend. And it’s only the start of summer. The largest fire, in Kern County near Bakersfield, spread quickly, destroying at least 250 structures and killing at […]