March 2016 has been unusually wet, and quite a contrast to February. The “Godzilla” El Nino this year has been a bit “Gonzo”, but overall has brought a welcome above average precipitation for northern California, after four solid drought years. The unevenness of the precipitation is some concern, and the depth of remaining surface and […]
Folsom Lake is 10 feet higher Sunday as compared to a month ago. “I have seen it go from Desert Folsom to Lake Folsom,” said Stacey Nieporte, who was visiting the lake Sunday from El Dorado Hills. Folsom Lake now stands at 439 feet deep — that’s 110 percent of the historical average for this date, […]
Atmospheric scientists have found that California’s highest temperatures are almost always associated with blocking ridges, regions of high atmospheric pressure than can disrupt wind patterns – including one known as the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge. The Triple R, as it’s called, is also linked with California’s drought. In new research published online this week in the […]
Sen. Dianne Feinstein visited The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board last week to talk about her drought relief bill and other topics. Here are edited excerpts: Q: What makes it different this year that this water bill might happen? A: I think it’s an accumulation of things. First is the population of the state. Today we […]
Some federal water contractors in California were outraged on April 1 when the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) drew a hard line at the Delta, giving those north of it a full allotment of irrigation water and those south of it little to none. This year’s “miracle March” will give all northern California water users 100 […]
Many California farmers expect to receive full deliveries of irrigation water this year from a vast system of canals and reservoirs run by the federal government, while some in the nation’s most productive farming region will receive a fraction as the state recovers from several years of drought, officials said Friday. Farms and water customers […]
BLOG: ENSO the Wet Season Ends (Almost)
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /California WaterBlog (UC Davis)by By Jay LundMarch 2016 has been unusually wet, and quite a contrast to February. The “Godzilla” El Nino this year has been a bit “Gonzo”, but overall has brought a welcome above average precipitation for northern California, after four solid drought years. The unevenness of the precipitation is some concern, and the depth of remaining surface and […]
Experts: Folsom Lake levels 10 feet higher than Last Month
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /KCRA (Sacramento)by By Mike LueryFolsom Lake is 10 feet higher Sunday as compared to a month ago. “I have seen it go from Desert Folsom to Lake Folsom,” said Stacey Nieporte, who was visiting the lake Sunday from El Dorado Hills. Folsom Lake now stands at 439 feet deep — that’s 110 percent of the historical average for this date, […]
California Drought Patterns Becoming More Common
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Science 2.0 (Reno, Nev.)Atmospheric scientists have found that California’s highest temperatures are almost always associated with blocking ridges, regions of high atmospheric pressure than can disrupt wind patterns – including one known as the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge. The Triple R, as it’s called, is also linked with California’s drought. In new research published online this week in the […]
OPINION: Feinstein on Water, Supreme Court Nominee and Donald Trump
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento BeeSen. Dianne Feinstein visited The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board last week to talk about her drought relief bill and other topics. Here are edited excerpts: Q: What makes it different this year that this water bill might happen? A: I think it’s an accumulation of things. First is the population of the state. Today we […]
USBR Shorts Some California Farmers Irrigation Water
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Western Farm Pressby By Todd FitchetteSome federal water contractors in California were outraged on April 1 when the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) drew a hard line at the Delta, giving those north of it a full allotment of irrigation water and those south of it little to none. This year’s “miracle March” will give all northern California water users 100 […]
Some California Farms Getting Full Water Supplies
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Associated Press (As Published by The Porterville Recorder)Many California farmers expect to receive full deliveries of irrigation water this year from a vast system of canals and reservoirs run by the federal government, while some in the nation’s most productive farming region will receive a fraction as the state recovers from several years of drought, officials said Friday. Farms and water customers […]