Over the past few weeks, the equatorial Pacific has been cooling. The extreme tropical temperatures that broke records earlier this winter have waned, and El Niño, though still present, is a shadow of its former Godzilla self. It signals a possible shift to the Pacific’s other phase, La Niña. The strength of El Niño is measured by how abnormally […]
The Interior Department’s inspector general has opened an investigation into possible funding irregularities involving the proposed delta tunnels, a $15 billion plan to dig giant twin pipes to siphon water directly from the Sacramento River and send it underground to farms and cities in the southern part of the state. The decision, made public Monday, […]
Some California reservoirs are releasing vast amounts of water even though the drought continues. This wouldn’t be necessary if water managers used new weather and streamflow forecasting tools, says Rob Hartman, hydrologist-in-charge of the California/Nevada River Forecast Center It might be difficult to believe, but California’s water-supply reservoirs are not managed according to the weather. In […]
Thanks in part to El Niño, snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is greater than it has been in years. With the winter snowfall season winding down, California officials said that the pack peaked two weeks ago at 87 percent of the long-term average. That’s far better than last year, when it was just 5 percent […]
A simple and relatively inexpensive way to expand California’s available water is to modify spillways on reservoirs. Congressman Jeff Denham noted experts have estimated it would allow access to a million acre feet of water annually. That’s enough to meet the typical water needs of almost 11 million people a year based on per capital consumption […]
San Francisco intellectuals are noted for attacking Central Valley farmers, Sierra lumbermen and Los Angeles for environmental crimes.The most enduring symbol of hatred for the San Francisco environmental crowd is dams. They represent everything supposedly evil about modern-day California. They contend the huge concrete structures destroy wild rivers, flood pristine canyons and spur urban growth […]
‘Godzilla’ El Niño is Dead
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Washington Post by By Angela FritzOver the past few weeks, the equatorial Pacific has been cooling. The extreme tropical temperatures that broke records earlier this winter have waned, and El Niño, though still present, is a shadow of its former Godzilla self. It signals a possible shift to the Pacific’s other phase, La Niña. The strength of El Niño is measured by how abnormally […]
Federal Government to Probe State Spending on Delta Tunnels
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicle by By Carolyn LochheadThe Interior Department’s inspector general has opened an investigation into possible funding irregularities involving the proposed delta tunnels, a $15 billion plan to dig giant twin pipes to siphon water directly from the Sacramento River and send it underground to farms and cities in the southern part of the state. The decision, made public Monday, […]
BLOG: Time to Manage Reservoirs Differently
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by By Matt WeiserSome California reservoirs are releasing vast amounts of water even though the drought continues. This wouldn’t be necessary if water managers used new weather and streamflow forecasting tools, says Rob Hartman, hydrologist-in-charge of the California/Nevada River Forecast Center It might be difficult to believe, but California’s water-supply reservoirs are not managed according to the weather. In […]
Sierra Nevada Snow Won’t End California’s Thirst
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The New York Times by By Henry FountainThanks in part to El Niño, snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is greater than it has been in years. With the winter snowfall season winding down, California officials said that the pack peaked two weeks ago at 87 percent of the long-term average. That’s far better than last year, when it was just 5 percent […]
OPINION: Jeff Denham: Bureaucrats Impede Water Development
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Manteca Bulletin by By Dennis WyattA simple and relatively inexpensive way to expand California’s available water is to modify spillways on reservoirs. Congressman Jeff Denham noted experts have estimated it would allow access to a million acre feet of water annually. That’s enough to meet the typical water needs of almost 11 million people a year based on per capital consumption […]
OPNION: Hetch Hetchy: Environmental Hypocrisy, San Francisco-Style
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Manteca Bulletin by By Dennis WyattSan Francisco intellectuals are noted for attacking Central Valley farmers, Sierra lumbermen and Los Angeles for environmental crimes.The most enduring symbol of hatred for the San Francisco environmental crowd is dams. They represent everything supposedly evil about modern-day California. They contend the huge concrete structures destroy wild rivers, flood pristine canyons and spur urban growth […]