Five years into California’s latest drought, a major water bill compromise can seem as far away as ever. The perennial conflict, often summed up as fish vs. farms, subtly surfaced again Tuesday at a key Senate hearing. A Western growers’ advocate pleaded for relief, a Trout Unlimited leader urged caution and lawmakers insisted on optimism […]
IT HAS been in drought for five long years and some fear they are in the grip of a never-ending dry spell. The situation has become so severe that the state’s leader has launched permanent water conservation measures. Welcome to daily life for people in California who have been subjected to a dry spell many Australian […]
The last few years has shown that California is getting serious about policies to combat drought. And now it is getting serious about the role of data in that fight. In 2013 Gov. Jerry Brown mandated that urban water suppliers report monthly average gallons per capita per day to track water conservation. And last week […]
California’s groundwater is threatened – unsustainable use is causing impacts around the state. Pumping during the drought has been so rapid that changes in groundwater levels can be observed from space. In some areas, the land surface has collapsed almost two inches per month. Deep new wells take water from neighbors in a race to […]
Dams and reservoirs are an obsolete technology and the shouting for more dams can exacerbate hard water times. Bullet trains make sense; bullet dams do not. In the December issue of Science, researches expounded on the mishandling of numbers; the estimates of how much water evaporates from watersheds around the world missed their mark by […]
America’s substantial water challenges are not secret any longer. Cities poisoned by lead-contaminated drinking water and toxic algae, along with crippling droughts and dwindling groundwater reserves, make it increasingly clear that the nation’s water systems urgently require an overhaul. That was the consensus view of experts convened this week in New York City during H2O […]
California Water Bill: Here’s Why it’s so Hard for Congress to Pass
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Bee by By Michael DoyleFive years into California’s latest drought, a major water bill compromise can seem as far away as ever. The perennial conflict, often summed up as fish vs. farms, subtly surfaced again Tuesday at a key Senate hearing. A Western growers’ advocate pleaded for relief, a Trout Unlimited leader urged caution and lawmakers insisted on optimism […]
California Drought: Government Warns ‘This is Just the Beginning’
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /NEWS.com (Sydney, Australia)IT HAS been in drought for five long years and some fear they are in the grip of a never-ending dry spell. The situation has become so severe that the state’s leader has launched permanent water conservation measures. Welcome to daily life for people in California who have been subjected to a dry spell many Australian […]
BLOG: A New Data Initiative Is Changing Water Management
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Tara LohanThe last few years has shown that California is getting serious about policies to combat drought. And now it is getting serious about the role of data in that fight. In 2013 Gov. Jerry Brown mandated that urban water suppliers report monthly average gallons per capita per day to track water conservation. And last week […]
OPINION: California Needs Strong, Fair and Effective Groundwater Agencies
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Fresno Bee by By Michael Kiparsky and Holly DoremusCalifornia’s groundwater is threatened – unsustainable use is causing impacts around the state. Pumping during the drought has been so rapid that changes in groundwater levels can be observed from space. In some areas, the land surface has collapsed almost two inches per month. Deep new wells take water from neighbors in a race to […]
Percolation, Not Dams and Roads, Can Protect Water Supply
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Calaveras Enterprise (San Andreas) by By Bud HoekstraDams and reservoirs are an obsolete technology and the shouting for more dams can exacerbate hard water times. Bullet trains make sense; bullet dams do not. In the December issue of Science, researches expounded on the mishandling of numbers; the estimates of how much water evaporates from watersheds around the world missed their mark by […]
BLOG: America’s Water Infrastructure Requires New Mindset
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Circle of Blue (Traverse City, Mich.)by By Codi KozacekAmerica’s substantial water challenges are not secret any longer. Cities poisoned by lead-contaminated drinking water and toxic algae, along with crippling droughts and dwindling groundwater reserves, make it increasingly clear that the nation’s water systems urgently require an overhaul. That was the consensus view of experts convened this week in New York City during H2O […]