These days, when dams in the U.S. make news, it’s often concrete getting blasted, not bedrock. And last week, the biggest dam-removal project in history got a crucial endorsement. Federal officials, the states of Oregon and California, and the utility PacifiCorp signed a pair of agreements opening the way for removal of a whopping four […]
April showers that fell over the weekend are likely to occur again in Northern California starting Wednesday night. A low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska is predicted to push a fast-moving cold front southward through the north state, according to the National Weather Service. The return of showers is expected to continue through Thursday. […]
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 […]
This Will Be the Biggest Dam-Removal Project in History
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /National Geographic by By Sarah GilmanThese days, when dams in the U.S. make news, it’s often concrete getting blasted, not bedrock. And last week, the biggest dam-removal project in history got a crucial endorsement. Federal officials, the states of Oregon and California, and the utility PacifiCorp signed a pair of agreements opening the way for removal of a whopping four […]
Weak Storm System Expected to Bring Showers Wednesday, Thursday
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento BeeApril showers that fell over the weekend are likely to occur again in Northern California starting Wednesday night. A low-pressure system from the Gulf of Alaska is predicted to push a fast-moving cold front southward through the north state, according to the National Weather Service. The return of showers is expected to continue through Thursday. […]
‘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 […]