Questions remain about plans to build Sites Reservoir. This week the Butte County Water Commission was asked to approve a letter of support for the project to build a new surface water storage reservoir near Maxwell. Soon, the State Water Commission plans to distribute some of the Proposition 1 funds, and the project could receive […]
UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, the California Department of Water Resources and non-profit organization California Trout have launched an expanded experiment to better understand how the Sacramento River system can support healthy salmon populations. For the first time this year, the agricultural floodplain habitat experiment will compare food web productivity and fish growth in […]
California’s largest reservoirs act as a report card for water officials, and unfortunately the grades aren’t very high right now. “Looking at that graph is a good snapshot of how they’re looking, and they’re not looking so good right now,” Doug Carlson with the California Department of Water Resources said. Rainfall totals and snowpack levels […]
Area farmers report that any flooding of their nut and fruit orchards during the current El Niño condition would likely do more good than damage to their trees. In fact, some farmers plan to deliberately flood their orchards as part of testing the benefits of winter flooding. By doing so, they not only ensure the […]
Following a warm, dry February in California, a shift in the weather pattern will open the door for several storms to soak the state during the second week of March. Enough rain may fall to put a noticeable dent in the drought across the state.By the end of this weekend, storms will usher in moderate […]
In the past, powerful El Niños have typically delivered about 22 inches of rain to the city by this time; the current amount is far below that. To reach the El Niño average of 30 inches by the beginning of summer, the NWS writes, “we would need more than two tenths of an inch every […]
Questions Remain on Plans for Sites Reservoir
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Recordby By Heather HackingQuestions remain about plans to build Sites Reservoir. This week the Butte County Water Commission was asked to approve a letter of support for the project to build a new surface water storage reservoir near Maxwell. Soon, the State Water Commission plans to distribute some of the Proposition 1 funds, and the project could receive […]
Floodplain Experiment Points to Water Policy Solutions to Support Both Salmon Recovery and Agriculture
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /West Sacramento News LedgerUC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, the California Department of Water Resources and non-profit organization California Trout have launched an expanded experiment to better understand how the Sacramento River system can support healthy salmon populations. For the first time this year, the agricultural floodplain habitat experiment will compare food web productivity and fish growth in […]
California’s Largest Reservoirs Still Well Below Average
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /CBS (San Francisco)by By Wilson WalkerCalifornia’s largest reservoirs act as a report card for water officials, and unfortunately the grades aren’t very high right now. “Looking at that graph is a good snapshot of how they’re looking, and they’re not looking so good right now,” Doug Carlson with the California Department of Water Resources said. Rainfall totals and snowpack levels […]
Wet Winter Invites Flooding Research on Valley Farms
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Business Journal (Fresno)by By Chuck HarveyArea farmers report that any flooding of their nut and fruit orchards during the current El Niño condition would likely do more good than damage to their trees. In fact, some farmers plan to deliberately flood their orchards as part of testing the benefits of winter flooding. By doing so, they not only ensure the […]
El Nino-Driven Storms to Dent California’s Drought with Inches of Rain Next Week
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /AccuWeather (State College, Penn.)by By Brett RathbunFollowing a warm, dry February in California, a shift in the weather pattern will open the door for several storms to soak the state during the second week of March. Enough rain may fall to put a noticeable dent in the drought across the state.By the end of this weekend, storms will usher in moderate […]
Drought-Struck California Finally Looks Due for an Epic Soaking
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /CityLab (Washington, D.C.)by By John MetcalfeIn the past, powerful El Niños have typically delivered about 22 inches of rain to the city by this time; the current amount is far below that. To reach the El Niño average of 30 inches by the beginning of summer, the NWS writes, “we would need more than two tenths of an inch every […]