Ten years after the first seeds were planted for the proposed twin tunnels, the battle shifts to a new arena in 2016 — a critical year for the controversial project. A small state agency will soon begin the daunting process of deciding whether to change the water rights for the state and federal water […]
The Sacramento Bee editorial promoting construction of Sites reservoir noted that it would cost $3 billion to $4 billion (“State needs to invest in Sites reservoir”; Editorials, Dec. 27). Proposals to build Sites have been put forth since the 1940s, and none have gotten past a drawing board. No study has ever shown that […]
Old-school cooling systems on the roofs of larger Los Angeles buildings may be wasting billions of gallons of water each year. The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday (http://tinyurl.com/zarkqn9) that some of these “swamp coolers” are so inefficient they can use as much water as all the bathrooms, drinking fountains and kitchens in the buildings below. […]
Jerry Brown is a little like a salmon. Brown led the campaign to persuade voters to approve the $7.5 billion water bond in 2014. In part because of his exhortations in 2015, in which he derided “nice little green grass getting lots of water every day,” we are tearing out our turf and conserving. But […]
On California’s central coast, a region that usually receives drenching rainfall or fog for most of the year, some forests are now as arid as a desert. Streams that once ran at least at a trickle through summer have vanished in the ongoing drought, and environmentalists and fishermen fear that local salmon will disappear if […]
Bulmario Tapia Madrigal doesn’t want to shower in a stream of dirt. He doesn’t want to cook with bottled water, haul a bucketful to flush the toilet, or wonder if he has enough water to clean the diabetes wounds on his feet. But since his well went dry three months ago, that’s how life has been. […]
Tunnels Fight Changes Venue
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Recordnet.com (Stockton)by By Alex BreitlerTen years after the first seeds were planted for the proposed twin tunnels, the battle shifts to a new arena in 2016 — a critical year for the controversial project. A small state agency will soon begin the daunting process of deciding whether to change the water rights for the state and federal water […]
OPINION: Building Sites Reservoir Will Never Pencil Out or Produce Much Water
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby By Stephen GreenThe Sacramento Bee editorial promoting construction of Sites reservoir noted that it would cost $3 billion to $4 billion (“State needs to invest in Sites reservoir”; Editorials, Dec. 27). Proposals to build Sites have been put forth since the 1940s, and none have gotten past a drawing board. No study has ever shown that […]
Amid Drought, Los Angeles Looks To Upgrade ‘Swamp Coolers’
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Associated Press (As published by Times Standard California)Old-school cooling systems on the roofs of larger Los Angeles buildings may be wasting billions of gallons of water each year. The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday (http://tinyurl.com/zarkqn9) that some of these “swamp coolers” are so inefficient they can use as much water as all the bathrooms, drinking fountains and kitchens in the buildings below. […]
OPINION: Dan Morain: Gov. Jerry Brown Gets Ready to Swim Upstream
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby By Dan MorainJerry Brown is a little like a salmon. Brown led the campaign to persuade voters to approve the $7.5 billion water bond in 2014. In part because of his exhortations in 2015, in which he derided “nice little green grass getting lots of water every day,” we are tearing out our turf and conserving. But […]
BLOG: Beavers: A Potential Missing Link in California’s Water Future
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)On California’s central coast, a region that usually receives drenching rainfall or fog for most of the year, some forests are now as arid as a desert. Streams that once ran at least at a trickle through summer have vanished in the ongoing drought, and environmentalists and fishermen fear that local salmon will disappear if […]
Before California’s Drought, a Century of Disparity
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Atlantic CityLab (Wash. D.C.)by Laura BlissBulmario Tapia Madrigal doesn’t want to shower in a stream of dirt. He doesn’t want to cook with bottled water, haul a bucketful to flush the toilet, or wonder if he has enough water to clean the diabetes wounds on his feet. But since his well went dry three months ago, that’s how life has been. […]