The U.S. Forest Service today released a new report, Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis, that provides a national assessment of peer-reviewed scientific research on the impacts of drought on U.S. forests and rangelands. This report will help the Forest Service better manage forests and grasslands […]
California’s unprecedented dry spell has tested the limits of drought-tolerant ferns, which carpet the forest floor underneath the West Coast’s iconic redwoods, according to a new study by UC Santa Cruz scientists. “We’ve never seen a drought of this magnitude,” said co-author Jarmila Pittermann, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. “You’re used to […]
The prodigious storm that brought nearly an inch of rain to Fresno on Sunday left another gift overnight – snow along ridges on the west side of the central San Joaquin Valley. The snow level dropped to below 2,000 feet overnight as the cold storm moved through the area, said Modesto Vasquez, a meteorologist […]
What a difference a month of rain makes. Two months ago, Folsom Lake stood at its lowest depth in history, and federal officials were engineering a special pumping system to ensure drinking water would keep flowing to Sacramento suburbs. Following a month of persistent rain and snow in Northern California, lake levels are triple […]
The second Sierra snowpack measurement of the winter is Tuesday. January has brought much needed snow, but February may start a bit more slowly. It was the best month for snowpack in January since 2011. And the statewide snowpack is above normal. “We’ve not had a snowpack for the last four years, anything […]
The Obama administration has begun an initiative aimed at making the United States more water-efficient, saying the country has the potential to reduce its total water use by a third. Deputy Interior Secretary Mike Connor said some of the White House’s objectives include encouraging more recycling of wastewater and promoting investment in water treatment and […]
Effects of Drought for Forests and Rangelands
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /AG Net West (Fresno)The U.S. Forest Service today released a new report, Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis, that provides a national assessment of peer-reviewed scientific research on the impacts of drought on U.S. forests and rangelands. This report will help the Forest Service better manage forests and grasslands […]
UCSC Study: Drought Testing Limits of Hardy Ferns
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Santa Cruz Sentinelby By Samantha ClarkCalifornia’s unprecedented dry spell has tested the limits of drought-tolerant ferns, which carpet the forest floor underneath the West Coast’s iconic redwoods, according to a new study by UC Santa Cruz scientists. “We’ve never seen a drought of this magnitude,” said co-author Jarmila Pittermann, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. “You’re used to […]
Snow Tops Peaks on West Side of Central San Joaquin Valley, Affects National Park Access
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Fresno Beeby By Rory Appleton and Lewis GriswoldThe prodigious storm that brought nearly an inch of rain to Fresno on Sunday left another gift overnight – snow along ridges on the west side of the central San Joaquin Valley. The snow level dropped to below 2,000 feet overnight as the cold storm moved through the area, said Modesto Vasquez, a meteorologist […]
Buoyed by Recent Rains, Folsom Lake Levels Triple
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby By Phillip Reese, Ryan Sabalow and Dale KaslerWhat a difference a month of rain makes. Two months ago, Folsom Lake stood at its lowest depth in history, and federal officials were engineering a special pumping system to ensure drinking water would keep flowing to Sacramento suburbs. Following a month of persistent rain and snow in Northern California, lake levels are triple […]
Reservoirs Slowly Filling, Sierra Snowpack above Normal
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Capital Public Radioby By Ed JoyceThe second Sierra snowpack measurement of the winter is Tuesday. January has brought much needed snow, but February may start a bit more slowly. It was the best month for snowpack in January since 2011. And the statewide snowpack is above normal. “We’ve not had a snowpack for the last four years, anything […]
Obama Administration Aims To Reduce US Water Footprint
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by By Ian JamesThe Obama administration has begun an initiative aimed at making the United States more water-efficient, saying the country has the potential to reduce its total water use by a third. Deputy Interior Secretary Mike Connor said some of the White House’s objectives include encouraging more recycling of wastewater and promoting investment in water treatment and […]