California was supposed to kick off a new era of dam building when voters passed a $7.5 billion water bond in 2014. But ten years later, only one dam project from the list is still alive. Sites, which would divert water from the Sacramento River into an offstream reservoir capable of storing water for 3 […]
Adding new snowpack monitoring stations at strategic locations would be better at predicting water supply in the western U.S. than basin-wide mapping — and it would be less expensive — according to a new study. “Measuring snow in the right places can benefit forecasts more than measuring it everywhere,” said lead author Mark Raleigh, an […]
When Lena Astilli first bought her home outside of Denver, she had no interest in matching the wall-to-wall green lawns that dominated her block. She wanted native plants — the kind she remembered and loved as a child in New Mexico, that require far less water and have far more to offer insects and birds that […]
California’s water system is considered to be one of the most complex in the world. Thousands of miles of canals snake through Central California’s agricultural fields, transporting water from the state’s intricate network of dams and reservoirs to feed the thirsty almonds, strawberries and grapes (among other crops) that cover sprawling fields. Most Californians only glance at this system from a passing […]
Last Tuesday, the California Legislature cast a vote on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s controversial water tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by not voting at all. A couple of bills meant to speed up the process were allowed to die in committee before reaching the state Assembly. Opponents of the project consider it a […]
A novel solar power project just went online in California’s Central Valley, with panels that span across canals in the vast agricultural region. The 1.6-megawatt installation, called Project Nexus, was fully completed late last month. The $20-million state-funded pilot has turned stretches of the Turlock Irrigation District’s canals into hubs of clean electricity generation in a […]
One Dam to Rule Them All
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Politicoby CAMILLE VON KAENELCalifornia was supposed to kick off a new era of dam building when voters passed a $7.5 billion water bond in 2014. But ten years later, only one dam project from the list is still alive. Sites, which would divert water from the Sacramento River into an offstream reservoir capable of storing water for 3 […]
Snowpack ‘Hotspots’ Better Than Basin-Wide Mapping for Predicting Water
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Capital Pressby Kyle OdegardAdding new snowpack monitoring stations at strategic locations would be better at predicting water supply in the western U.S. than basin-wide mapping — and it would be less expensive — according to a new study. “Measuring snow in the right places can benefit forecasts more than measuring it everywhere,” said lead author Mark Raleigh, an […]
Move Over, Green Lawns. Drier, Warmer Climate Boosts Interest in Low-Water Landscaping
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /U.S. NewsWhen Lena Astilli first bought her home outside of Denver, she had no interest in matching the wall-to-wall green lawns that dominated her block. She wanted native plants — the kind she remembered and loved as a child in New Mexico, that require far less water and have far more to offer insects and birds that […]
California’s Next Big Energy Experiment Is Working
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /SF Gateby Tessa McLeanCalifornia’s water system is considered to be one of the most complex in the world. Thousands of miles of canals snake through Central California’s agricultural fields, transporting water from the state’s intricate network of dams and reservoirs to feed the thirsty almonds, strawberries and grapes (among other crops) that cover sprawling fields. Most Californians only glance at this system from a passing […]
2 Bills Meant to Speed up California Delta Tunnel Project Die Without Vote
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /CBS Newsby John RamosLast Tuesday, the California Legislature cast a vote on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s controversial water tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by not voting at all. A couple of bills meant to speed up the process were allowed to die in committee before reaching the state Assembly. Opponents of the project consider it a […]
Novel Project in California Has Solar Panels Stretching Across Water Canals
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Corporate Knightsby Maria GallucciA novel solar power project just went online in California’s Central Valley, with panels that span across canals in the vast agricultural region. The 1.6-megawatt installation, called Project Nexus, was fully completed late last month. The $20-million state-funded pilot has turned stretches of the Turlock Irrigation District’s canals into hubs of clean electricity generation in a […]