For eight days last summer, a group of about 80 California ranchers and farmers took more than half the Shasta River’s flow during severe drought conditions, violating state requirements designed to protect salmon. The state’s water regulator couldn’t stop the illegal diversion but fined the group the maximum penalty it could — $4,000. The fine translated to about $50 […]
Democrats leading California’s Senate and Assembly on Monday announced a legislative state budget deal, but they remain at odds with Gov. Gavin Newsom over his sweeping plan to streamline major infrastructure projects and reduce environmental litigation delays. Newsom introduced a series of budget bills related to infrastructure last month after lawmakers had already wrapped up […]
The biggest rivers in the U.S. are the lifeblood of the regions they flow through. They provide drinking water, irrigation for agricultural lands and a habitat where important ecosystems can thrive. But as climate change worsens, some of the nation’s most important rivers are in serious trouble because of the drought gripping several regions.
The results are in: As California endured its three driest years on record, urban water users made a significant effort to conserve water, but fell far short of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request to reduce their use by 15%. Between July 2021, when Newsom first called on water users to voluntarily cut back, and March of this […]
In a warm, overstuffed auditorium at the University of Colorado on Thursday, tribal representatives from around the Colorado River Basin had a message for their federal and state counterparts: Tribes won’t be cut out of key water talks that will decide the future of the basin. “As we develop a post-2026 plan, it’s no longer […]
When California imposed its first-ever regulation on the extraction of water from underground aquifers in 2014, it gave environmental groups a landmark victory in their decades-long effort to overhaul water use laws. It was also a political setback for farmers, who are California’s major water users and have depended on wells to irrigate their crops as increasingly […]
Opinion: Water is Precious in the American West. California Barely Even Tries to Manage it
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Dave Owen, Nell Green Nylen, Michael KiparskyFor eight days last summer, a group of about 80 California ranchers and farmers took more than half the Shasta River’s flow during severe drought conditions, violating state requirements designed to protect salmon. The state’s water regulator couldn’t stop the illegal diversion but fined the group the maximum penalty it could — $4,000. The fine translated to about $50 […]
Newsom and Democratic Lawmakers Remain Divided on Infrastructure Plan
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kristiene Gong /Los Angeles Timesby Taryn LunaDemocrats leading California’s Senate and Assembly on Monday announced a legislative state budget deal, but they remain at odds with Gov. Gavin Newsom over his sweeping plan to streamline major infrastructure projects and reduce environmental litigation delays. Newsom introduced a series of budget bills related to infrastructure last month after lawmakers had already wrapped up […]
The U.S. Rivers in Dangerous Decline
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kristiene Gong /Newsweekby Robyn WhiteThe biggest rivers in the U.S. are the lifeblood of the regions they flow through. They provide drinking water, irrigation for agricultural lands and a habitat where important ecosystems can thrive. But as climate change worsens, some of the nation’s most important rivers are in serious trouble because of the drought gripping several regions.
Californians Were Asked to Cut Water Use 15% During the Drought. How Close Did They Get?
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Haley Smith and Sean GreeneThe results are in: As California endured its three driest years on record, urban water users made a significant effort to conserve water, but fell far short of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request to reduce their use by 15%. Between July 2021, when Newsom first called on water users to voluntarily cut back, and March of this […]
Colorado River Officials Weigh How to Cut Water, Include Tribes Ahead of Looming Negotiations
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Colorado Sunby Shannon MullaneIn a warm, overstuffed auditorium at the University of Colorado on Thursday, tribal representatives from around the Colorado River Basin had a message for their federal and state counterparts: Tribes won’t be cut out of key water talks that will decide the future of the basin. “As we develop a post-2026 plan, it’s no longer […]
Opinion: California Water Rights at Risk as Three Legislative Proposals Advance
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /CalMattersby Dan WaltersWhen California imposed its first-ever regulation on the extraction of water from underground aquifers in 2014, it gave environmental groups a landmark victory in their decades-long effort to overhaul water use laws. It was also a political setback for farmers, who are California’s major water users and have depended on wells to irrigate their crops as increasingly […]