Atmospheric river-fueled storms have hammered the network of hundreds of levees in coastal counties near the San Francisco Bay — from the agricultural fields of Monterey County to urban places like San Leandro, Walnut Creek and Richmond to more rural parts of the North Bay. At least two major levees, in Salinas and Pajaro, have […]
Situated in the Sonoran Desert near the Arizona-California border is the tiny rural town of Cibola – home to roughly 300 people, depending on the season. Life here depends almost entirely on the Colorado River, which nourishes thirsty crops like cotton and alfalfa, sustains a nearby wildlife refuge and allows visitors to enjoy boating and other recreation.
Even on the heels of an unusual winter of intense rain, wind and snow, the storm that slammed California on Tuesday came with some surprising conditions. The storm was marked by powerful winds in the Bay Area and other parts of Central and Northern California that downed trees, created treacherous commuting conditions, broke windows in downtown San […]
More than a dozen atmospheric rivers in succession prompted people to think: The California drought is over! The levees are breaking, hundreds of people are being displaced by the raging waters, rainfall is breaking records, and story after story suggest we are headed out of the decade-long drought that has devastated agriculture and wiped out the state’s water […]
Tiny pieces of plastic shed from food wrappers, grocery bags, clothing, cigarette butts, tires and paint are invading the environment and every facet of daily life. Researchers know the plastic particles have even made it into municipal water supplies, but very little data exists about the scope of microplastic contamination in drinking water. After years of […]
Snow is forecast every day this week in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, and snowpack levels have climbed to nearly 150% as warmer spring temperatures near. It could be the winter we remember as one of the bright spots in a drought that defined the past two decades in the Colorado River Basin.
Fewer Than 10% of Levees in the Greater Bay Area Have a Federal Flood Risk Rating
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KQEDby Ezra David RomeroAtmospheric river-fueled storms have hammered the network of hundreds of levees in coastal counties near the San Francisco Bay — from the agricultural fields of Monterey County to urban places like San Leandro, Walnut Creek and Richmond to more rural parts of the North Bay. At least two major levees, in Salinas and Pajaro, have […]
Wall Street is Thirsty for Its Next Big Investment Opportunity: The West’s Vanishing Water
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /CNNby Lucy KafanovSituated in the Sonoran Desert near the Arizona-California border is the tiny rural town of Cibola – home to roughly 300 people, depending on the season. Life here depends almost entirely on the Colorado River, which nourishes thirsty crops like cotton and alfalfa, sustains a nearby wildlife refuge and allows visitors to enjoy boating and other recreation.
California’s Wild Storm: the Fujiwhara Effect, a Bomb Cyclone, Even Landspout, Tornado Warnings
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Christian Martinez, Hayley Smith, Susanne Rust, and Luke MoneyEven on the heels of an unusual winter of intense rain, wind and snow, the storm that slammed California on Tuesday came with some surprising conditions. The storm was marked by powerful winds in the Bay Area and other parts of Central and Northern California that downed trees, created treacherous commuting conditions, broke windows in downtown San […]
California’s Drought is Not Over
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Capital & Mainby Mark SchapiroMore than a dozen atmospheric rivers in succession prompted people to think: The California drought is over! The levees are breaking, hundreds of people are being displaced by the raging waters, rainfall is breaking records, and story after story suggest we are headed out of the decade-long drought that has devastated agriculture and wiped out the state’s water […]
Testing at the Source: California Readies a Groundbreaking Hunt to Check for Microplastics in Drinking Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Water Education Foundation (Western Water)by Nick Cahill Quoted: San Diego County Water AuthorityTiny pieces of plastic shed from food wrappers, grocery bags, clothing, cigarette butts, tires and paint are invading the environment and every facet of daily life. Researchers know the plastic particles have even made it into municipal water supplies, but very little data exists about the scope of microplastic contamination in drinking water. After years of […]
Snowpack Rising: Good Water News for Now, but Lake Mead Unlikely to See a Difference
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /8 News Nowby Greg HaasSnow is forecast every day this week in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, and snowpack levels have climbed to nearly 150% as warmer spring temperatures near. It could be the winter we remember as one of the bright spots in a drought that defined the past two decades in the Colorado River Basin.