Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley may be able to blunt a sharp decline in the years ahead if policymakers and the industry can come together on a series of strategies for reducing demand for irrigation while also increasing water supply, according to a new assessment from a prominent policy organization. The report this month from […]
The first week of February brought only modest amounts of rain and snow but despite that, California’s snowpack and many of the state’s largest reservoirs are in good shape. According to data tracked by California’s Department of Water Resources, the statewide snowpack is at 135% of the average peak. Typically the snowpack peaks in late […]
As we entered the fall of 2022 in California, news headlines read of a 1,200-year drought and state agencies warned the current drought from 2020 to 2022 was the driest on record. In a matter of weeks, stories changed to talk of flooding, mudslides, and record rainfall. The New Year brought one of the wettest […]
New data show a snowy start to 2023 for the Colorado River basin. Inflows into Lake Powell, the nation’s second largest reservoir, are currently projected to be 117% of average during spring runoff thanks to heavy winter precipitation in the Rocky Mountains. The beleaguered river is shrinking due to climate change and steady demand. Scientists […]
Much of the Colorado River’s water is diverted from reservoirs and transported in canals to the farmlands and cities of the desert Southwest. But some of the water also ends up going elsewhere — vanishing into thin air. Water lost to evaporation has become a central point of contention in the disagreement between California and […]
As California has struggled with drought, Governor Gavin Newsom’s fundamental solution: find more water by diversifying the state’s public water supply. Because of the proximity of the Pacific Ocean, one of the most frequently mentioned sources is seawater desalination. A few communities are trying it, despite environmental concerns. But another potential source gets less public […]
Policy Group Warns of Steep Ag Losses Without Coordinated Action on Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bakersfield.comby John CoxAgriculture in the San Joaquin Valley may be able to blunt a sharp decline in the years ahead if policymakers and the industry can come together on a series of strategies for reducing demand for irrigation while also increasing water supply, according to a new assessment from a prominent policy organization. The report this month from […]
From Snowpack to Groundwater: Here’s a Look at Water Supply Conditions Across California
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KCRAby Heather WaldmanThe first week of February brought only modest amounts of rain and snow but despite that, California’s snowpack and many of the state’s largest reservoirs are in good shape. According to data tracked by California’s Department of Water Resources, the statewide snowpack is at 135% of the average peak. Typically the snowpack peaks in late […]
Opinion: Drought Doom Paralyzed California. Now, We’re Dumping Water Into the Ocean.
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The San Joaquin Valley Sunby Wayne Western, JR.As we entered the fall of 2022 in California, news headlines read of a 1,200-year drought and state agencies warned the current drought from 2020 to 2022 was the driest on record. In a matter of weeks, stories changed to talk of flooding, mudslides, and record rainfall. The New Year brought one of the wettest […]
The Rockies Are Having a Snowy Winter, but Not All of That Water Will Make It to the Colorado River
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KUNCby Alex HagerNew data show a snowy start to 2023 for the Colorado River basin. Inflows into Lake Powell, the nation’s second largest reservoir, are currently projected to be 117% of average during spring runoff thanks to heavy winter precipitation in the Rocky Mountains. The beleaguered river is shrinking due to climate change and steady demand. Scientists […]
As Colorado River Shrinks, Water Evaporation Becomes Critical to California’s Future Supplies
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Ian JamesMuch of the Colorado River’s water is diverted from reservoirs and transported in canals to the farmlands and cities of the desert Southwest. But some of the water also ends up going elsewhere — vanishing into thin air. Water lost to evaporation has become a central point of contention in the disagreement between California and […]
In Times of Scarcity, California’s Best New Source of Water? Reuse.
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Water & the Westby Caroline M. ReinhartAs California has struggled with drought, Governor Gavin Newsom’s fundamental solution: find more water by diversifying the state’s public water supply. Because of the proximity of the Pacific Ocean, one of the most frequently mentioned sources is seawater desalination. A few communities are trying it, despite environmental concerns. But another potential source gets less public […]