Roughly 36.3 million dead trees were counted across California in 2022, a dramatic increase from previous years that experts are blaming on drought, insects and disease, according to a report by the U.S. Forest Service. The same survey for 2021 counted 9.5 million dead trees in the state, but the effects of last year’s dramatic […]
Erratic climate swings—from drought to floods and back to dry conditions—are delivering less certainty to farmers for the coming irrigation season and a lot of misunderstanding about how much water is actually imported for food, electronics and other products.
You would have to be at least a septuagenarian to remember “Rebel Without a Cause,” a 1955 movie that starred James Dean and depicted the lives of aimless teenagers. The film’s most memorable scene was a game of chicken in which two boys raced cars side by side toward a cliff and the first one to bail […]
One of the Colorado River’s two major reservoirs is expected to collect better than average runoff this year, thanks to an unusually wet La Niña pattern that dropped a deluge of snow up and down the basin. Lake Powell, the nation’s second largest reservoir that sits on the border of Utah and Arizona, is expected to receive […]
The ongoing dispute over Colorado River water comes down largely to math: How much water should each state and region lose as reservoir levels continue to decline? California has one interpretation of how to divvy up the cuts, and six other states that depend on the river have a different formula.
The Arctic is seeing a rapid decline in sea ice even during the cold winter months when it should be recovering from the summer melt. Scientists say that one often-overlooked factor is playing a bigger role than previously thought: Atmospheric rivers. These long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere transport warm air and water vapor from the […]
In a Dramatic Spike, 36.3 Million Trees Died in California Last Year. Drought, Disease Blamed
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Nathan SolisRoughly 36.3 million dead trees were counted across California in 2022, a dramatic increase from previous years that experts are blaming on drought, insects and disease, according to a report by the U.S. Forest Service. The same survey for 2021 counted 9.5 million dead trees in the state, but the effects of last year’s dramatic […]
California Plans for the Good, the Bad and the Ugly About Snowmelt Runoff
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline /by Mike Lee /Agri Pulseby Brad HookerErratic climate swings—from drought to floods and back to dry conditions—are delivering less certainty to farmers for the coming irrigation season and a lot of misunderstanding about how much water is actually imported for food, electronics and other products.
Opinion: Western States Play Game of Chicken Over Colorado River
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /CalMattersby Dan WaltersYou would have to be at least a septuagenarian to remember “Rebel Without a Cause,” a 1955 movie that starred James Dean and depicted the lives of aimless teenagers. The film’s most memorable scene was a game of chicken in which two boys raced cars side by side toward a cliff and the first one to bail […]
Wet La Niña Winter Likely to Bring More Water Into Lake Powell
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Colton LochheadOne of the Colorado River’s two major reservoirs is expected to collect better than average runoff this year, thanks to an unusually wet La Niña pattern that dropped a deluge of snow up and down the basin. Lake Powell, the nation’s second largest reservoir that sits on the border of Utah and Arizona, is expected to receive […]
Why California is So Far Apart From Other States in Colorado River Water Cuts Plan
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James and Sean GreeneThe ongoing dispute over Colorado River water comes down largely to math: How much water should each state and region lose as reservoir levels continue to decline? California has one interpretation of how to divvy up the cuts, and six other states that depend on the river have a different formula.
Atmospheric Rivers Aren’t Just a Problem for California. They’re Changing the Arctic, Too
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /CNNby Rachel Ramirez and Laura PaddisonThe Arctic is seeing a rapid decline in sea ice even during the cold winter months when it should be recovering from the summer melt. Scientists say that one often-overlooked factor is playing a bigger role than previously thought: Atmospheric rivers. These long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere transport warm air and water vapor from the […]