Facing demands from the federal government, California water agencies offered today to cut back the amount of water they import from the Colorado River starting in 2023. After months of negotiations, water agencies wrote to federal agencies today offering to reduce California’s water use by 400,000 acre-feet every year through 2026. That amounts to 9% of the […]
Lake Mead is America’s largest reservoir, supplying water for 25 million people across the southwest. It’s also drying up — a kind of poster child for the ongoing drought in the West. But upstream, a much larger but lesser known source of stored water is also disappearing: mountain snow. This is how climate change is […]
California water agencies that use Colorado River water indicated Wednesday they’d be willing to cut 400,000 acre-feet of water use annually starting next year and running through 2025 — a move a top Upper Basin water official cast as a promising development in the negotiations over the future of the river.
Drought that stretched across three continents this summer — drying out large parts of Europe, the United States and China — was made 20 times more likely by climate change, according to a new study. Drought dried up major rivers, destroyed crops, sparked wildfire, threatened aquatic species and led to water restrictions in Europe. It struck places […]
California’s water laws are stuck in the past. The Legislature can—indeed, it must—make the changes to state law necessary to address the 21st century’s complex water challenges. A recent decision by California’s Sixth District Court of Appeal highlights everything that’s wrong with California water law. The ruling blocks the State Water Resources Control Board’s authority […]
Underneath pavement, parks and lawns, a web of pipes carry the water that fuels urban life from the companies that distribute it to the people who consume it. Many Americans never think twice about how much water might be leaking from that system. And water providers haven’t always been required to contain the leaks.
California Offers to Reduce Imports of Colorado River Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /CalMattersby Rachel BeckerFacing demands from the federal government, California water agencies offered today to cut back the amount of water they import from the Colorado River starting in 2023. After months of negotiations, water agencies wrote to federal agencies today offering to reduce California’s water use by 400,000 acre-feet every year through 2026. That amounts to 9% of the […]
Snow Loss is Fueling the West’s Megadrought
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Gristby Jesse NicholsLake Mead is America’s largest reservoir, supplying water for 25 million people across the southwest. It’s also drying up — a kind of poster child for the ongoing drought in the West. But upstream, a much larger but lesser known source of stored water is also disappearing: mountain snow. This is how climate change is […]
Upper Basin Officials See California Proposal to Conserve Colorado River Water as a Positive Sign — Even if It’s Not Enough
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Colorado Sunby Chris OutcaltCalifornia water agencies that use Colorado River water indicated Wednesday they’d be willing to cut 400,000 acre-feet of water use annually starting next year and running through 2025 — a move a top Upper Basin water official cast as a promising development in the negotiations over the future of the river.
Climate Change Made Summer Drought 20 Times More Likely
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /AP Newsby Drew CostleyDrought that stretched across three continents this summer — drying out large parts of Europe, the United States and China — was made 20 times more likely by climate change, according to a new study. Drought dried up major rivers, destroyed crops, sparked wildfire, threatened aquatic species and led to water restrictions in Europe. It struck places […]
Opinion: Legislature Must Remake Water Laws for a Drier California
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /CalMattersby Walter “Redgie” Collins and Amanda CooperCalifornia’s water laws are stuck in the past. The Legislature can—indeed, it must—make the changes to state law necessary to address the 21st century’s complex water challenges. A recent decision by California’s Sixth District Court of Appeal highlights everything that’s wrong with California water law. The ruling blocks the State Water Resources Control Board’s authority […]
Amid Punishing Drought, California Is Set to Adopt Rules to Reduce Water Leaks. The Process has Lagged
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Inside Climate Newsby Emma Foehringer MerchantUnderneath pavement, parks and lawns, a web of pipes carry the water that fuels urban life from the companies that distribute it to the people who consume it. Many Americans never think twice about how much water might be leaking from that system. And water providers haven’t always been required to contain the leaks.