The prospect of being sent to California’s “groundwater cop” strikes dread in the hearts of most water managers. But for John Vidovich, having the Tulare Lake subbasin come under the glare of the State Water Resources Control Board may be the only way to end an irrigation practice by the J.G. Boswell Company that he […]
The megadrought California is enduring right now is the worst in more than a millennium. In the last two decades, we have only sporadically not been in a state of drought, and the first three months of 2022 were the driest on record. Now, nearly every inch of California is experiencing severe or extreme drought, or even worse: A […]
The San Joaquin Valley is California’s largest agricultural region, but it’s facing an uncertain future. A combination of persistent drought and the rollout of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act will increase regional water scarcity in the coming decades. Water scarcity will have a major effect on land use: At least half a million acres are projected to […]
The massive climate and healthcare package that passed Sunday in the Senate includes $4 billion to help shore up the rapidly dwindling Colorado River and its massive reservoirs. California officials who are pushing to meet an August deadline for huge water savings in Lake Mead and Lake Powell praised the bill’s passage.
Charlie Hamilton hasn’t irrigated his vineyards with water from the Sacramento River since early May, even though it flows just yards from his crop. Nearby to the south, the industrial Bay Area city of Antioch has supplied its people with water from the San Joaquin River for just 32 days this year, compared to roughly […]
Thousands of acres of crops, from corn to nectarines, surround Melynda Metheney’s community in West Goshen, California — one of the key battlegrounds where residents say irrigation and overpumping have depleted drinkable water. “You know what you’re up against when you live in these communities. You have to decide, are there enough of us?” said […]
Will Kings County Be the First Region Sent to State’s Groundwater “Cop”?
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /SJV Waterby Lois HenryThe prospect of being sent to California’s “groundwater cop” strikes dread in the hearts of most water managers. But for John Vidovich, having the Tulare Lake subbasin come under the glare of the State Water Resources Control Board may be the only way to end an irrigation practice by the J.G. Boswell Company that he […]
Creating a Drought-Tolerant California Garden: How to Replace Your Thirsty Lawn With Lush Plants and Grasses
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KQEDby Mina Kim and Katrin SnowThe megadrought California is enduring right now is the worst in more than a millennium. In the last two decades, we have only sporadically not been in a state of drought, and the first three months of 2022 were the driest on record. Now, nearly every inch of California is experiencing severe or extreme drought, or even worse: A […]
Opinion: Drought Requires New Strategies for Managing Cropland
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /CalMattersby Andrew Ayres and Caitlin PetersonThe San Joaquin Valley is California’s largest agricultural region, but it’s facing an uncertain future. A combination of persistent drought and the rollout of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act will increase regional water scarcity in the coming decades. Water scarcity will have a major effect on land use: At least half a million acres are projected to […]
Senators Add $4 Billion for Colorado River Drought Relief Into Inflation Reduction Act
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Desert Sunby Janet WilsonThe massive climate and healthcare package that passed Sunday in the Senate includes $4 billion to help shore up the rapidly dwindling Colorado River and its massive reservoirs. California officials who are pushing to meet an August deadline for huge water savings in Lake Mead and Lake Powell praised the bill’s passage.
In Dry California, Salty Water Creeps Into Key Waterways
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /AP Newsby Kathleen RonayneCharlie Hamilton hasn’t irrigated his vineyards with water from the Sacramento River since early May, even though it flows just yards from his crop. Nearby to the south, the industrial Bay Area city of Antioch has supplied its people with water from the San Joaquin River for just 32 days this year, compared to roughly […]
A Battle for Safe Drinking Water Grows Heated Amid Drought in California’s Central Valley
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Courthouse News Serviceby Natalie HansonThousands of acres of crops, from corn to nectarines, surround Melynda Metheney’s community in West Goshen, California — one of the key battlegrounds where residents say irrigation and overpumping have depleted drinkable water. “You know what you’re up against when you live in these communities. You have to decide, are there enough of us?” said […]