It’s almost July, which is typically the beginning of California’s fire season. You’ve probably heard that wildfires in the Golden State have increasingly become a year-round danger, no longer limited to a few months a year. But even still, the start of the traditional summer-and-fall fire season brings a slew of heightened risks for us […]
Lake Oroville, the largest reservoir in a state system that provides water to 27 million Californians, has already reached its peak level for the year, barely surpassing half of its capacity, according to the Department of Water Resources. Officials had warned the lake — key to the roughly 700-mile State Water Project, which pumps and […]
Water managers in the western U.S. are facing a monumental task. Federal officials have given seven states an August deadline to figure out a plan to conserve an unprecedented amount of water. Without major cutbacks in water use, the nation’s two largest reservoirs are in danger of reaching critically low levels.
Tearing out our lawns is a good start toward wiser water use in Southern California, but it’s not enough. To do the job properly, we must also be ready to collect the rain that will someday fall out of the sky, advocates say. And these people have a vision that not only stores increasingly precious rainwater, but […]
While the lingering La Niña climate pattern is expected to bring soaking storms and strong hurricanes to parts of the U.S., it’s a different story here in California. La Niña is favored to stick around through the end of the year, according to the latest outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. While La Niña – and its opposite, El Niño […]
The port city of Tianjin is in desperate need of water. The surface and groundwater supplies of this sprawling northeast Chinese metropolis have shrunk to dangerously low levels due to decades of reduced rainfall and overexploitation of the Hai River that flows through the city. According to the Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau, the city’s per capita water […]
Why Summer Fires in California Are So Dangerous
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The New York Timesby Soumya KarlamanglaIt’s almost July, which is typically the beginning of California’s fire season. You’ve probably heard that wildfires in the Golden State have increasingly become a year-round danger, no longer limited to a few months a year. But even still, the start of the traditional summer-and-fall fire season brings a slew of heightened risks for us […]
A Major California Reservoir Has Hit Its Peak for the Year at Just Over Half Full
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Grace TooheyLake Oroville, the largest reservoir in a state system that provides water to 27 million Californians, has already reached its peak level for the year, barely surpassing half of its capacity, according to the Department of Water Resources. Officials had warned the lake — key to the roughly 700-mile State Water Project, which pumps and […]
7 States Must Figure Out How to Conserve an Unprecedented Amount of Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KUNC/NPRby Alex HagerWater managers in the western U.S. are facing a monumental task. Federal officials have given seven states an August deadline to figure out a plan to conserve an unprecedented amount of water. Without major cutbacks in water use, the nation’s two largest reservoirs are in danger of reaching critically low levels.
Tear Out Your Lawn, Check. Drought-Tolerant Plants, Check. Next Up: Recycled Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Jeanette MarantosTearing out our lawns is a good start toward wiser water use in Southern California, but it’s not enough. To do the job properly, we must also be ready to collect the rain that will someday fall out of the sky, advocates say. And these people have a vision that not only stores increasingly precious rainwater, but […]
What La Niña Means for California’s Summer
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KTLAby Alix MartichouxWhile the lingering La Niña climate pattern is expected to bring soaking storms and strong hurricanes to parts of the U.S., it’s a different story here in California. La Niña is favored to stick around through the end of the year, according to the latest outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. While La Niña – and its opposite, El Niño […]
A Tale of Two Coastlines: Desalination in China and California – New Security Beat
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Future News For You Quoted: San Diego County Water AuthorityThe port city of Tianjin is in desperate need of water. The surface and groundwater supplies of this sprawling northeast Chinese metropolis have shrunk to dangerously low levels due to decades of reduced rainfall and overexploitation of the Hai River that flows through the city. According to the Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau, the city’s per capita water […]