This year is shaking out to be another dry year as the winter months, when the state records much of its precipitation, did not deliver as much rain and snow as hoped. The continuing drought means water providers across California — and their consumers — must conserve more water to avoid running out. Gov. Gavin […]
Water is flowing through two of three hydropower turbines in a blockish building at the base of Flaming Gorge Dam, so I can feel the floor buzzing — vibrations pulsating through my body — as Billy Elbrock leads me past the blue-and-yellow Westinghouse generators. The warehouse-like space is adorned with an American flag, and with […]
After California saw extended periods of dry weather in the middle of winter, a series of late-season storms swept the Golden State in April and May, dusting the Sierra Nevada with fresh snow. Did those spring snow showers help bolster the dwindling snowpack that historically provides about a third of the state’s water supply? The short answer is that […]
The Sacramento is California’s largest river. It arises near the lower slopes of Mt. Shasta, in the northernmost part of the state, and runs some four hundred miles south, draining the upper corridor of the Central Valley, bending through downtown Sacramento, and, eventually, reaching the Pacific Ocean, by way of the San Francisco Bay and the […]
California officials are poised to decide the fate of a controversial desalination plant planned along its southern coast, in a vote that comes as the American west battles an increasingly perilous drought. California water use leapt 19% in March, amid one of the driest months on record. After more than a decade of debate, the California […]
Colorado didn’t see enough snow this winter to fully recover from the ongoing megadrought and now what snow the state did see is melting too quickly, experts say. “If we continue on at the rate we’re at we’re looking at probably a complete meltout by the end of May or beginning of June,” Becky Bolinger, of the Colorado Climate […]
California Drought: Which Regions Are Saving the Most — and Least — Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Yoohyun JungThis year is shaking out to be another dry year as the winter months, when the state records much of its precipitation, did not deliver as much rain and snow as hoped. The continuing drought means water providers across California — and their consumers — must conserve more water to avoid running out. Gov. Gavin […]
Far From Lake Powell, Drought Punishes Another Western Dam
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Sammy RothWater is flowing through two of three hydropower turbines in a blockish building at the base of Flaming Gorge Dam, so I can feel the floor buzzing — vibrations pulsating through my body — as Billy Elbrock leads me past the blue-and-yellow Westinghouse generators. The warehouse-like space is adorned with an American flag, and with […]
California Got Snow in April and May. What Does It Mean for the Snowpack?
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /SFGATEby Amy GraffAfter California saw extended periods of dry weather in the middle of winter, a series of late-season storms swept the Golden State in April and May, dusting the Sierra Nevada with fresh snow. Did those spring snow showers help bolster the dwindling snowpack that historically provides about a third of the state’s water supply? The short answer is that […]
The Biggest Potential Water Disaster in the United States
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The New Yorkerby David OwenThe Sacramento is California’s largest river. It arises near the lower slopes of Mt. Shasta, in the northernmost part of the state, and runs some four hundred miles south, draining the upper corridor of the Central Valley, bending through downtown Sacramento, and, eventually, reaching the Pacific Ocean, by way of the San Francisco Bay and the […]
California to Decide Fate of Controversial Desalination Plant Amid Brutal Drought
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Guardianby Gabrielle CanonCalifornia officials are poised to decide the fate of a controversial desalination plant planned along its southern coast, in a vote that comes as the American west battles an increasingly perilous drought. California water use leapt 19% in March, amid one of the driest months on record. After more than a decade of debate, the California […]
Colorado’s Snowpack Is Melting at a “Ridiculous” Rate
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Denver Postby Conrad SwansonColorado didn’t see enough snow this winter to fully recover from the ongoing megadrought and now what snow the state did see is melting too quickly, experts say. “If we continue on at the rate we’re at we’re looking at probably a complete meltout by the end of May or beginning of June,” Becky Bolinger, of the Colorado Climate […]