Monterey city officials are again lobbying state water overseers to open taps that have been blocked for years because of illegal diversions from the Carmel River, arguing that those diversions are no longer occurring. State water officials disagree. In a March 17 letter to the chairman and other members of the state Water Resources Control […]
Water managers from across the Colorado River Basin are preparing to negotiate new rules for allocating the river’s dwindling flow and sharing the pain of a deepening shortage. They’re adapting the 100-year-old Colorado River Compact to a river that little resembles the bountiful gusher that negotiators from seven states and the federal government in 1922 thought — or hoped — […]
From the Murray-Darling system to Great Artesian Basin, “invisible” underground groundwater is often the only water supply available across the vast majority of Australia—and its annual contribution to GDP is estimated at more than $6.8 billion a year. However, overuse of groundwater during droughts and aquifer depletion has led to water crises, including in Australia’s “food […]
California today proposed a long-awaited standard for a cancer-causing contaminant in drinking water that would require costly treatment in many cities throughout the state. Traces of hexavalent chromium are widely found in the drinking water of millions of Californians, with some of the contamination naturally occurring and some from industries that work with the heavy […]
Parts of the Bay Area are expected to heat up on Tuesday. Warm temperatures could be near record-breaking in some areas. The heatwave comes only days after Saturday’s storm, which wasn’t significant enough to impact drought conditions. There is looming concern, as the state struggles to conserve water. The warm weather and sunny skies forecast for […]
The school is disappearing. Westside Elementary opened its doors nearly a century ago here in the San Joaquin Valley, among the most productive agricultural regions on earth. As recently as 1995, nearly 500 students filled its classrooms. Now 160 students attend and enrollment is falling fast. This was where the children of farmworkers learned to […]
Monterey Officials Ask, Again, for More Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Monterey Heraldby Dennis L. TaylorMonterey city officials are again lobbying state water overseers to open taps that have been blocked for years because of illegal diversions from the Carmel River, arguing that those diversions are no longer occurring. State water officials disagree. In a March 17 letter to the chairman and other members of the state Water Resources Control […]
How Low Can the Colorado River Go? Drought Forces States to Face Tough Choices About Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /AZ Centralby Brandon LoomisWater managers from across the Colorado River Basin are preparing to negotiate new rules for allocating the river’s dwindling flow and sharing the pain of a deepening shortage. They’re adapting the 100-year-old Colorado River Compact to a river that little resembles the bountiful gusher that negotiators from seven states and the federal government in 1922 thought — or hoped — […]
Why Groundwater Is One of Our Most Precious Resources
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /phys.orgFrom the Murray-Darling system to Great Artesian Basin, “invisible” underground groundwater is often the only water supply available across the vast majority of Australia—and its annual contribution to GDP is estimated at more than $6.8 billion a year. However, overuse of groundwater during droughts and aquifer depletion has led to water crises, including in Australia’s “food […]
State Unveils Long-Awaited Standard for Drinking Water Contaminant
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /CalMattersby Rachel BeckerCalifornia today proposed a long-awaited standard for a cancer-causing contaminant in drinking water that would require costly treatment in many cities throughout the state. Traces of hexavalent chromium are widely found in the drinking water of millions of Californians, with some of the contamination naturally occurring and some from industries that work with the heavy […]
Dry Winter Combined With Another Bay Area Heat Wave Raises Concerns Amid Drought
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /ABC 7 Newsby Amanda del CastilloParts of the Bay Area are expected to heat up on Tuesday. Warm temperatures could be near record-breaking in some areas. The heatwave comes only days after Saturday’s storm, which wasn’t significant enough to impact drought conditions. There is looming concern, as the state struggles to conserve water. The warm weather and sunny skies forecast for […]
As It Enters a Third Year, California’s Drought Is Strangling the Farming Industry
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Washington Postby Scott WilsonThe school is disappearing. Westside Elementary opened its doors nearly a century ago here in the San Joaquin Valley, among the most productive agricultural regions on earth. As recently as 1995, nearly 500 students filled its classrooms. Now 160 students attend and enrollment is falling fast. This was where the children of farmworkers learned to […]