California’s vital Sierra snowpack has fallen “well below average” in the third official measurement of the season, signaling another year of drought is ahead. That was the conclusion after the Department of Water Resources conducted the third snow survey of the season Tuesday at Phillips Station west of Lake Tahoe. Following the driest January and February in […]
With California’s wet season nearing its end, snow levels across the state remain disappointingly low, and state officials are warning that a lack of melt-off will mean another year of difficult water shortages. Officials with the California Department of Water Resources, who are scheduled to conduct their monthly snow survey on Tuesday, will find snowpack in the […]
It’s been a tale of two winters. After record-breaking storms pushed Tahoe-area snowpack to 200% of normal on Jan. 1, winter has all but disappeared. January and February are historically the wettest months for Nevada and California. But this year, many snow-measuring sites in the eastern Sierra recorded the lowest precipitation levels on record for […]
A dire United Nations climate change report confirms what water lawyers in the West have known for a long time—that drought is becoming the norm in the region, and adaptation is essential. “Every time we see it written down, it gets a little more real,” said William Caile, a water lawyer who is of counsel […]
A small bucket loader scraped Wahweap Bay’s expanding strip of red mud and gravel, its operator smoothing the shoreline where concrete workers were busy chasing a lake in retreat. To the left, where the bay had long offered kayakers and water skiers a loop around Lone Rock, the monumental slab now rose from dust flats instead […]
High in the Rocky Mountains, under thin air and bluebird skies, the Colorado River basin is slowly filling its savings account. Craggy peaks become smooth walls of white and piles of snow climb conifer trunks, covering even the deepest, darkest corners of the woods with a glimmering blanket. The snow that accumulates in the mountains […]
Sierra Snowpack ‘Well Below Average’ in Third Official Survey, Signaling Continued Drought
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Times of San Diegoby Chris JenneweinCalifornia’s vital Sierra snowpack has fallen “well below average” in the third official measurement of the season, signaling another year of drought is ahead. That was the conclusion after the Department of Water Resources conducted the third snow survey of the season Tuesday at Phillips Station west of Lake Tahoe. Following the driest January and February in […]
California Snow Levels Plummet in February, Ensuring Third Year of Drought
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis AlexanderWith California’s wet season nearing its end, snow levels across the state remain disappointingly low, and state officials are warning that a lack of melt-off will mean another year of difficult water shortages. Officials with the California Department of Water Resources, who are scheduled to conduct their monthly snow survey on Tuesday, will find snowpack in the […]
Forecasters: ‘Miracle March’ Not Likely for Tahoe, Sierra as Drought Continues
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Reno Gazette Journalby Amy AlonzoIt’s been a tale of two winters. After record-breaking storms pushed Tahoe-area snowpack to 200% of normal on Jan. 1, winter has all but disappeared. January and February are historically the wettest months for Nevada and California. But this year, many snow-measuring sites in the eastern Sierra recorded the lowest precipitation levels on record for […]
Cascading Climate Calamities Target West’s Water, Legal System
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bloomberg Lawby Bobby MagillA dire United Nations climate change report confirms what water lawyers in the West have known for a long time—that drought is becoming the norm in the region, and adaptation is essential. “Every time we see it written down, it gets a little more real,” said William Caile, a water lawyer who is of counsel […]
Dry Boat Ramps, Exposed Rocks at Lake Powell Reveal the Cost of Colorado River Drought
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Arizona Republicby Brandon LoomisA small bucket loader scraped Wahweap Bay’s expanding strip of red mud and gravel, its operator smoothing the shoreline where concrete workers were busy chasing a lake in retreat. To the left, where the bay had long offered kayakers and water skiers a loop around Lone Rock, the monumental slab now rose from dust flats instead […]
The Colorado River Starts as Snow, and the Way We Understand It Is Changing
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KUNCby Alex HagerHigh in the Rocky Mountains, under thin air and bluebird skies, the Colorado River basin is slowly filling its savings account. Craggy peaks become smooth walls of white and piles of snow climb conifer trunks, covering even the deepest, darkest corners of the woods with a glimmering blanket. The snow that accumulates in the mountains […]