Free water deliveries have started for some San Joaquin Valley residents with nitrate contaminated wells. But advocates worry that nine months into the state’s nitrate control program, outreach has been lacking and not enough wells have been tested. The nitrate control program launched in May of 2021. It offers free water deliveries for residents whose wells test […]
The lengthy, multifaceted work of the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency reached a benchmark in December 2021 when its board approved a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) and sent it off to the state for review and potential approval. The plan, including references and appendices, came in at a hefty 1,285 pages, though attentive readers can […]
Downpours in October and December, along with record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, alleviated dry conditions statewide and moved California out of the U.S. Drought Monitor’s “exceptional” drought category. The state is still mandating conservation and curtailing water diversions, however, and water agencies have declared water shortage emergencies and called for mandated water use restrictions. […]
From above, California’s San Joaquin Valley spills out of the Sierra Nevada in a checkerboard of earth-toned farmland. It’s some of the most valuable land in the world; every year, the agribusiness industry here produces billions of dollars’ worth of milk, vegetables and nuts. But the scale, and the industrial intensity, of agriculture require an […]
There have been brief moments of reprieve in the drought that has stretched on since 2000 in the western United States—a water-rich 2011, a snow-laden 2019—but those breaks have only highlighted the more dramatic feature of the last few decades: unrelenting dryness. Without human-driven climate change forcing Earth’s temperatures up, the ongoing drought would still […]
The underground chemical stew beneath the Salton Sea is believed to hold enough lithium to power millions of cars and homes with green energy. But only if — a big if — enough of that scalding “geothermal brine” can be brought to the surface and the lithium sifted out. That’s an incredibly complex process. And […]
Program to Replace Nitrate-Laden Drinking Water Moving Too Slowly, Advocates Say
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /SJV Waterby Jesse VadFree water deliveries have started for some San Joaquin Valley residents with nitrate contaminated wells. But advocates worry that nine months into the state’s nitrate control program, outreach has been lacking and not enough wells have been tested. The nitrate control program launched in May of 2021. It offers free water deliveries for residents whose wells test […]
State Groundwater Management May Require Metered Wells, Additional Fees
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Kenwood Pressby Christian KallenThe lengthy, multifaceted work of the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency reached a benchmark in December 2021 when its board approved a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) and sent it off to the state for review and potential approval. The plan, including references and appendices, came in at a hefty 1,285 pages, though attentive readers can […]
Opinion: California’s Variable Water Supply Needs More Than Rainfall
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bloomberg Lawby Allison Schutte and Nathan MetcalfDownpours in October and December, along with record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, alleviated dry conditions statewide and moved California out of the U.S. Drought Monitor’s “exceptional” drought category. The state is still mandating conservation and curtailing water diversions, however, and water agencies have declared water shortage emergencies and called for mandated water use restrictions. […]
A Vision for More Sustainable Farmlands
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /High Country Newsby Theo WhitcombFrom above, California’s San Joaquin Valley spills out of the Sierra Nevada in a checkerboard of earth-toned farmland. It’s some of the most valuable land in the world; every year, the agribusiness industry here produces billions of dollars’ worth of milk, vegetables and nuts. But the scale, and the industrial intensity, of agriculture require an […]
The Drought in the Western U.S. Could Last Until 2030
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /National Geographicby Alejandra BorundaThere have been brief moments of reprieve in the drought that has stretched on since 2000 in the western United States—a water-rich 2011, a snow-laden 2019—but those breaks have only highlighted the more dramatic feature of the last few decades: unrelenting dryness. Without human-driven climate change forcing Earth’s temperatures up, the ongoing drought would still […]
Opinion: Will Salton Sea Lithium Dreams Come True? It Will Be Years Before We Know
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Desert Sunby Desert Sun Editorial BoardThe underground chemical stew beneath the Salton Sea is believed to hold enough lithium to power millions of cars and homes with green energy. But only if — a big if — enough of that scalding “geothermal brine” can be brought to the surface and the lithium sifted out. That’s an incredibly complex process. And […]