California is at a groundwater management crossroads as legal loopholes threaten to undo the state’s progress toward responsible groundwater sustainability. At the core of this legal conflict are two legal processes. The first is the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the landmark law passed in 2014 to bring order to overdrafting of basins and ensure long-term sustainability of the […]
The landmark California environmental legislation that lawmakers have voted to revise will allow for crucial infrastructure to take place within the state, some environmental policy experts told ABC News. On Monday, state lawmakers passed a trailer budget bill that will now exclude certain construction projects from being subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), […]
On a recent sunny Monday morning, 85-year-old Doug Brown pulled up to a breakfast joint in Willits in his white pickup. Bold white letters on the tinted camper shell window spelled out “Water Witcher,” with Brown’s phone number written just below. Inside the truck was a quiver of wire rods, each tipped with different metals […]
Two years ago, the Colorado River Lower Basin states united to conserve an extra 3 million acre-feet of water by 2026, aiming to stabilize Lake Powell and Lake Mead while crafting the post-2026 guidelines for managing the river. With last year’s near-normal snowpack and conservation efforts ahead of schedule, success seemed within reach. However, over the […]
California lawmakers today approved one of the most substantial rollbacks of the state’s signature environmental review law in decades, including a controversial exemption that would allow high-tech manufacturing plants to be built in industrial zones with no environmental review. The changes to the California Environmental Quality Act were embedded in a last-minute budget bill that […]
Wildfire season in Southern California got off to an ominous start this weekend, with several fires sparking across Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ parched landscapes, elevating concerns that conditions are ripe for a fiery year across the Golden State. Experts have been warning that the Southland’s below-average rainy season is likely to set the stage […]
OPINION: How Deep-Pocketed Groundwater Users Are Stalling California’s Sustainability Plans
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Jordan Beane /Cal Mattersby Scott HaymanCalifornia is at a groundwater management crossroads as legal loopholes threaten to undo the state’s progress toward responsible groundwater sustainability. At the core of this legal conflict are two legal processes. The first is the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the landmark law passed in 2014 to bring order to overdrafting of basins and ensure long-term sustainability of the […]
California Just Rolled Back a Landmark Environmental Policy. Here’s What It Means.
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Jordan Beane /ABC Newsby Julia JacoboThe landmark California environmental legislation that lawmakers have voted to revise will allow for crucial infrastructure to take place within the state, some environmental policy experts told ABC News. On Monday, state lawmakers passed a trailer budget bill that will now exclude certain construction projects from being subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), […]
California Is Full of Hidden Reservoirs. These Mystics Find Them.
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Jordan Beane /SFGateby Matt LaFeverOn a recent sunny Monday morning, 85-year-old Doug Brown pulled up to a breakfast joint in Willits in his white pickup. Bold white letters on the tinted camper shell window spelled out “Water Witcher,” with Brown’s phone number written just below. Inside the truck was a quiver of wire rods, each tipped with different metals […]
COLORADO RIVER: Lake Powell, Lake Mead, and Southern California’s Water Dilemma
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Jordan Beane /Maven's NotebookTwo years ago, the Colorado River Lower Basin states united to conserve an extra 3 million acre-feet of water by 2026, aiming to stabilize Lake Powell and Lake Mead while crafting the post-2026 guidelines for managing the river. With last year’s near-normal snowpack and conservation efforts ahead of schedule, success seemed within reach. However, over the […]
California Lawmakers Approve Last-Minute, Sweeping Rollbacks of Environmental Law
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Jordan Beane /Cal Mattersby Alejandro Lazo and Rachel BeckerCalifornia lawmakers today approved one of the most substantial rollbacks of the state’s signature environmental review law in decades, including a controversial exemption that would allow high-tech manufacturing plants to be built in industrial zones with no environmental review. The changes to the California Environmental Quality Act were embedded in a last-minute budget bill that […]
California Fire Season Is off to a Furious Start, and Experts Say It’s Just the Beginning
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Jordan Beane /Los Angeles Timesby Grace TooheyWildfire season in Southern California got off to an ominous start this weekend, with several fires sparking across Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ parched landscapes, elevating concerns that conditions are ripe for a fiery year across the Golden State. Experts have been warning that the Southland’s below-average rainy season is likely to set the stage […]