As California’s drought worsens, state water officials are preparing to take emergency action to conserve. The state water board is voting later this morning on new water restrictions that could impact thousands of farmers. If passed, the emergency regulations would restrict anyone from diverting water out of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their […]
A day long dreaded by hundreds of ranchers, grape growers, farmers, water providers and towns arrived Monday as the state ordered them to stop diverting water from the Russian River watershed or be fined $1,000 a day. State regulators issued orders effective Tuesday prohibiting about 1,500 water rights holders in the upper river — including […]
The West has been so dry and so hot for so long that its current drought has no modern precedent, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist. For the first time in 122 years of record-keeping, drought covers almost the entire Western U.S. as measured by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, said Richard […]
The cotton’s gone. The alfalfa barely exists. “Can you even call this a farm?” asked Nancy Caywood, standing on a rural stretch of land her Texas grandfather settled nearly a century ago, drawn by cheap prices and feats of engineering that brought water from afar to irrigate central Arizona’s arid soil.
Cities across time have stretched to secure water. The Romans built aqueducts, the Mayans constructed underground storage chambers, and Hohokam farmers dug more than 500 miles of canals in what is now the U.S. Southwest. Today’s cities use portfolios of technologies to conserve supply — everything from 60-story dams and chemicals to centrifugal pumps and special toilets. And yet, the cities of tomorrow […]
The president of California’s utility regulator warned a top power company Monday that power outages to prevent equipment from sparking wildfires should only be used as a last resort. “We need specifics on where you have improved, where you are lagging and where you are focusing your resources,” California Public Utilities Commission President Marybel Batjer […]
State Water Officials Preparing to Make Emergency Cutbacks to Growers and Ranchers
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /CBS Sacramentoby James TaylorAs California’s drought worsens, state water officials are preparing to take emergency action to conserve. The state water board is voting later this morning on new water restrictions that could impact thousands of farmers. If passed, the emergency regulations would restrict anyone from diverting water out of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their […]
State Cuts Off Hundreds of Russian River Growers, Ranchers and Others in Drastic Bid to Save Water
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Press Democratby Mary CallahanA day long dreaded by hundreds of ranchers, grape growers, farmers, water providers and towns arrived Monday as the state ordered them to stop diverting water from the Russian River watershed or be fined $1,000 a day. State regulators issued orders effective Tuesday prohibiting about 1,500 water rights holders in the upper river — including […]
A Drought Like No Other, NOAA Scientist Says
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Capital Pressby Don JenkinsThe West has been so dry and so hot for so long that its current drought has no modern precedent, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist. For the first time in 122 years of record-keeping, drought covers almost the entire Western U.S. as measured by the Palmer Drought Severity Index, said Richard […]
Starving Cows. Fallow Farms. The Arizona Drought Is Among the Worst in the Country
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Los Angeles Timesby Jaweed KaleemThe cotton’s gone. The alfalfa barely exists. “Can you even call this a farm?” asked Nancy Caywood, standing on a rural stretch of land her Texas grandfather settled nearly a century ago, drawn by cheap prices and feats of engineering that brought water from afar to irrigate central Arizona’s arid soil.
How to Build a Water-Smart City
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Bloomberg CityLab + Greenby Chris MalloyCities across time have stretched to secure water. The Romans built aqueducts, the Mayans constructed underground storage chambers, and Hohokam farmers dug more than 500 miles of canals in what is now the U.S. Southwest. Today’s cities use portfolios of technologies to conserve supply — everything from 60-story dams and chemicals to centrifugal pumps and special toilets. And yet, the cities of tomorrow […]
Power Shutoffs Should Be Last Resort, Regulators Warn
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /AP Newsby Janie HarThe president of California’s utility regulator warned a top power company Monday that power outages to prevent equipment from sparking wildfires should only be used as a last resort. “We need specifics on where you have improved, where you are lagging and where you are focusing your resources,” California Public Utilities Commission President Marybel Batjer […]