Dry conditions are the worst they’ve been in almost 20 years across the Colorado River watershed, which acts as the drinking and irrigation water supply for 40 million people in the American Southwest. As the latest round of federal forecasts for the river’s flow shows, it’s plausible, maybe even likely, that the situation could get much worse […]
Comedian Ron White once joked that we should have two levels of national security warnings: Find a helmet and put on a helmet. If such a system were in place for controversies, Arizona’s water community would now be in the “put on a helmet” stage.
This updates a post from December on the likelihood of California entering a second dry year. Normally, a second dry year brings drought operations for California’s overall water system operations. Today, it is even likelier that California is entering a multi-year drought. Precipitation conditions have improved somewhat with a nice atmospheric river this last week, but remain […]
Water suppliers along the drought-stricken Colorado River hope to tackle another tricky issue after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation installs a new leader: salty water. The river provides water for 40 million people from Colorado to California, and helps irrigate 5.5 million acres of farm and ranchland in the U.S. But all that water also […]
California’s increasingly volatile warming climate is making droughts more intense, and complicating water management. A just-launched commodity futures market for the state’s water provides a new tool for farmers, municipalities and other interested parties to ensure against water price shocks arising from drought-fueled shortages. Taking a Wall Street approach to an essential natural resource has prompted both […]
If there were any doubts that the climate is changing in the Colorado River Basin, 2020 went a long way toward dispelling them, thanks to yet another year of extreme weather. Unprecedented wildfires, deadly heat waves, withering drought—the many indicators of the climate mayhem that scientists have been warning about for years—ravaged the landscape, claiming […]
The Colorado River Basin’s Worsening Dryness In Five Numbers
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /KUNC Coloradoby Luke RunyonDry conditions are the worst they’ve been in almost 20 years across the Colorado River watershed, which acts as the drinking and irrigation water supply for 40 million people in the American Southwest. As the latest round of federal forecasts for the river’s flow shows, it’s plausible, maybe even likely, that the situation could get much worse […]
Opinion: If More Colorado River Water Flows to Queen Creek Now, that Could Start World War III
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /AZ Centralby Joanna AllhandsComedian Ron White once joked that we should have two levels of national security warnings: Find a helmet and put on a helmet. If such a system were in place for controversies, Arizona’s water community would now be in the “put on a helmet” stage.
February 1: Is California Still Heading for a Multi-Year Drought?
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /California WaterBlogby Jay Lund, Peter Moyle, and Andrew RypelThis updates a post from December on the likelihood of California entering a second dry year. Normally, a second dry year brings drought operations for California’s overall water system operations. Today, it is even likelier that California is entering a multi-year drought. Precipitation conditions have improved somewhat with a nice atmospheric river this last week, but remain […]
Colorado River Getting Saltier Sparks Calls for Federal Help
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Bloomberg Lawby Emily C. DooleyWater suppliers along the drought-stricken Colorado River hope to tackle another tricky issue after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation installs a new leader: salty water. The river provides water for 40 million people from Colorado to California, and helps irrigate 5.5 million acres of farm and ranchland in the U.S. But all that water also […]
Opinion: Water Markets in California Can Reduce the Costs of Drought
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /CalMattersby Ellen HanakCalifornia’s increasingly volatile warming climate is making droughts more intense, and complicating water management. A just-launched commodity futures market for the state’s water provides a new tool for farmers, municipalities and other interested parties to ensure against water price shocks arising from drought-fueled shortages. Taking a Wall Street approach to an essential natural resource has prompted both […]
Climate Change Ravaged the West With Heat and Drought Last Year; Many Fear 2021 Will Be Worse
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Inside Climate Newsby Judy FahysIf there were any doubts that the climate is changing in the Colorado River Basin, 2020 went a long way toward dispelling them, thanks to yet another year of extreme weather. Unprecedented wildfires, deadly heat waves, withering drought—the many indicators of the climate mayhem that scientists have been warning about for years—ravaged the landscape, claiming […]