California and the U.S.

The latest news and analysis covering water issues in Caliornia and the rest of the United States.

New Monitoring Program Hopes to Boost Science on Colorado River Headwaters

A new federal program hopes to fill in knowledge gaps on how water moves through the headwaters of arguably the West’s most important drinking and irrigation water source. The U.S. Geological Survey announced the next location for its Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) will be in the headwaters of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers. […]

Threat of Mudslides Returns to California After Devastating Fires. How Do They Work?

With parts of California yet again burned by severe fires, the state is facing a new winter of mudslides. Why do mudslides happen so often in California? Mudslides have always been at the heart of the peril of living close to the mountains in California. All it can take is an intense amount of rain […]

Tale Of Three Regions: Study Probes Drought-Forced Change In Water Policies

Aside from advanced economies and Mediterranean climates that sustain long growing seasons, California, Spain and Australia share an intermittent feature that reshapes their overburdened water systems every time it rears its ugly head: drought. As populations and the demand for both rural and urban water supplies increase, so have the damaging impacts of droughts and […]

Is The Wildfire Season Over? Rain, Snow Headed To California Bring Hope After Brutal Year

High winds Monday prompted warnings of more wildfires in parts of the north state, and a small grass fire threatened homes near Roseville. But the prospect of rain and snow in the immediate forecast means the California wildfire season is likely nearing its end. Southern California has already been soaked, and the north state is […]

Aging Oroville Dam Spillway Gates Draw Concern

Despite increased maintenance of Oroville Dam since the spillway fell apart in February 2017, members of the community-led Oroville Dam Ad Hoc Group have expressed concern about the age and wear of mechanics within the spillway’s main gates, citing similar failures on dams of the same era. The Department of Water Resources convened a meeting […]

‘Bomb Cyclone’ Winter Storm Will Hit U.S. As Thanksgiving Nears, Forecasters Warn

Hurricane-force winds, blizzard conditions, heavy snowfall — and a “bomb cyclone” on the West Coast: Those are the dire predictions of weather forecasters, who are warning Thanksgiving travelers to be cautious and prepare for delays as two powerful back-to-back storms hit the western and central U.S. this week. The National Weather Service’s U.S. forecast map […]