California and the U.S.

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

California Wildfire Outlook Through End of 2019, Early 2020 | Need to Know

Each month the National Interagency Fire Center releases a report on the likelihood of wildfire development across the continental United States. Here’s a breakdown of the most recent report released on November 1, 2019. The Sacramento Valley and Foothills, entire Bay Area and the western slopes of the Cascade-Sierra range are projected to have above-normal […]

Opinion: The Promise of Small Hydropower and Holistic Renewable Energy Grid

At present, solar and wind energy are highly promoted as renewable energy technologies — clean technologies in terms of their carbon footprint. However, the most prominent renewable energy source for generating electricity is hydropower. The history of hydropower for generating electricity in the U.S. goes back to late 19th century.

California Urged to Update Water Plans for Increasingly Wild Weather

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) – Yo-yoing between heat waves, torrential rainfall and raging wildfires that burn through Thanksgiving, the explosive nature of California’s weather has been on full display over the last several years. The state’s worst drought, one of its wettest winters and both the largest and most destructive wildfires all occurred this decade. Unpredictability […]

California’s Switch to Solar, Wind Energy Preserves Groundwater for Drought, Agriculture

Solar and wind farms are popping up around the country to lower carbon emissions, and these renewables also have another important effect: keeping more water in the ground. A new Princeton University-led study in Nature Communications is among the first to show that solar and wind energy not only enhance drought resilience, but also aid […]

California Health: Can Desalinated Water Help Kern County’s Water Needs

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Water is one of California’s biggest needs. In Kern County, there are three types of water sources: ground water, state water from canals and surface water from the Kern River. Santa Barbara has similar access to their own ground water, state water and surface water; but they use the Pacific Ocean […]

California Water Utilities Seek Generators Amid Wildfires, Outages

Water providers across California are buying gasoline- and diesel-powered generators, arranging for fuel deliveries, and asking customers to cut back on showers during power outages triggered by electric utilities trying to avoid wildfires. The outages are affecting both rural areas like Sonoma’s wine country, and sprawling urban centers like Los Angeles, where suppliers provide water […]