Long-range weather forecasters have been striking out lately. Two years ago, they whiffed on El Niño, which was supposed to be a “monster” that would drench California and end four years of drought. Instead, the El Niño of 2015-16 turned out to be a mouse, and the drought dragged on.
After far too many years lost to the indecisiveness of “let’s do yet another study,” momentum finally seems to be behind real efforts to “save” the Salton Sea. The California Legislature recently approved a massive new water and parks bond that would provide $200 million for efforts to mitigate harmful effects of the drying up […]
Over the past 12 years, the country’s biggest urban water agency has paid farmers about $190 million not to grow crops on thousands of acres near the Colorado River in the Palo Verde Valley. The water has gone to Los Angeles and other cities across Southern California, and in return, the farmers who’ve left some […]
What does it take to get Californians to save water during a massive drought? Apparently, a lot of ink and newsprint helps. Extensive news coverage of the state’s historic drought prompted residents to conserve water, new research out of Stanford University suggests. The more that major newspapers wrote about the drought, the more people in […]
Are Long-Range Forecasts Washed Up? Your Turn to Predict Rainfall
/in San Diego County /by Mike Lee /The San Diego Union-TribuneLong-range weather forecasters have been striking out lately. Two years ago, they whiffed on El Niño, which was supposed to be a “monster” that would drench California and end four years of drought. Instead, the El Niño of 2015-16 turned out to be a mouse, and the drought dragged on.
OPINION: California Must Build on Salton Sea Momentum
/in San Diego County /by Mike Lee /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)After far too many years lost to the indecisiveness of “let’s do yet another study,” momentum finally seems to be behind real efforts to “save” the Salton Sea. The California Legislature recently approved a massive new water and parks bond that would provide $200 million for efforts to mitigate harmful effects of the drying up […]
Desert Farmers Reap Millions Selling Water to California Cities
/in San Diego County /by Mike Lee /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)Over the past 12 years, the country’s biggest urban water agency has paid farmers about $190 million not to grow crops on thousands of acres near the Colorado River in the Palo Verde Valley. The water has gone to Los Angeles and other cities across Southern California, and in return, the farmers who’ve left some […]
More Ink, Less Water: News Coverage of the Drought Prompted Californians to Conserve, Study Suggests
/in San Diego County /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Karen KaplanWhat does it take to get Californians to save water during a massive drought? Apparently, a lot of ink and newsprint helps. Extensive news coverage of the state’s historic drought prompted residents to conserve water, new research out of Stanford University suggests. The more that major newspapers wrote about the drought, the more people in […]