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To Manage Future Water Shortages, California Must Update Its Water Grid

/in , /by /News Deeplyby Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount

CALIFORNIA’S CLIMATE IS changing, and droughts are becoming more intense. Five climate pressures will seriously stress the state’s water system: warming temperatures; shrinking snowpack; shorter and more intense wet seasons; more volatile precipitation; and rising seas. While California is making good progress in addressing some areas of climate vulnerability, a more focused plan of action is needed.

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Monsoon Storms, Key To Recharging Groundwater, May Become Less Common

/in , /by /News Deeplyby Matt Weiser

MONSOON STORMS IN the desert Southwest are vital for recharging groundwater – but it now appears likely this recharge effect may be compromised by climate change. The major cities of the Southwest – Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Las Vegas – currently get most of their freshwater from the Colorado River or its tributaries. That river, however, is experiencing its 19th straight drought year, suggesting a new permanent dry state is gripping the giant watershed

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