FRESNO — New figures Wednesday show Californians’ summer water use up by more than a third since the same time last year, making water regulators worry some areas have abandoned drought-time water savings since the state lifted mandatory conservation orders. “We’re at yellow alert,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the state Water Resources Control Board, … Read more
WEED, Calif. — The water that gurgles from a spring on the edge of this Northern California logging town is so pristine that for more than a century it has been piped directly to the wooden homes spread across hills and gullies. To the residents of Weed, which sits in the foothills of Mount Shasta, … Read more
In July 2016 PG&E requested yet another temporary variance from minimum flow requirements for the purpose of preserving water resources during the drought. We submitted comments on the variance, voicing our concern about inadequate management of the Potter Valley Project. Read a portion of our comments below, or click here to read the entire document. … Read more
Climate had little to do with the research, but it emerged as a telling factor after UO geologist Joshua Roering and postdoctoral researcher Georgie Bennett found themselves confused by new landslide data they had gathered. In the project, Bennett had merged data from on-the-ground measurements, aerial photography, satellite imagery and satellite-radar imaging of 98 landslide … Read more
Yesterday, Senator Feinstein’s bill was heard in Committee, and Congressman John Garamendi introduced companion legislation in the house. From the Office of Jerry McNerney: House Democrats from California, Oregon, and Washington issued the following joint statement in response to Rep. John Garamendi (CA-03) introducing companion legislation to Senator Dianne Feinstein’s drought bill that was heard … Read more
For the second straight year, huge numbers of juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon appear to have baked to death in the Sacramento River because of California’s drought-stretched water supplies, bringing the endangered species a step closer to extinction. The grim statistics released by federal officials Wednesday raise the specter of more water cuts for agriculture next … Read more
By Peter Gleick The recent severe drought in the Western United States — and California in particular — has shined a spotlight on a range of water-management practices that are outdated, unsustainable, or inappropriate for a modern 21st century water system. Unless these bad practices are fixed, no amount of rain will be enough to … Read more
Hoping to capitalize on the epic drought, the state’s water industry wants to usher in a new era of dam-building in the state. But environmentalists say it would cost billions and do more harm than good. By Will Parrish On the edge of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness, about 15 miles north of the dusty town … Read more
Just a year after Jerry Brown signed into law The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the Union of Concerned Scientists has published a riveting report titled “Measuring What Matters: Setting Measurable Objectives to Achieve Sustainable Groundwater Management in California.” Thirty-eight compressed pages, with a clear, concise text, along with eye-catching tables, charts, photos, a glossary … Read more
Read Friends of the Eel River’s response to this article. The Eel River came close to reaching its lowest recorded flow reading near Scotia on Tuesday but is not expected to reach it any time this week due to Wednesday’s rainfall. On Monday and Tuesday, pressure flow gauges near Scotia recorded an average flow of … Read more