October 1, 2018 – Sites Reservoir, the largest new water storage proposal in California, recently won a commitment of $816 million in state funds to help with construction. It promises to deliver enough water every year, on average, to serve 1 million homes. But regulatory realities looming in the background may mean the project has […]
Matt Weiser, Water Deeply
Posted inRegional
On the Yuba River, Climate Change Means It’s Time for a Dam Makeover
July 10, 2018 – Among California rivers, the Yuba is one of the most dramatic. Draining the Sierra Nevada just north of Lake Tahoe, it is steep and flashy – one of the most flood-prone rivers in the state. Yuba River floods have killed people – notably in 1955, 1986 and 1997 – and climate […]
Posted inCalifornia
Clean Streams Key to Aiding Recovery of Endangered Frogs in California
June 12, 2018 – Scientists working in the Santa Monica mountains of California recently announced that endangered red-legged frogs are successfully breeding on their own in four streams there, for the first time since the 1970s. It’s a huge success for a reintroduction program that began four years ago – and an important story about […]
Posted inRegional
As Marijuana Industry Explodes, Some Shift Focus to Water Conservation
October 4, 2017 – Marijuana is becoming big business around the West as more states legalize the plant’s cultivation for recreational purposes. California’s entry into the field, which becomes official on January 1, is certain to bring an explosion of cannabis-related commerce simply because of the size of its market. All this poses a vital […]
Posted inCalifornia
Water Transfers: Crucial to Western Rivers, But State Programs Lacking
April 17, 2017 – Oregon and Washington lead the way in state programs that facilitate environmental water transfers. A new Stanford study concludes Colorado Basin states, including California, have lots of catching up to do. Water transfers are an important way to share a limited resource, especially to help fish and habitats that were historically left […]
Posted inRegional
Oroville Disaster May Have Been Caused by Weak Soil Under Spillway
April 7, 2017 – Portions of Oroville Dam’s damaged spillway may have been built atop highly weathered rock, geologists say, a type vulnerable to erosion during the weeks of rain that led up to the disaster. The destruction of Oroville Dam’s main spillway in February likely occurred because it was built on highly erodible rock, according […]
Posted inRegional
Key Oroville Drain Plugged as Heavy Storms Pounded the Reservoir
March 10, 2017 – After a long history of problems, two river outlet valves deep inside Oroville Dam were not operating at a critical time this winter, eliminating one option to help manage severe storm runoff. California water officials had another tool at their disposal to help empty Lake Oroville before damages to the spillway led […]
Posted inCalifornia
Why Floodplains Could Be California’s Buffer Against Climate Extremes
Feb. 24, 2017 – Groundwater recharge, flood protection and wildlife habitat all depend on floodplains. Now there’s a new movement underway in California to revive them in order to ease California’s dramatic swings between drought and flood. In just a few short weeks, Californians have been reminded that drought has an evil twin: flooding. Droughts in the […]
Posted inCalifornia
Atmospheric Rivers: Five Breakthroughs in Analyzing West-Coast Storms
February 3, 2017 – You need to understand atmospheric rivers – airborne water streams that deliver as much rain as hurricanes or tornadoes – if you live in the West. Fortunately, scientists are developing a wealth of new tools to predict and explain these storms. Atmospheric rivers are California’s drought-busters. As we saw in the recent […]
Posted inRegional
NID says climate change is reason for new dam on the Bear River
Jan. 9, 2017 – Americans have had one primary reason for building dams over the past century: capturing water for growth, whether on farms or in cities. Now a new dam proposed on California’s Bear River offers another reason: adapting to climate change. The Centennial Dam project, proposed by the Nevada Irrigation District, is intended to capture […]