“Climate change threatens terrestrial water storage over the Tibetan Plateau” Our new article in @NatureClimate Change, led by Chinese colleagues Xueying Li & @DiLong5. We’ve updated some of the wording in the press release to more accuracy convey the specific findings of the study. By Dr Michael Mann Irreversible declines in freshwater storage projected in parts […]
The two largest reservoirs in the U.S., Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are part of the Colorado River watershed, and are both on the precipice of reaching dangerous “dead pool” status, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), with water levels dropping so low that water no longer flows downstream from the reservoirs. By […]
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) today released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the embattled Delta Tunne, beginning the 90 day public comment period from July 27-October 27 for what environmental advocates describe as an “environmentally destructive project.” By Dan Bacher According to project opponents, different versions of this same gigantic and wasteful public works project — the Peripheral […]
On July 21, Representative Josh Harder announced that he has introduced an amendment alongside Reps. Garamendi & McNerney to “stop the Delta Tunnel Project and protect Central Valley water.” Specifically, the amendment will prohibit the Army Corps of Engineers from issuing a Clean Water Act (Section 404) permit for the state of California’s Delta Conveyance Project (tunnel) […]
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has announced that it will be releasing their Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) early this week for the Delta Conveyance Project, AKA the embattled Delta Tunnel. Documents for federal review of the project will be released later this fall. “Modernizing how California moves water supplies across the Sacramento-San Joaquin […]
Newly released images from NASA show how drastically decades of drought in the American West have caused water levels in crucial Lake Mead to decline, threatening water access for tens of millions of people and millions of acres of farmland. By Julia Conley Common Dreams NASA Earth Observatory released satellite images of the reservoir, part of the Colorado […]
A dramatic video hidden for 6 months by the U.S. Navy of the 34 hours showing 20,000 gallons of jet fuel spraying into a Red Hill tunnel and disappearing into a floor drain that sent thousands of gallons into the water supply of 93,000 residents surfaced on July 5 after an undisclosed Navy employee made public […]
In May, California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the state’s top water agency to accelerate the approvals process for the proposed Sites Reservoir, a $4 billion project built on the west side of the Sacramento Valley that would pull water from the Sacramento and Trinity rivers. Newsom touted the project as a drought solution and a way to manage […]
Green water – the rainwater available to plants in the soil – is indispensable for life on and below the land. But in a new study, we found that widespread pressure on this resource has crossed a critical limit. By Arne Tobian, Stockholm University; Dieter Gerten, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Lan Wang […]
“Are you going to run out of water?” is the first question people ask when they find out I’m from Arizona. The answer is that some people already have, others soon may and it’s going to get much worse without dramatic changes. Robert Glennon, University of Arizona The Conversation Unsustainable water practices, drought and climate […]
While applauding the Biden administration’s new “baby steps” to address “forever chemicals” in drinking water, green groups this week also emphasized that far more sweeping action is needed to protect people and the planet. By Jessica Corbett Common Dreams “This is a step in the right direction,” said Stel Bailey, co-facilitator of the National PFAS Contamination […]
The Lakota say “Mní wičhóni”—“water is life.” Drought is certainly proving the truth of that. Since 2000, 1.5 billion people have been affected by drought, according to the United Nations, which calculates the economic loss at $124 billion. In many places, it’s getting worse. From East Africa to Brazil to the western half of the United States and […]
Press Release from the California Water impact Water Network and AquAlliance, June 6: Governor Gavin Newsom recently stated he might institute mandatory water restrictions on California ratepayers in response to the catastrophic drought afflicting the state. From one perspective, his declaration seems reasonable: despite an extremely dry winter and dwindling water supplies, water use in the state […]
Press release from the coalition of Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Save California Salmon, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta By Dan Bacher Last week, a coalition of California Tribes and Delta-based environmental justice organizations announced the filing of a “Petition for Rulemaking Review.” The coalition, represented by the Environmental […]
Last week, the board of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD), the largest water wholesaler in Southern California, voted to participate in what environmental justice and fish advocates describe as the “environmentally destructive” Voluntary Agreements (VA’s) currently being promoted by agribusiness and the Newsom Administration. By Dan Bacher “These agreements are a work around to regulations […]