On July 6, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife published an update on the status of federally and state protected winter-run Chinook salmon that warns “it is possible that nearly all in-river juveniles will not survive this season” as the cold water pool in Lake Shasta is depleted earlier than modeled because of increased downstream water deliveries during the hot […]
As endangered winter-run Chinook salmon die before spawning below Keswick Dam, a coalition of environmental, fishing, and social justice organizations yesterday filed a formal protest with state and federal water officials against the proposed “Temporary Urgency Change Petition” (TUCP) submitted by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). By […]
When California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a goal to phase out oil drilling statewide by 2045, he focused on its impact on climate change. But oil drilling is also a health problem, particularly in Los Angeles, where thousands of oil wells still dot the city. These wells can emit toxic chemicals such as benzene and […]
The Karuk Tribe in Northern California has declared a state of climate emergency in response to record low precipitation in the Klamath Basin as a massive juvenile salmon kill unfolds on the Klamath River. “This emergency declaration acknowledges the reality that climate change is upon us, and the dangers that it poses to rivers, forests, wildlife […]
Just about every indicator of drought is flashing red across the western U.S. after a dry winter and warm early spring. The snowpack is at less than half of normal in much of the region. Reservoirs are being drawn down, river levels are dropping and soils are drying out. By Mojtaba Sadegh, Boise State University; […]
On Friday, CalGEM, the oil and gas regulatory agency for California, released the first draft of its rulemaking regulations intended to ban fracking by January 1, 2024. The draft includes broad language that allows for the phase out of all “well stimulation” techniques including fracking, acidizing, gravel packing, steam flooding and steam injection, according to Food and […]
California’s State Water Resources Control Board has just issued this Notification of Submission of a Temporary Urgency Change Petition (TUCP) by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR)and the United States Bureau of Reclamation requesting changes to outflow requirements for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and agricultural water quality requirements on the Sacramento River from June […]
California Governor Gavin Newsom on May 14 unveiled his May budget revision that allocates $200 million to plug abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells, many located near low-income residential areas where the majority of residents are Latino and Black. By Dan Bacher In January 2020, a report by the California Council on Science & Technology revealed that California taxpayers could […]
Governor Gavin Newsom expanded his drought emergency declaration on Monday to 39 additional counties, including the Klamath River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Tulare Lake Watershed counties where he said “accelerated action is needed to protect public health, safety and the environment.” By Dan Bacher A total of 41 counties are now under a drought state […]
Climate change and water scarcity are front and center in the western U.S. The region’s climate is warming, a severe multi-year drought is underway and groundwater supplies are being overpumped in many locations. Western states are pursuing many strategies to adapt to these stresses and prepare for the future. These include measures to promote renewable […]
Having lost their hatchery habitat during the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, endangered young Southern Coho salmon, known as smolts, are being released to the wild by the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project (MBSTP), Davenport based 501(c)3. By Dan Bacher On Friday, April 23rd, 2021 at 9:30 AM. 12,000 native salmon smolts that were evacuated during the […]
In response to consecutive years of drought conditions in the Klamath Basin, including the lowest historical inflows on record into Upper Klamath Lake this year, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation yesterday announced the release of its Klamath Irrigation Project 2021 Temporary Operations Plan. By Dan Bacher The Klamath River Basin is in a dire situation this year. The plan […]
Over 1,600 gallons of crude oil (40 barrels) spilled this week in the Inglewood Oil Field, the largest urban field in the country, when a pipeline was left open. The spill occurred just a few hundred feet from the Kenneth Hahn Park Playground. By Dan Bacher The Governors Office of Emergency Services Hazardous Material report listed the […]
Recreational salmon fishing opened on the ocean in the Monterey Management Region of California on Saturday, April 3, with much better than expected salmon fishing. The Queen of Hearts and Riptide out of Pillar Point Harbor found great fishing for salmon while trolling below the line at Pigeon Point on that day, returning with limits of salmon. […]
In California, so-called “protected areas” on both land and water are often NOT protected from oil and gas drilling. The classic case of this is the privately funded Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative that failed to protect the ocean from oil and gas drilling, fracking, military testing, corporate and government pollution and other human […]