On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Take It to The (Water) Bank: Ensuring Regional Water Supply Reliability from 12pm to 1:30 pm. Innovation, partnerships, and new water supply programs are a key component of drought resiliency. Learn about the Santa Ana River Conservation and Conjunctive Use Program (SARCCUP), a historic storage agreement to better prepare the region for future droughts, enhance our watershed, and improve water supply reliability in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties—an area serving millions of customers. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Juvenile Salmonid Control System from 5:00pm – 6:30pm at the Redding Public Library, 1100 Parkview Avenue, Redding. DWR staff will present the JSCS pilot project and take public comments. The project is a 1-2 year pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of collecting juvenile anadromous salmon as they emigrate out of historical habitat upstream of Shasta Dam. No fish will be used in the study, which is integral to efforts to reintroduce salmonids to tributaries of the Upper Sacramento River System. No reservation is required and questions can also be emailed to RSP@water.ca.gov.
In California water news today …
Pipe dreams: Why far-fetched western water projects won’t go away
“The California water wars of the early twentieth century are summed up in a famous line from the 1974 film Chinatown: “Either you bring the water to L.A., or you bring L.A. to the water.” Nearly a hundred years have elapsed since the events the film dramatizes, but much of the West still approaches water the same way. If you don’t have enough of it, go find more. As politicians across the West confront the consequences of the climate-fueled Millennium Drought, many of them are heeding the words of Chinatown and trying to bring in outside water through massive capital projects. There are at least half a dozen major water pipeline projects under consideration throughout the region, ranging from ambitious to outlandish. ... ” Read more from Grist here: Pipe dreams: Why far-fetched western water projects won’t go away
Column: Newsom’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta plan makes more sense. But it’s still a ‘water grab’
Columnist George Skelton writes, “The third attempt could be the charm for repairing California’s main waterworks, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. On paper at least, the latest plan by a governor to upgrade the delta into a more reliable state water supply seems to make much more sense than what his predecessors promoted. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s single-tunnel proposal is smaller and more respectful of the bucolic estuary’s small farms, waterfowl habitat, unique recreational boating and historic tiny communities. So, it’s potentially less controversial. But it still can legitimately be labeled a Los Angeles and corporate agriculture “water grab.” It justifiably scares little delta towns and local farmers who rely on fresh river flows to turn back salty water from San Francisco Bay. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Column: Newsom’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta plan makes more sense. But it’s still a ‘water grab’ | Read via Yahoo News
Experts warn California of a disaster ‘larger than any in world history.’ It’s not an earthquake.
“Megadrought may be the main weather concern across the West right now amid the constant threat of wildfires and earthquakes. But a new study warns another crisis is looming in California: “Megafloods.” Climate change is increasing the risk of floods that could submerge cities and displace millions of people across the state, according to a study released Friday. It says that an extreme monthlong storm could bring feet of rain – in some places, more than 100 inches – to hundreds of miles of California. Similarly unrelenting storms have happened in the past, before the region became home to tens of millions of people. Now, each degree of global warming is dramatically increasing the odds and size of the next megaflood, the study says. ... ” Read more from Yahoo News here: Experts warn California of a disaster ‘larger than any in world history.’ It’s not an earthquake.
SEE ALSO:
- Fifth & Mission Podcast: California’s next climate disaster? Megafloods, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- Why the ‘Big One’ Could Be Something Other Than an Earthquake, from the New York Times
21,000 fish die in ‘catastrophic failure’ at California research center
“About 21,000 fish at an aquatic research center at the University of California, Davis, died from chlorine exposure in what the university described as a “catastrophic failure” that had shocked researchers and would significantly delay their studies. The university said in a statement that it would investigate “where our process failed” and initiate an independent external review. “We share the grief of the faculty, staff and students who worked to care for, study and conserve these animals,” U.C. Davis said. … ” Continue reading from the New York Times here: 21,000 fish die in ‘catastrophic failure’ at California research center
Out in the fields, contemplating humanity and a parched almond farm
” … Christine grew up in the Valley in a family that farmed almonds. She studied biology and fisheries in college and graduate school and worked for the U.S. Forest Service. But during grad school in Utah she started gardening, and realized she was meant to grow things. She and her brother bought this farm in a rural section of a Central Valley town called Ceres in the late ‘90s. Christine vaguely remembers one drought growing up, when her dad was farming not far away. But today, she says, the landscape is completely different, with more people in California, more almond acres in production and more demand for resources like water. “The goal is to use the least amount of resources to produce the most amount of food,” she says, driving through the rows. “You don’t want to waste resources.” … ” Read more from Inside Climate News here: Out in the fields, contemplating humanity and a parched almond farm
In the ashes of a devastating Sierra fire, a flower farm blooms
“It was between the third and fourth evacuations from the Dixie fire that Kjessie Essue decided to be a farmer-florist. She was already experimenting with growing flowers in her mountain climate and couldn’t count how many reasons people had given her for why it couldn’t be done: The summers are too short. There’s too many gophers. The deer eat everything. The soil isn’t good. The frost comes too fast. Then came the fire. A neighbor, a cattle rancher, stayed behind during the fire to care for the herd. The rancher said she wouldn’t let Essue’s flowers die — and she didn’t. … She looked at her garden, watered by a neighbor even as fire threatened. The cosmos were almost chest-high, their foliage bright green against the smoke. The zinnias were pops of yellow, orange and cherry-red. She decided the flowers were a sign. A way forward for her family and perhaps to help rebuild the community’s economy. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: In the ashes of a devastating Sierra fire, a flower farm blooms
‘We have to remake ourselves’: Can a new trail help revive this crest of the Sierra?
“The rutted dirt road twisted ever skyward through miles of lonely pine trees and then abruptly ended at the base of a mountain peak. The workers parked their truck, hoisted a jackhammer, a full gas can and shovels on their backs, and began to march up through the brush. They didn’t take a trail, because there was no trail. That’s why they had to haul the jackhammer. The workers — and a tribal monitor, Jess Lowry, who sometimes accompanies them — are part of an audacious infrastructure project that has been quietly underway in California’s northern Sierra for the last several years. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: ‘We have to remake ourselves’: Can a new trail help revive this crest of the Sierra?
Drought isn’t just a Western U.S. problem. A severe shortage has hit the Northeast, too
“Vermont farmer Brian Kemp is used to seeing the pastures at Mountain Meadows Farm grow more slowly in the hot late summer, but this year the grass is at a standstill. That’s “very nerve-racking” when you’re grazing 600 to 700 cattle, said Kemp, who manages an organic beef farm in Sudbury, Vt. He describes the weather lately as inconsistent, which he attributes to a changing climate. “I don’t think there is any normal anymore,” Kemp said. The effects of climate change have been felt throughout the northeastern U.S. with rising sea levels, heavy precipitation and storm surges causing flooding and coastal erosion. But this summer has brought another extreme: a severe drought that is making lawns crispy and has farmers begging for steady rain. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Drought isn’t just a Western U.S. problem. A severe shortage has hit the Northeast, too
Taps have run dry in a major Mexico city for months. A similar water crisis looms in the US too, experts say.
“About 300 miles southwest of San Antonio, water taps have run dry in a major Mexico city. Thousands of residents wake up at dawn to check their taps and fill up containers. Others line up with large jugs, bottles and buckets at cisterns around the city, where fights have broken out when people try to jump the line. This is the scene in the industrial hub of Monterrey, Mexico — the nation’s third largest city and one of its wealthiest. Officials there announced in early June they would restrict access to running water in and around the 5-million-person city, allowing only six hours of water access a day. Some neighborhoods didn’t receive any water at all. … ” Read more from Yahoo News here: Taps have run dry in a major Mexico city for months. A similar water crisis looms in the US too, experts say.
The vortex of executive activity
Jay Lund writes, “The graphic below seems to apply to any bureaucracy, with larger bureaucracies showing this tendency more strongly. In this vortex conception of management, one can often make more progress from the periphery than from the center of power. The center spins rapidly, always changing directions, but moving little in space. Those in the periphery can go a greater distance. Being in the center is more exciting and prestigious, but not necessarily more productive. This analogy came to me while working in the Washington, DC area, where I encountered an abundance of very smart hard-working people, who seemed to accomplish little due to opposition from a high density of very smart hard-working people. Almost all innovations in water and water management come from the periphery. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog here: The vortex of executive activity
In commentary today …
OC no match for much of state, especially the Bay Area, in conserving water
Columnist Teri Sforza writes, “Hey folks! It’s time once again for our new drought-inspired game, “Name O.C.’s Biggest Water Users!” This monthly extravaganza is brought to you by the State Water Resource Control Board and the governor who implores us to slice our consumption by 15%. We stink at that, by the way. No region in California has managed to hit that target yet. … Overall, O.C. agencies used less water in June than they did in the same month two years ago. Consumption was down (a not completely awful but certainly not stellar) 3.7% on average. That’s going in the right direction at least: In May, we saved just 2.4% over the same month two years earlier. We may be shamed by the statewide results. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: OC no match for much of state, especially the Bay Area, in conserving water | Read via MSN News
On water, Josh Harder gets it right
Eric Caine with the Valley Citizen blog writes, “Right until the bitter end, Jeff Denham insisted he was against Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels, the key features of the now defunct California Water Fix. The facts showed otherwise; Denham consistently supported the program with votes he figured would never be exposed to his northern San Joaquin Valley constituents. Harder is part of a new generation of leaders who understand that climate change, disruptive economies and global unrest require new infrastructure and policy. Megastorms, drought, and rising temperatures will require more storage and fewer conveyance facilities. Instead of tunnels and pumping plants, we’re going to need more reservoirs and wetlands. We’re going to need desalinization plants, especially in southern parts of the state. Water kept closer to home results in less loss from evaporation and lower costs of transportation. … ” Read more from the Valley Citizen here: On water, Josh Harder gets it right
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Thunderstorms back in forecast for Lake Tahoe
“Thunderstorms are back in the forecast this week at Lake Tahoe. The National Weather Service in Reno issued a special statement Monday that says the highest chance of thunderstorms will be Tuesday through Thursday with impacts ranging from lightning, new fire starts and strong outflow winds with blowing dust, to periods of heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Each day has a 20-40% chance of thunderstorms. “It is too soon to project which hazards will be dominant so be prepared for any of these scenarios,” the statement said. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Thunderstorms back in forecast for Lake Tahoe
Placer County creates task force to explore biomass facility in North Lake Tahoe
“The Placer County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to create the North Tahoe Truckee Biomass Task Force that will look into establishing a facility in North Lake Tahoe, said a news release. A major goal of the task force is the establishment of biomass facilities which can create renewable energy or heat by converting wood scraps left over from forest clearing and defensible space efforts. Other task force goals include completing an integrated infrastructure and fuel supply study, understanding the current biomass fuel availability and its long-term sustainability; as well as analyze the effectiveness of biomass for renewable energy and heating, centralizing biomass processing, reducing biomass disposal costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun here: Placer County creates task force to explore biomass facility in North Lake Tahoe
Tahoe Conservancy ramps up efforts to reduce fire risk on its properties
“Wesley Harcourt was working on the Dixie Fire in 2021 when he received an emergency call from his superiors to head south and help fight the Caldor Fire. The Cal Fire captain and his crew quickly relocated their efforts to the West Slope of El Dorado County. … Harcourt knows firsthand how the fire chewed through dense, dry vegetation and drought-stricken trees spreading at a fast rate. This week, Harcourt and a crew were back on the edge of the Caldor Fire burn scar below Echo Summit thinning brush as part of a California Tahoe Conservancy multi-year project to reduce fire risk on their properties in the basin. Harcourt and a crew of California Conservation Corps firefighters and Cal Fire personnel were performing fuels reduction work in the Chiapa Drive/Tolteca Court neighborhood. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Tahoe Conservancy ramps up efforts to reduce fire risk on its properties
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Butte County sees 11 new dry wells reported in past month
“As summer begins to wind down, the dry weather that has plagued California this year continues, leading to a number of new drought-related issues. Over the course of the past 30 days, 11 new dry well reports in Butte County have been sent to the California Department of Water Resources. That comes out to 39 in the past year and 98 total. Additionally, Glenn County has seen 105 total dry well reports and Tehama County has reported 229, according to data from DWR. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Butte County sees 11 new dry wells reported in past month | Read via the Mercury News
Sacramento and the region face latest excessive heat watch. Here’s when it takes effect
“An excessive heat watch will go into effect in the Sacramento Valley and other areas of Northern California in the coming week, with the National Weather Service warning of “widespread moderate to locally high” risks. The watch called by the Weather Service begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday and is expected to last through 8 p.m. Friday. “Stay hydrated and vigilant,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesperson Scott Rowe said. “People should pull down the shades in daylight hours, and avoid caffeine and alcohol.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Sacramento and the region face latest excessive heat watch. Here’s when it takes effect
BAY AREA
Heat wave expected to bake inland region of the Bay Area this week
“Forecasters expect a heat wave to bake the inland regions of the Bay Area this week, with temperatures pushing into the 90s and lower 100s. People living in the Central Valley and areas around Sacramento face the highest risk of dangerous, sweltering heat, according to a map tweeted Sunday by the National Weather Service. It shows hot spots along the eastern side of the Bay Area, and the weather becoming more moderate toward the coast. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Heat wave expected to bake inland region of the Bay Area this week
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Column: Water, water everywhere, and L.A. just lets it go to waste. What we need to do to keep it
Columnist Robin Abcarian writes, “The drought is back. The headlines are grim. The governor has just unveiled a plan to cope with an estimated 10% decrease in water supply by 2040 due to the effects of global warming. In Los Angeles, residential water users are perplexed — they’ve cut back so drastically on their usage that some have a hard time imagining where else they can conserve. It’s not too often that the answer to such a vexatious question literally falls out of the sky, but if you ask environmentalist Andy Lipkis, you need only look up. The answer to our water shortage is rainwater. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Column: Water, water everywhere, and L.A. just lets it go to waste. What we need to do to keep it | Read via Yahoo News
In Los Angeles, the grass isn’t always greener this year
“For the better part of a century, the lawn has been one of Southern California’s most durable middle-class fantasies: a single-family house with a manicured emerald yard that always remains lush — even in the dead of summer when much of the region’s native vegetation is golden brown. But as climate change exposes the limits of the water supply, homeowners and water officials say the end of the thirsty lawn may finally be here. Where residents once looked askance at any yard that resembled a desert diorama, there are now parades of gravel beds studded with cacti, native plant gardens and artificial turf. The change reflects a different kind of neighborly peer pressure, supercharged by stringent new water restrictions that took effect in June. … ” Read more from the New York Times here: In Los Angeles, the grass isn’t always greener this year
SAN DIEGO
Easing the squeeze on people and wildlife: San Elijo Lagoon restoration improves wildlife habitat
“San Diego County has more than 70 miles of coastline, home to hundreds of thousands of people as well as many wildlife species. The highly urban area is also congested, and conservation planning can be complicated. Through the vision, expertise and dedication of multiple agencies, a recently completed segment of the North Coast Corridor (NCC) Program that included restoration of San Elijo Lagoon will improve traffic flow, additional public recreation opportunities, and breathing room for wildlife. San Diego County’s NCC Program is a set of multi-year projects to increase capacity for Interstate-5 (I-5), railways, and bike and pedestrian trails between the cities of La Jolla and Oceanside. This infrastructure project spans five lagoons: Buena Vista, Agua Hedionda, Batiquitos, San Elijo and San Dieguito, and passes just east of a sixth, Los Peñasquitos. … ” Read more from the US Fish & Wildlife Service here: Easing the squeeze on people and wildlife: San Elijo Lagoon restoration improves wildlife habitat
How can Imperial Beach residents participate in solutions against flooding? This group wants to help
“Every year, Imperial Beach residents board up their windows and shovel ocean sand off streets left underwater during high tide. Researchers have been testing technology that warns the city in time to prepare for the arrival of powerful waves and, most recently, digging groundwater wells to track flooding. The community can also play a significant role in reducing Imperial Beach’s flooding problems, researchers at San Diego State University said last week. How residents can get involved is what the researchers are hoping to find out. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: How can Imperial Beach residents participate in solutions against flooding? This group wants to help
Along the Colorado River …
Basin states unlikely to meet federal deadline to draft plan to save Colorado River reservoirs
“Tuesday is expected to be the day the seven states along the Colorado River Basin must propose a plan to conserve 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water in the coming year, in part to save hydroelectric power operations at the Glen Canyon and Hoover dams. But the chances of a negotiated plan coming from the seven states appear to be nil. And that could lead the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Commissioner Camille Touton, who ordered the plan in June, to step in. Touton did not say how much water each state, or even each basin, would have to give up, although agriculture could be especially targeted for those cuts. … ” Read more from Colorado Politics here: Basin states unlikely to meet federal deadline to draft plan to save Colorado River reservoirs
Tensions grow over lack of a water deal for the shrinking Colorado River
“Two months ago, federal officials took the unprecedented step of telling the seven states that depend on Colorado River water to prepare for emergency cuts next year to prevent reservoirs from dropping to dangerously low levels. The states and managers of affected water agencies were told to come up with plans to reduce water use drastically, by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet, by mid-August. After weeks of negotiations, which some participants say have at times grown tense and acrimonious, the parties have yet to reach an agreement. The absence of a deal now raises the risk that the Colorado River crisis — brought on by chronic overuse and the West’s drying climate — could spiral into a legal morass. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Tensions grow over lack of a water deal for the shrinking Colorado River
Colorado River water-saving agreement unlikely by Tuesday deadline
“As Arizona environmentalist Chris Kudzas sees it, the Southwest is at “the moment where I think the big question is are we going to get real on the Colorado River?” Right now, it appears the answer to that question will not come by Tuesday, when the seven river basin states face a federal deadline to produce a plan to make major cuts in their water use. But after two months of negotiations among the states, several officials and water experts say they hope an acceptable plan can be produced in the coming months. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Star here: Colorado River water-saving agreement unlikely by Tuesday deadline
Deadline looms for drought-stricken states to cut water use
“Banks along parts of the Colorado River where water once streamed are now just caked mud and rock as climate change makes the Western U.S. hotter and drier. More than two decades of drought have done little to deter the region from diverting more water than flows through it, depleting key reservoirs to levels that now jeopardize delivery and hydropower production. Cities and farms in seven U.S. states are bracing for cuts this week as officials stare down a deadline to propose unprecedented reductions to their use of the water, setting up what’s expected to be the most consequential week for Colorado River policy in years. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in June told the states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — to figure out how to use at least 15% less water next year, or have restrictions imposed on them. On top of that, the bureau is expected to publish hydrology projections that will trigger additional cuts already agreed to. … ” Read more from the AP here: Deadline looms for drought-stricken states to cut water use
60 minutes: Not enough water to go around: Colorado River Basin, ravaged by drought, plans for a drier future
In St. George Utah, America’s fastest-growing metro, a rising fear water will run out
“St. George and surrounding Washington County, two hours northeast of Las Vegas in Utah’s hottest and driest corner, was once known mostly as the gateway to Zion National Park. Now its stunning landscape is drawing droves of retirees and remote workers from northern Utah and beyond. The county’s population of about 180,000 is expected to more than double by 2050 — even though its single water source, the Virgin River basin, is dwindling as the West remains locked in the worst drought in 1,200 years. A plan to pipe water from the drying Colorado River remains far off amid objections from other states. The county, which state officials say has a decade before demand outstrips supply, has adopted new water restrictions. It is also building reservoirs and considering reusing wastewater. But as the future grows more tenuous, the county’s primary water provider is now seeking state permission to drill wells far beneath rural reaches, sparking protest from small towns and landowners who fear the region’s breakneck growth will imperil their shallower groundwater. … ” Continue reading from the Washington Post here: In St. George Utah, America’s fastest-growing metro, a rising fear water will run out
West’s drought recovery still years away despite recent monsoons
“Heavy monsoon rains have helped to relieve the Southwest’s historic drought, but water officials say the deluge isn’t enough to reverse a drying trend that has depleted the region’s primary water sources. Much of the West remains entrenched in a 23-year “historically unprecedented” drought driven by climate change, said Jonathan Deason, an environmental engineering professor at George Washington University. “It’s going to take about three years of above-average rainfall to have substantial recovery,” he said. … The monsoons aren’t enough to combat the long-term trend toward hotter, drier weather in the West, said Ben Frech, spokesman for the National Groundwater Association. “You’re not going to monsoon your way out of a historically long and severe drought,” Frech said. … ” Read more from Bloomberg here: West’s drought recovery still years away despite recent monsoons
Lake Mead’s unusual summer rise likely aided by monsoon season
“The wettest Las Vegas Valley monsoon season in a decade likely isn’t the only reason behind it, but Lake Mead has risen more than a foot during recent area rainfall. As of 4 p.m. Saturday the lake was at 1,041.97 feet in elevation. On July 27, about the time rainfall became a nearly daily event in the area, the lake elevation was 1,040.71 feet — which is also the low point for the lake so far this year. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal here: Lake Mead’s unusual summer rise likely aided by monsoon season
In national water news today …
The elusive win-win scenario in water utility consolidation
“Utility systems work better at scale. George Westinghouse demonstrated it to the world in 1896 when his company harnessed hydroelectric generating stations at Niagara Falls to power the entire city of Buffalo with alternating current. Compared to Thomas Edison’s direct current, Westinghouse’s system required far less investment per customer served: one generating station vs. Edison’s dozens. In economics, what Westinghouse accomplished, much more than Edison’s DC power monopoly (to its demise), is called “economies of scale.” Economies of scale exist when the average cost per unit of output is less when more units are produced. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management here: The elusive win-win scenario in water utility consolidation
New AFBF survey shows drought’s increasing toll on farmers and ranchers
“The 17 states including and north of Texas, up along the Central Plains to North Dakota and west to California are vital to the U.S. agricultural sector, supporting nearly half of the nation’s $364 billion production by value. This includes 74% of beef cattle, responsible (in total) for 18% of U.S. agricultural production by value; 50% of dairy production, responsible (in total) for 11% of U.S. agricultural production by value, over 80% of wheat production by value and over 70% of vegetable, fruit and tree nut production by value. Drought conditions, which have persisted well into 2022, put production of these commodities at risk, along with the stability of farms, ranches and local economies reliant on crops, livestock and downstream products and services for income. … ” Read more from the AFBF here: New AFBF survey shows drought’s increasing toll on farmers and ranchers
Why scientists have pumped a potent greenhouse gas into streams on public lands
“A massive ecological study that’s happening across the United States, and which is designed to track the impact of long-term changes like a warming climate, is deliberately releasing a highly potent and persistent greenhouse gas in national parks and forests. The gas, sulfur hexafluoride, is “the most potent greenhouse gas known to date,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s 22,800 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, and lasts in the atmosphere for thousands of years. So far, this ecology study has released around 108 pounds of the gas, which has about the same impact as burning more than a million pounds of coal. That may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of global emissions, but government scientists working at federal parks and forests have objected to using this gas on public lands — especially since this major study is designed to go on for 30 years and alternative gasses are available. … ” Read more from NPR here: Why scientists have pumped a potent greenhouse gas into streams on public lands
More dangerous heat waves are on the way: See the impact by Zip code.
“It was the middle of July and already this summer had become a top contender for the hottest in Texas’s recorded history. In San Antonio, which by July would normally experience about three days of triple-digit heat, there had been three dozen. Houston, Waco and Austin were also seeing temperatures 5 to 8 degrees above normal. The state was roasting and Texans were using a record amount of electricity to stay cool. New calculations suggest that, by the middle of this century, this record-breaking summer in Texas may look normal. … ” Read more from the Washington Post here: More dangerous heat waves are on the way: See the impact by Zip code.
Europe endures devastating drought as rivers run low
“Much of Europe is in the midst of a historic drought with water levels dangerously low in lakes and rivers, a situation that’s caused drinking water shortages, fish kills, crop losses and disruptions of key barge routes. About 60% of Europe and the United Kingdom are suffering from drought conditions caused by an unusually dry winter and spring exacerbated by summer heat waves, according to the European Drought Observatory. A European Union scientist warned that the continent was on track to experience its worst drought in 500 years. “A staggering portion of Europe is currently exposed to warning and alert drought levels,” the observatory said in a recent report. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Europe endures devastating drought as rivers run low
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
-
Tuolumne Meadows. Image by Sindi Short from Pixabay Risk of catastrophic California ‘megaflood’ has doubled due to global warming, researchers say
- Newsom’s new water strategy: ‘bold and comprehensive’
- Could virtual networks solve drinking water woes for California’s isolated, disadvantaged communities?
- Drought takes toll on Northern California rice fields
- Spaghetti sauce is under threat as water crisis slams tomatoes
- Pipe dream or possible? Experts weigh in on idea of sending Mississippi River water to West
- California could lend PG&E $1.4 billion to save Diablo Canyon nuclear plant
- NASA Earth Observatory: Death Valley flash flooding
- California’s vital ocean current will soon see major disruption. Here’s what’s at stake
- Governor Newsom names Amelia Yana Garcia Gonzalez new Secretary for Environmental Protection as Secretary Jared Blumenfeld steps down
- Will Lake Mead’s plummeting water levels leave San Diego high and dry?
- ‘All bad options’ as Biden administration faces Western water crisis
- And more …
