Placer County Local News: Water


All Local Water News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment

Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation projects have helped to build California, but they are also damaging the state’s environment for people, plants and animals by eliminating essential wetlands.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis

Almost one million California residents are forced to drink from contaminated water supplies, or pay for bottled water. Economic inequality makes the crisis worse. What is the state doing to fix it?

Image caption: Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think

2023’s torrential rainstorms have eased California's drought conditions. But there’s a lot more to drought than the amount of rain, and this drought isn't over yet.

Image caption: There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

Image caption: Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained

Residential wells are drying up in the state’s main agricultural region at the same time that agricultural businesses consume almost 90 percent of the water there.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

07/19/2024
Image for display with article titled Placer County Issues Health Advisory for Carnelian Bay Area Following Sewage Spill

Placer County has issued a health advisory in the Carnelian Bay area of Lake Tahoe following a sewage spill that reached the lake yesterday evening.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/16/2024
A Kings County judge today issued a temporary restraining order against the state that pauses its unprecedented move to crack down on groundwater depletion in California’s agricultural heartland.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/10/2024
Harnessing clean energy is a venture of unprecedented scope in California, bringing big changes to Humboldt and the Central Coast, and requiring 26 ports along the coast.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/03/2024
The measures are substantially weaker than a previous proposal after an onslaught of criticism. But they will still save enough water through 2050 to supply the state’s entire population for a year, at a cost of $4.7 billion.

Auburn Journal logo From Auburn Journal...

06/25/2024
Image for display with article titled Delayed PG&E Repair Work Triggers PCWA Conservation Measures

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) emergency repair delays are causing Placer County Water Agency customers to cut back on water usage this week.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

06/25/2024
Image for display with article titled Tahoe Conservancy Awards $220,000 to Support Washoe Tribal Involvement in Environmental Planning, Restoration at Tahoe

At its meeting last week, the California Tahoe Conservancy Board awarded a $220,000 grant to help fund the creation of a new Lake Tahoe Basin liaison position for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/25/2024
Almost 400 suppliers, two-thirds in communities of color, don’t meet safety and reliability standards. Fixing them would cost billions.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

06/18/2024
A new round of litigation began when environmental groups opposed to the Sites reservoir in Colusa County filed an appeal on a ruling which dismissed their suit seeking to halt the project from proceeding.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/17/2024
Legal rights to use water — particularly those obtained prior to 1914 — lie at the heart of California’s perpetual wrangling over the allocation of increasingly limited water supplies.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/12/2024
Aiming to store more water and protect the public, legislators are negotiating with the governor to restore $50 million to help repair 42 aging dams throughout the state.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

06/05/2024
The $4.5 billion Sites Reservoir project is advancing after a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by environmental groups.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/05/2024
A new study, conducted by researchers at three University of California campuses, projects that a combination of factors will reduce California’s water supply by up to 9 million acre-feet a year.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

06/01/2024
Cal State Fullerton researchers released findings of ancient floods in Southern California which indicate the state may be more prone to mega flooding than previously thought.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/30/2024
Researchers say if California could collect and treat more stormwater in cities, it could provide enough water to supply a quarter of the state’s urban population.

Auburn Journal logo From Auburn Journal...

05/28/2024
Image for display with article titled Preservation Groups Partner to Protect 1,500 Acres Along Lake Clementine, North Fork of American River

Placer Land Trust and Trust for Public Land recently announced the protection of more than 1,500 acres of significant river canyon along Lake Clementine and the North Fork American River in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/23/2024
It’s been almost a half-century since I first heard the term “peripheral canal” uttered by William Gianelli, who was then-Gov. Ronald Reagan’s top water official. The project, in one form or another, had already been kicking around for decades.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/16/2024
The centerpiece of California’s water wars pits Gov. Newsom against local communities and environmentalists. A new report says the benefits of the tunnel exceed the cost since other water supplies would cost more.

Auburn Journal logo From Auburn Journal...

05/14/2024
Image for display with article titled Drowning Near Confluence

Auburn State Recreation Area Superintendent Lauren Shoemaker said a call was received of someone in the water around 11:30 a.m. Sunday, which prompted a water rescue below the Confluence near the No Hands Bridge.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

05/14/2024
Image for display with article titled LISTEN: Tahoe TAP Podcast With Amy Berry

Mike Peron and Rob Galloway, the vibrant hosts of Tahoe TAP, are back to whisk listeners away on another enthralling journey. Today, they embark on a mission to spotlight an individual whose efforts have left an indelible mark on the pristine landscapes of Lake Tahoe.

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05/08/2024
Image for display with article titled Truckee Donner PUD Approves Electric Bill Credit for Customers

At Truckee Donner Public Utility District's May board of directors meeting, the board approved an electric bill credit, approved a crucial water infrastructure maintenance project in Tahoe Donner, and held a workshop to review TDPUD's new Emergency Operations Plan.

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