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Tahoe Truckee Region Water Digest



A Century Later, Salmon Again Spawning in Klamath River After Dams Removed

10/31/2024

Sixty years ago, I was a reporter for the Klamath Falls (Oregon) Herald and News and with my family lived in a small house on the Link River, which flows out of Upper Klamath Lake, draining a large portion of the Cascade mountain range.

A Third Straight Year With No California Salmon Fishing?  Early Fish Counts Suggest It Could Happen

10/30/2024

Low counts of spawning salmon could mean another year without fishing. Experts say the outlook still has time to turn around.

Is a New Plan for Delivering Delta Water Worse Than Trump’s Rules? Environmentalists Say Yes.

10/24/2024

Growers support a federal and state proposal for operating California’s massive systems that send river water south. But it could harm more salmon and other endangered fish.

California Reservoirs Are Full, but Water Politics May Trump Hydrology

10/23/2024

Most of us operate on the calendar year — the 12 months that begin on January 1 and end on December 31.

California "30x30" Conservation Efforts Make Progress

09/08/2024

The California state goal to conserve 30% of its land and coastal waters has advanced, with conserved lands reaching 25% and coastal waters 16%.

Judge Temporarily Blocks State Order to Growers Who Depleted Groundwater

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 Has Just Approved a New Blueprint for Offshore Wind. The Massive Projects Will Cost Billions

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 Now Has Mandatory Water Conservation in Urban Areas: How Will the New Rules Affect Your Supplier?

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.

Drinking Water of Almost a Million Californians Failed to Meet State Requirements

06/25/2024

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

Environmental Groups Appeal Sites Reservoir Ruling

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.

In Rain, Snow and Drought, California’s Fights Over Water Rights, Supplies Persist

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.

These California Dams Need Repairs. But Newsom Plans to Cut Grants in Half

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 Seeks a More Resilient Water Supply as Familiar Sides Battle for Access

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.

New Reservoir Project Advances

06/05/2024

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

New Research Indicates More Massive California Flooding in Past

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’s Runoff Flows Down the Drain. Can More Be Captured?

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.

Decadeslong Delta Tunnel Water Project May Finally Be Nearing a Historic Decision

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.

$20 Billion: The Delta Tunnel’s New Price Tag

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.

California Agrees to Cuts of Colorado River Water

03/06/2024

California, Arizona and Nevada would cut their allocations about 20% when reservoir levels drop. But other states have their own more aggressive plan. Now the federal government has to decide how to manage the drought-plagued river.

After Heavy Storms, Death Valley Is Now Open to Kayakers

02/20/2024

A temporary lake in Death Valley National Park doubled after recent rains and is now deep enough to launch a kayak. Prior to August, ghostly Lake Manly hadn’t appeared in 19 years.

Frosty Flakes

02/07/2024

Gary Ellrod, retired NOAA Meteorologist and current senior meteorologist at Weather Extreme, explains the basics of frost, and how it forms.

L.A.’s Flood-Control System Survived Epic Storm. But It’s Losing the Battle With Climate Change

02/05/2024

Los Angeles County flood control network withstands punishing rains—for now.

The Terrifying Forces That Created a California Monster Storm

02/05/2024

The storm fed off of unusually warm waters as it grew. It also reached “bomb cyclone” status as it neared California.

Saving Salmon: Newsom Unveils Blueprint for Ending Decades-Long Decline

01/30/2024

Chinook and other salmon runs are collapsing. Conservation groups call it too little, too late. Plan includes dam removals and restoring river flows.

Scientists Debunk California Biblical-Storm Hysteria Swirling on Internet

01/29/2024

What is an ARkStorm and why is everyone talking about it on social media right now?

‘Hot Droughts’ Are Becoming More Common in the Arid West, New Study Finds

01/28/2024

Take a period of limited rainfall. Add heat. And you have what scientists call a “hot drought”—dry conditions made more intense by the evaporative power of hotter temperatures.

California Ranks High Worldwide for Rapidly Depleted Groundwater

01/24/2024

In a sign of the ongoing threats to its precious groundwater stores, half a dozen regions in California rank among the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers.

Groundwater Levels Are Falling in Parts of California and Food-Growing Regions Worldwide

01/24/2024

Groundwater depletion is worsening in many of the world’s farming regions. But a global study also found that some efforts are helping to boost aquifers.

California Court Ruling Could Threaten Key Source of Funding for Disputed Delta Water Tunnel Project

01/19/2024

A California judge says a nearly 65-year-old law does not give the state permission to borrow the billions of dollars it would need to build a large water project.

New Year Brings Protections for Deep-Sea Corals and Ocean Fishing Opportunities

01/08/2024

New rules took effect Jan. 1 permanently protecting the most fragile deep sea corals off Southern California. Simultaneously, more than 4,500 square miles of ocean waters are now reopened to fishing after more than 20 years of closures.

Homeowners Who Sued to Build a Seawall Could Reshape California’s Coast

01/07/2024

Raging storms brought major damage to California’s coastline last winter. But in Half Moon Bay, a different kind of coastal upheaval is gaining momentum—one that could decide the fate of billions of dollars of property and affect hundreds of public beaches.

Climate Change Might Lessen Bay Area Fog

01/05/2024

The Bay Area’s fog is iconic. But the latest episode of KQED podcast “Bay Curious” looks at how climate change could reduce the number of foggy days in the area.

Featured

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
There are many causes contributing to this crisis. And as you may already know, this situation really is nuts.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think
Recent torrential rains have helped, but California's drought is a long way from over.
From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis
In a state that declares water a “human right,” more than 2 percent of its residents have no drinkable water.
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
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
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