Water
KQED Science
Why California’s Largest Estuary No Longer Works for Wildlife
Startling maps in a new report on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta show the dramatic loss of marshlands that once supported a vast array of wildlife.
QUEST
California Voters to Decide on $7.5 Billion Water Bond
On November 4, Californians will be able to exercise their opinion about water at the ballot box when they vote on Proposition 1, a $7.5 billion measure that would authorize the state to issue new bonds to pay for a wide variety of water-related projects.
KQED Science
A First: Drought Tops List of Californians’ Worries
A new statewide poll reveals a virtual tie between water and jobs atop the most-pressing-issues list.
KQED News
The Story of California Water, According to Jerry Brown
Gov. Jerry Brown was invited to speak Monday at a Stanford symposium on the future of U.S. water policy. Brown, running for his fourth term as governor, used his appearance at The Hamilton Project conference to give a sort of oral history of ...Read More
KQED Science
Drought-Stressed Crops May Be Better For You
Scientists in California's Central Valley are testing the nutrient content of fruits grown with less-than-normal amounts of water. And the findings so far are raising a question: will consumers buy fruits that are just as nutritional, or sometimes higher in antioxidants, if they aren't as pretty?
KQED Science
High Temps Intensified California Drought
Heat and drought often go hand-in-hand, creating a vicious cycle that looks a lot like California these days.
KQED News
Court Upholds Water Releases for Salmon on North State Rivers
A federal judge in Fresno has ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation did not violate the law when it made special reservoir releases last year to help salmon in Northern California's Klamath River survive the drought rather than save the water for farms. But U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill ...Read More
KQED Science
With Drought, New Scrutiny Over Fracking’s Water Use
The drought is putting a spotlight on water use around California, including for hydraulic fracturing. How much water does fracking use and will it increase as companies tap into the Monterey Shale, estimated to be the largest oil resource in country?
KQED Science
Anti-Fracking Activists in California Take Fight to County Ballots
Activists are hoping local residents will do what state legislators haven’t done -- shut down the controversial oil production technique known as hydraulic fracturing.
KQED News
California Officials Aren’t Following Own Call for Water Conservation
RIVERSIDE – Mike Soubirous is a prodigious water user, pumping more than 1 million gallons per year at his lushly landscaped home on a hot, windy Southern California hilltop. Soubirous also is a member of the Riverside City Council, and one of his jobs in that position is to make decisions ...Read More
KQED News
California Groundwater: Court Case Could Speed Up Regulation
By Daniel Potter The Scott River's flow depends on snow melting off the nearby mountains, but the last few winters haven't delivered. In places, the river disappears underground. (Daniel Potter/KQED) California's Supreme Court is being pressed to take up a case that could dramatically alter oversight for groundwater, building on a landmark ...Read More
KQED Science
California’s ‘Water Year’ Ends as Third Driest on Record
Only 1924 and 1977 were drier. And there's little in the long-range forecasts to suggest a rebound soon.
KQED Science
The Connection Between California’s Drought and Climate Change
Climate change is making the weather pattern that's responsible for California's drought more likely, according to a new study from Stanford.
KQED Science
Long-Range Forecast: Less Snow for Skiers, Less Water for California
A new federal report affirms what scientists have been saying for years: California's "bank account" of snow-melt water may be overdrawn within decades.
KQED Science
Drought Rallies Support for California Water Projects
Water worries persist -- and may be driving support for a multi-billion-dollar water bond.
Forum
California Proposition 1: Water Bond
Water is always a hot political topic in California, and this drought-plagued year is no exception. Proposition 1 on the November ballot would authorize $7.5 billion for what supporters say are critical water quality and infrastructure projects. We'll discuss what's in the bond and hear from opponents who claim that ...Read More
KQED News
California Groundwater: Court Case Could Speed Up Regulation
By Daniel Potter The Scott River's flow depends on snow melting off the nearby mountains, but the last few winters haven't delivered. In places, the river disappears underground. (Daniel Potter/KQED) California's Supreme Court is being pressed to take up a case that could dramatically alter oversight for groundwater, building on a landmark ...Read More
KQED Science
What to Know About California’s New Groundwater Law
Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation Tuesday that will require the first-ever rules for pumping groundwater in California. Here's why lawmakers and the governor acted, and what the new laws mean.
KQED Science
Why More Trees in the Sierra Mean Less Water for California
California water districts are eyeing a potential new source of water: trees. After a century of fire suppression, Sierra Nevada forests are more dense than ever before. And those pine trees are taking up a lot of water that might otherwise run off into California rivers.
KQED Science
Quake-Revived Streams Could Keep Flowing for a While
The Napa quake jump-started several streams in the Napa and adjoining valleys, but how long they'll run and where the water is coming from is hard to pin down.
