Exploring short-term weather events impacting drought conditions, as well as long-term impacts of climate change on snowpack and water resources. https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/climate-weather/rss en Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Management & Supply Wed, 31 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Brent Gardner-Smith https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/31/battle-ahead-in-colorado-on-water-conserved-for-lake-powell-storage https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/31/battle-ahead-in-colorado-on-water-conserved-for-lake-powell-storage With shortages looming, Colorado interests are struggling to finalize a drought contingency plan. The state is split between East and West over whether water saved to boost Lake Powell storage should be required or voluntary. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Law & Policy Management & Supply Wed, 24 Oct 2018 10:30:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/24/oregon-already-struggling-with-drought-may-have-still-more-to-come https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/24/oregon-already-struggling-with-drought-may-have-still-more-to-come Record heat and low rainfall have prompted drought emergency declarations in nearly a third of Oregon’s counties. Predicted El Niño conditions may mean there’s no relief in store this winter. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Economics Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Mon, 22 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Hannah Holm https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/22/colorado-river-crisis-demands-focus-on-farm-conservation-programs https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/22/colorado-river-crisis-demands-focus-on-farm-conservation-programs Small programs can go a long way to save water and help farmers survive the coming shortages on the Colorado River. These should be the next focus for policymakers now wrestling with drought contingency plans. Agriculture Climate & Weather Economics Energy Environment & Wildlife Innovation Solutions Fri, 12 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Kirsten James https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/12/farms-food-producers-taking-strides-to-save-water-and-the-climate https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/12/farms-food-producers-taking-strides-to-save-water-and-the-climate Farming and food production use most of the world’s water and produce 13 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. A number of major growers and processors are taking steps to reduce those impacts, writes Ceres’ Kirsten James. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Thu, 11 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/11/why-you-shouldnt-get-your-hopes-up-about-an-el-nio-this-winter https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/11/why-you-shouldnt-get-your-hopes-up-about-an-el-nio-this-winter It’s become almost common currency that El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean mean wet winters in the West. But history shows that’s not necessarily so, partly because many other weather phenomena also play a role in precipitation. Climate & Weather Economics Environment & Wildlife Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Wed, 10 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Douglas E. Beeman, Water Education Foundation https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/10/for-next-california-governor-theres-plenty-of-advice-on-water-issues https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/10/for-next-california-governor-theres-plenty-of-advice-on-water-issues Californians choose a new governor in just a few weeks. At a recent water conference in Sacramento, participants got a chance to offer the newbie some advice. There was plenty to be heard, as well as some wry humor. Climate & Weather Economics Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Tue, 09 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Tom Philp https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/09/figuring-on-climate-change-model-outputs-vary-but-worries-are-real https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/09/figuring-on-climate-change-model-outputs-vary-but-worries-are-real Water available for California farms and cities could decline as much as 44 percent by midcentury due to climate change. Such numbers, while headache-inducing, could make today’s water woes seem trifling. American West Climate & Weather Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Mon, 08 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Brent Gardner-Smith https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/08/in-colorado-water-bosses-begin-to-accept-climate-change-impacts https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/08/in-colorado-water-bosses-begin-to-accept-climate-change-impacts Old assumptions aren’t working to predict today’s water supplies in the Rocky Mountain state, much less the future. Many planning scenarios ‘are actually pretty scary,’ says one water official. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Innovation Management & Supply Fri, 05 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/05/deeply-talks-drought-on-the-colorado-can-we-adapt-to-changing-runoff https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/10/05/deeply-talks-drought-on-the-colorado-can-we-adapt-to-changing-runoff Shrinking snowpack in the Colorado River watershed is not just a water supply problem, but could also lead to a variety of water quality concerns. Listen to two experts describe these changes and how we might adapt. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Law & Policy Management & Supply Toxic Taps Thu, 04 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/04/is-groundwater-recharge-a-beneficial-use-california-law-says-no https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/10/04/is-groundwater-recharge-a-beneficial-use-california-law-says-no State law does not currently allow surface water to be used for groundwater recharge if the goal is managing pollution, reversing subsidence or controlling salinity. That could be a problem as local agencies begin trying to make their groundwater use more sustainable. Agriculture Climate & Weather Economics Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Management & Supply Wed, 26 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/26/californias-largest-new-reservoir-likely-to-face-water-access-limits https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/26/californias-largest-new-reservoir-likely-to-face-water-access-limits The $5 billion Sites Reservoir project recently won by far the largest award in a state funding competition. But separate state regulatory actions could limit how much water it can tap from the Sacramento River. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Management & Supply Tue, 25 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Laura Paskus https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/25/as-new-mexico-reservoirs-hit-bottom-worries-grow-over-the-future https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/25/as-new-mexico-reservoirs-hit-bottom-worries-grow-over-the-future The state’s reservoirs have done their job to help water users survive record drought in 2018. Now they are almost totally dry, and tensions are building over the year ahead. ‘Climate change is really happening,’ one water official says. American West Climate & Weather Economics Energy Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Fri, 21 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Anthony F. Arrigo https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/21/hoover-dam-as-giant-battery-the-hurdles-are-more-legal-than-technical https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/21/hoover-dam-as-giant-battery-the-hurdles-are-more-legal-than-technical Los Angeles is proposing to build a 20-mile pipeline to transform Hoover Dam into a pumped storage hydropower project. It’s certainly feasible – except for the ongoing political and legal conflict over the Colorado River. American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Thu, 20 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Jay Ziegler https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/20/congress-must-move-to-renew-federal-fund-vital-for-watershed-protection https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/20/congress-must-move-to-renew-federal-fund-vital-for-watershed-protection The Land and Water Conservation Fund is set to expire on September 30, and Congress has made no move to revive it. That’s a mistake, as the fund is important to protect landscapes that deliver essential water supplies. American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Wed, 19 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/19/monsoon-storms-key-to-recharging-groundwater-may-become-less-common https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/19/monsoon-storms-key-to-recharging-groundwater-may-become-less-common A new study has revealed that monsoons in the Southwest have already become less common but more extreme in nature, posing new challenges for water managers eager to capture crucial runoff. Climate & Weather Economics Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Tue, 18 Sep 2018 14:00:55 +0000 Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/18/to-manage-future-water-shortages-california-must-update-its-water-grid https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/18/to-manage-future-water-shortages-california-must-update-its-water-grid The state’s water supply system will be strained to cope with climate change. New investments – and new ways of investing – are needed to improve water management, especially to recharge groundwater. American West Climate & Weather Energy Environment & Wildlife Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Fri, 14 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/14/can-we-operate-the-colorado-river-differently-amid-climate-change https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/14/can-we-operate-the-colorado-river-differently-amid-climate-change It will be challenging to adapt to changing precipitation and snowmelt patterns in the vital Colorado River watershed. Jack Schmidt at Utah State University is launching a project that may provide some answers. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Thu, 13 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Ted Kowalski https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/13/more-conservation-cooperation-vital-to-our-new-era-of-water-shortages https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/13/more-conservation-cooperation-vital-to-our-new-era-of-water-shortages New evidence tells us water shortages aren’t going away in the Colorado River Basin. They’ll likely just get worse. Survival requires new funding sources and a new commitment to conservation. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Energy Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Tue, 11 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/11/crisis-at-lake-powell-looms-large-as-long-term-drought-reaches-upstream https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/09/11/crisis-at-lake-powell-looms-large-as-long-term-drought-reaches-upstream Water shortages at Lake Mead have drawn all the attention in recent years. Now water rationing has reached far into the Colorado River’s snowy headwaters, prompting concern about the long-term operation of Lake Powell. American West Climate & Weather Management & Supply Solutions Thu, 06 Sep 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Lindsay Abrams https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/06/why-some-water-managers-are-unprepared-for-climate-change https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/06/why-some-water-managers-are-unprepared-for-climate-change California water managers vary in their willingness and ability to take climate risks into account, according to a recent study from U.C. Davis. Improved relationships between scientists and decision-makers may help. American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Management & Supply Wed, 05 Sep 2018 12:00:00 +0000 Lindsay Abrams https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/05/deeply-talks-fire-drought-the-extremes-become-routine https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/09/05/deeply-talks-fire-drought-the-extremes-become-routine The West has entered an era of permanent water scarcity and is facing more frequent, larger wildfires. Listen to two experts explain how these challenges – and our approaches to managing them – are intertwined. American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Solutions Tue, 21 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000 Stephen Pyne https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/08/21/all-wildfires-are-not-alike-but-the-u-s-is-fighting-them-that-way https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/08/21/all-wildfires-are-not-alike-but-the-u-s-is-fighting-them-that-way We need a new strategy to address multiple issues with wildfires, particularly in the wildland-urban interface where development and nature mix, says Arizona State professor Stephen Pyne. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Management & Supply Thu, 16 Aug 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Cassidy Johnston https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/08/16/how-ranchers-are-getting-by-with-less-water-across-the-west https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/08/16/how-ranchers-are-getting-by-with-less-water-across-the-west Most ranches depend on rain to ensure cattle have enough to eat, but arid conditions amplified by drought across much of the West means that ranchers are employing best practices to use water as efficiently as possible, writes New Mexico rancher Cassidy Johnston. Agriculture American West Climate & Weather Management & Supply Mon, 13 Aug 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Emma Penrod https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/08/13/drought-forces-hard-choices-for-farmers-and-ranchers-in-the-southwest https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/08/13/drought-forces-hard-choices-for-farmers-and-ranchers-in-the-southwest Large reservoirs have buffered urban areas in the Southwest from the worst of the year’s dry conditions, but rural farmers and ranchers are bearing the brunt of water shortages and the economic fallout. Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Tue, 07 Aug 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Tom Philp https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/08/07/delta-breezes-are-dying-and-that-could-be-bad-news-for-an-imperiled-fish https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/08/07/delta-breezes-are-dying-and-that-could-be-bad-news-for-an-imperiled-fish Research has found that wind is on the decline in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which subsequently impacts the turbidity of the water. That in turn has an impact on critically endangered delta smelt, writes Metropolitan Water District’s Tom Philp. American West Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Management & Supply Solutions Wed, 01 Aug 2018 05:00:00 +0000 Laura Paskus https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/08/01/giving-back-to-the-rio-grande-one-deal-one-drop-at-a-time https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/08/01/giving-back-to-the-rio-grande-one-deal-one-drop-at-a-time With a dismal snowpack this year and parts of the Rio Grande running dry, a new deal among an environmental group, municipalities and businesses in New Mexico will help restore some flows for the river to benefit the ecosystem and endangered species. American West Climate & Weather Economics Environment & Wildlife Management & Supply Mon, 30 Jul 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Matt Weiser https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/07/30/hot-weather-land-abuses-fueling-algal-blooms-in-western-waters https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/07/30/hot-weather-land-abuses-fueling-algal-blooms-in-western-waters Toxic bacteria produced by some algae are a threat to public health. Climate change may be one reason algal blooms have become a growing concern for many water agencies. Climate & Weather Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Solutions Tue, 17 Jul 2018 09:00:00 +0000 Sean Bothwell https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/07/17/10-signs-of-california-water-progress https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/07/17/10-signs-of-california-water-progress The Golden State may face a future with more extreme weather, which will further stress water resources, but California is well on its way to dealing with this new reality, writes Sean Bothwell of California Coastkeeper Alliance. Climate & Weather Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Fri, 13 Jul 2018 07:48:00 +0000 Tara Lohan https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/07/13/how-communities-are-turning-stormwater-from-a-liability-to-an-asset https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/07/13/how-communities-are-turning-stormwater-from-a-liability-to-an-asset A new report from the Pacific Institute outlines creative collaborations and policy changes needed to better scale stormwater solutions, explains research associate Morgan Shimabuku. American West Climate & Weather Management & Supply Wed, 11 Jul 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Laura Paskus https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/07/11/monsoon-rains-provide-some-relief-to-drought-stricken-new-mexico https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/07/11/monsoon-rains-provide-some-relief-to-drought-stricken-new-mexico The arrival of the heavy rains has been a welcome relief, but it’s not expected to be enough to help the state’s ailing rivers fully recover from drought.