Since World War II and a booming state population that
increasingly sought out the great outdoors to relax, the state’s
water-based recreational activities have continued to grow more
popular and diverse, occurring in a multitude of sources –
from swimming pools and spas to beaches, reservoirs, natural
lakes and rivers.
Public water supply projects, such as the State Water Project,
have helped to provide additional recreational opportunities for
Californians. In some cases, reservoir releases can contribute to
downstream recreation benefits by improving fisheries or by
creating whitewater rafting opportunities that would not be
possible in the absence of reservoir regulation. However, there
are conflicting values and needs for the same river system.
Happy World Wetlands Day from the driest big city in the world.
OK, that’s not true. We may think of our city as arid, but Los
Angeles harbors its very own rich wetlands (plus, Yuma beats us
on aridity any year). The Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve,
between Playa del Rey to the south and Marina del Rey and
Venice Beach to the north, represents the past, present and
future of our city. These ancestral waterways once harbored a
fertile ecosystem with which the Tongva coexisted, but the area
was recklessly defaced by Marina del Rey construction and
continues to struggle with fires and trash from local
encampments.
Looking out at a vast, dusty valley, Alan O’Neill nods at a
long concrete ramp that hasn’t seen a motorized boat launch in
nearly 20 years. … Approaching one edge of Las Vegas Bay
Marina Overlook — now more than 1.5 miles from the water’s edge
— O’Neill points out the picnic tables shaded by green metal
gazebos near the abandoned boat ramp, a nearby campsite that
still draws visitors, and the dry ground that once used to be
part of Lake Mead. … The plummeting water levels at Lake
Mead receive national attention because of the reservoir’s key
role in supplying water to municipal and agricultural users in
Arizona, Nevada and California, forcing state and federal
officials to make difficult decisions about how to keep the
water flowing after more than two decades of drought.
Anton Sorokin was hiking in the hills near his home in Berkeley
when he came across a pond that was packed full of newts. For a
couple of delightful hours, he watched the amphibians swim to
the surface for a breath and then plunge underwater again. With
a background in herpetology and wildlife photography, Sorokin
took some pictures without any particular project in mind. He
thought to himself, “Oh, what a great find!” … Like many
animals, California’s newts are facing new challenges because
of climate change, according to growing evidence. Although the
animals evolved to deal with drought by delaying reproduction
when conditions were extreme, the region has become drier for
longer than in the past.
The historic rainfall hitting California in recent months could
bring a particularly vibrant superbloom in the Spring—the first
one to occur in the state since 2019. “Superblooms” in
California happen when conditions are just right—when the
state, which is in the grips of an ongoing drought, receives a
rare influx of rainfall, paired with the right amount of
sunshine. When this happens, native wildflowers, that lay
dormant in the soil, all bloom at once. This creates a
phenomenon where carpets of brightly colored flowers spread
across the state, often in the deserts.
Lake Powell, like its downstream neighbor Lake Mead, stands at
a quarter of its full capacity. An increasingly arid climate,
high demand from thirsty agriculture, and the bad math embedded
in the century-old compact that divides the Colorado River’s
water have shrunk the two reservoirs to levels not seen since
they were first filling. On Lake Powell’s new shoreline, old
boat propellers lie in the dust along with scads of sunglasses.
Red plastic drinking cups, some bearing names scrawled in
Sharpie, have yellowed to the color of piano ivory. At
its low point last year, Lake Powell’s surface was only 32 feet
above operating levels for Glen Canyon Dam’s hydropower
intakes, reducing the dam’s power output by half.
In the fall of 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower touched a
telegraph key in the White House Cabinet Room to trigger a
dynamite blast 1,900 miles to the west, marking the start of
construction on the Glen Canyon Dam. More than six decades
later, conservation advocates and environmentalists are hoping
the Biden administration will set an implosion in motion —
albeit a metaphorical one — this time mothballing the 710-foot
dam on the Colorado River in northern Arizona. … Modern
critics of the Glen Canyon Dam — which has never lacked for
detractors, dating to early denunciations that the structure
changed the ecology of the river and drowned canyons and Native
American artifacts when the reservoir filled — see new momentum
to circumvent the structure and drain Lake Powell.
Over the course of the next seven years, an average 35,000
housing units will be built each year in Colorado. If past
trends persist, around 70% of those housing units will be
single-family homes. From Fort Collins to Colorado Springs,
it’s likely that Coloradans will see more single-family
suburban developments popping up — and with them, lawns.
Conventional grass lawns ornament the vast majority of American
homes, covering three times as much surface area as irrigated
cornfields in the United States. Although lawns are often
purely aesthetic, sometimes they are chosen for their
durability; lawns hold up against cleats, dogs and kids. …
But there are far too many cropped, green lawns that are
neglected until a weed sprouts up or it’s time to mow. Too many
lawns exist just for the sake of being maintained. -Written by Sammy Herdman, a campaign associate
for Environment Colorado.
[S]evere drought, which affected 90% of the state by the end of
2022, led to historic water restrictions in Southern
California — impacting millions of people. The Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power says L.A.-based golf
courses use about 1.6 billion gallons of drinking water each
year, about 1% of the total potable water used in the city.
Meanwhile, courses use only about one billion gallons of
recycled water. Those restrictions are also pushing golf
courses across the region to incorporate new technology to
become more efficient with their water usage.
The release of 64,000 gallons of untreated sewage prompted the
closures of several Los Angeles County beaches Wednesday,
public health officials said. A blocked main line led to the
sewage entering the storm drain system near Admiralty and
Palawan ways in Marina del Rey, the Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health said in a news release. The
blockage was cleared by Wednesday afternoon, but Mother’s Beach
in Marina del Rey, Venice City Beach and Dockweiler State Beach
were ordered closed. … The closures will remain in
effect until bacterial levels in daily water testing meet
health standards, the department said.
Following three consecutive atmospheric rivers, much of
California’s drought-ridden landscape is now drenched. Although
these storms resulted in flooded highways and downed trees, one
silver lining is the possibility of a “superbloom” that may hit
California’s arid interior this spring. Superblooms
are a relatively rare occurrence, even in a state renowned for
colorful wildflowers and diverse plant ecosystems. Following
heavy winter rains, annual or short-lived perennial flowers
will bloom briefly—and all at once—in the spring. The event,
which last happened in 2019, creates cascades of native flowers
in regions across California, turning rolling hills and valleys
rainbow-colored.
Just days after rain left the city with flooding waters and
streets covered in debris, runoff is also leading to unsafe
swimming conditions along our coast. Right now, there are
currently four beach closures in our region: Imperial Beach
Shoreline, Tijuana Slough Shoreline, Silver Strand Shoreline,
and Coronado Shoreline. The San Diego Department of
Environmental Health and Quality warning beachgoers to stay
away until further testing. Along the Coronado shoreline
water contact warning signs line the sand, alerting beachgoers
to steer clear. … Ringing in the new year with moderate rain
and gusty winds has led to these south swell conditions and
urban runoff across the U.S. Mexico border raising bacteria
levels in ocean and bay water here at home.
Explore the lower Colorado River firsthand where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour.
Hyatt Place Las Vegas At Silverton Village
8380 Dean Martin Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89139
The lower Colorado River has virtually every drop allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hyatt Place Las Vegas At Silverton Village
8380 Dean Martin Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89139
This event explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Deep, throaty cadenced calls —
sounding like an off-key bassoon — echo over the grasslands,
farmers’ fields and wetlands starting in late September of each
year. They mark the annual return of sandhill cranes to the
Cosumnes River Preserve,
46,000 acres located 20 miles south of Sacramento on the edge of
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
This tour explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour.
Silverton Hotel
3333 Blue Diamond Road
Las Vegas, NV 89139
Deep, throaty cadenced calls —
sounding like an off-key bassoon — echo over the grasslands,
farmers’ fields and wetlands starting in late September of each
year. They mark the annual return of sandhill cranes to the
Cosumnes River Preserve,
46,000 acres located 20 miles south of Sacramento on the edge of
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
We explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop
of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad
sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and
climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in
the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin
states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this
water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial
needs was the focus of this tour.
Hampton Inn Tropicana
4975 Dean Martin Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89118
This three-day, two-night tour explored the lower Colorado River
where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand
is growing from myriad sources — increasing population,
declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in
the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin
states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this
water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial
needs is the focus of this tour.
Best Western McCarran Inn
4970 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Water truly has shaped California into the great state it is
today. And if it is water that made California great, it’s the
fight over – and with – water that also makes it so critically
important. In efforts to remap California’s circulatory system,
there have been some critical events that had a profound impact
on California’s water history. These turning points not only
forced a re-evaluation of water, but continue to impact the lives
of every Californian. This 2005 PBS documentary offers a
historical and current look at the major water issues that shaped
the state we know today. Includes a 12-page viewer’s guide with
background information, historic timeline and a teacher’s lesson.
A companion to the Truckee River Basin Map poster, this 24×36
inch poster, suitable for framing, explores the Carson River, and
its link to the Truckee River. The map includes Lahontan Dam and
Reservoir, the Carson Sink, and the farming areas in the basin.
Map text discusses the region’s hydrology and geography, the
Newlands Project, land and water use within the basin and
wetlands. Development of the map was funded by a grant from the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, Lahontan Basin
Area Office.
This 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, explains how
non-native invasive animals can alter the natural ecosystem,
leading to the demise of native animals. “Unwelcome Visitors”
features photos and information on four such species – including
the zerbra mussel – and explains the environmental and economic
threats posed by these species.
A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect
gift for the water wonk in your life.
Our 24×36 inch California Water Map is widely known for being the
definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the
state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s
natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts
– including federally, state and locally funded
projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and
natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of
California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects,
wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the
text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water
projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado
River.
