Enlarging the Shasta Dam would deliver more Sacramento River water to Central Valley farmers, but the Winnemem Wintu tribe could lose sacred sites, and endangered salmon could lose habitat in wet years.
Alastair Bland / CalMatters
Posted inLatest News
California snowpack below average — what does this mean for water supplies?
At 90% of the state historical average in a measurement Friday, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is far better than last year. But it’s nothing like the record-smashing 2023.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Trump takes step to overhaul Delta water deliveries to farms, cities
President Donald Trump is aiming to override new Biden-Newsom water delivery rules that have widespread support among Southern California cities and some Central Valley farmers.
Posted inLatest News
Too wet and too dry: The enormous north-south gap in California’s rain
Some Northern California cities have been soaked with almost twice their average rainfall, while southern cities are bone-dry. This season’s huge — possibly unprecedented — disparity works in favor of the state’s water supplies.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘No way, not possible’: California has a plan for new water rules. Will it save salmon from extinction?
Growers and cities support the Newsom administration proposal, saying it strikes a balance for uses of Delta water. But environmentalists say the “healthy rivers” rules would actually harm California’s iconic salmon.
Posted inLatest News
Unstoppable invasion: How did mussels sneak into California, despite decades of state shipping rules?
Most ships discharging ballast water into California waters are inspected, but state officials have tested the water of only 16 ships. Experts say invaders like mussels are inevitable under current rules and enforcement.
Posted inLatest News
A third straight year with no California salmon fishing? Early fish counts suggest it could happen
Low counts of spawning salmon could mean another year without fishing in California. Experts say the outlook still has time to turn around.
Posted inEnvironment
Mangoes and agave in the Central Valley? California farmers try new crops to cope with climate change
The future of farming in California is changing as the planet warms, altering the rain and heat patterns that guide which crops are grown where. “We’re adjusting for survival,” one grower says.
Posted inEnvironment
California storms create paradox: Too much water in reservoirs, too soon
As storms melt snowpack, managers released water to prevent reservoirs from overflowing and flooding Central Valley towns — and that sends water into the ocean. The warm rains melt snow that ideally would last into spring and help with water deliveries.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
This reservoir on the Sacramento River has been planned for decades. What’s taking so long?
The Sites Reservoir — a $4.4 billion project to add dams and store more water that’ll be sent south — is still years away from completion. The final environmental report is expected this year, before construction of two large dams and other structures can begin.