The Legislative Analyst’s Office warns California lawmakers to prepare to dispatch emergency drinking water to vulnerable communities, particularly in the Central Valley.
Climate
Posted inEnvironment
Santa Cruz drought intensifies from ‘severe’ to ‘extreme’
The drought in Santa Cruz has quickly advanced, moving from the least severe classification, D0, to D3 in just the last three months.
Posted inEnvironment
How serious is this drought and what does it mean for fire season?
Rainfall and fire fuel moisture levels are significantly below historical averages this year. So how concerned should Santa Cruz County residents be?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
A one-way West Cliff Drive? Remove iceplant? Inside the plan to fix Santa Cruz’s iconic, eroding street
A plan to adapt 3-mile-long West Cliff Drive to prevent erosion and other environmental challenges won city council approval Tuesday. It lays out a litany of projects — totaling some $20 million — to be done by 2036 to keep the street safe, and also details potential work beyond that.
Posted inEnvironment
Battered, burned but alive: Time will heal Big Basin’s wounds, but it needs big money, too
California’s early estimate of $200 million for basic wildfire repair across the state Parks and Recreation Department will be gobbled up to satisfy Big Basin’s needs alone, estimated at $186 million. And it’s only the beginning.
Posted inEnvironment
Digging 1,000 feet and purifying sewage: How Soquel Creek district is replenishing water supply amid drought
“Pure Water Soquel” is the Soquel Creek Water District’s ambitious plan to stave off future water restrictions by taking wastewater from the Santa Cruz wastewater treatment plant, piping it to an advanced treatment plant, purifying it to drinking water standards, and sending it through deep wells into aquifers to refill the groundwater basin.
Posted inEnvironment
The U.S. is the biggest carbon emitter in history. Where do other nations stand?
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inLatest News
Newsom launches effort to deal with drought; emergencies declared in two counties
Gov. Newsom has declared a drought emergency in Mendocino and Sonoma counties but said he was not prepared to issue statewide water-use restrictions.
Posted inEnvironment
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute retiring flagship vessel to make room for bigger, better boat
The institute has announced it will be retiring its flagship vessel, the R/V Western Flyer, in fall 2022. The ship’s replacement will feature state-of-the-art technology to accommodate “all the different types of science that we do today.”
Posted inLatest News
A megafire could happen again this year: CZU Unit Chief Ian Larkin looks ahead
Cal Fire Chief Ian Larkin reflects on what this year’s fire season could have in store — and what it has already thrown at us: five noteworthy fires to date.