Students in Imperial Beach, near San Diego, face sewage pollution that causes headaches, asthma, rashes and brain fog, as schools contend with sewage pollution from the Tijuana River.
Environment
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz to begin studying Lighthouse Point erosion, potential future projects
The Santa Cruz City Council approved the first steps on Tuesday to study erosion and other potential hazards at Lighthouse Point, awarding more than $387,000 to a San Francisco-based environmental consulting firm to begin the work. The city’s public works department is aiming to have a final report and possible recommendations in about a year.
Posted inFood & Drink
Santa Cruz County strawberries weathered heat wave, with potential upside for vineyards
A record March heat wave caused only minor damage to early strawberry crops in Santa Cruz County, with most fruit and other produce left largely unharmed thanks to proactive irrigation. The warm temperatures could even benefit local wine grapes by accelerating early growth and improving conditions for a strong harvest later in the season.
Posted inLatest News
Record heat, melting snow: What does it mean for California’s reservoirs?
Providing about a third of the state’s water supply, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is a vital source of spring and summer runoff that refills reservoirs when the state needs the water most. But a warm, wet storm followed February’s snow, and now, March temperatures are shattering records — prompting warnings of rapid snowmelt and swift rivers.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Let salmon populations heal
In a letter to the editor, a representative of the PETA Foundation takes issue with California’s decision to open salmon fisheries this spring.
Posted inLatest News
Conservation groups to host cleanup along San Lorenzo River this weekend
The Coastal Watershed Council and the Watershed Stewards Program are hosting a volunteer event on Saturday focused on cleaning the San Lorenzo River watershed.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California is spending hundreds of millions on heat. Will it ever be a public health priority?
As heat becomes a year-round reality, California is often still responding like it’s an emergency.
Posted inLatest News
A contentious project to raise California’s Shasta Dam just got a funding boost from Trump
The Trump administration Tuesday announced $40 million for “planning and preconstruction activities associated with raising Shasta Dam.” Opponents say the project could swamp sacred sites and harm a protected river.
Posted inFood & Drink
After years of closure, California salmon fishing set to reopen this spring — with tight limits
After several years of closures due to low populations, California will reopen limited commercial and recreational salmon fishing this spring as stocks rebound. Local fishers welcome the return but say the short, highly restricted season might not be enough to revive the struggling fleet.
Posted inLatest News
Salmon survival: Betting on the right fish
By studying salmon bones, scientists have uncovered that for thousands of years, Chinook salmon returned to California rivers at a range of ages. Today, habitat loss, overharvesting and conventional hatcheries have narrowed the age diversity of returning fish, a critical factor in efforts to save the species in Santa Cruz County and beyond. They are working with tribal partners to restore that diversity, protecting wild stocks and the rhythms that keep rivers alive.