Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
Here is an excellent summary of the water reform package passed by the state legislature on Nov. 4, as well as a summary of the water bond – with links to the final language. My colleagues and I will be...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
A great deal has been written about the substance of the water reform bills that was passed by the legislature in the wee hours Wednesday. Here’s NRDC’s statement on the three key bills. And here’s a thoughtful editorial from the Los Angeles...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy
In general, the direction of the legislation currently under consideration in the state legislature is encouraging. However, in addition to the positive developments, a remarkable debate is taking place in the legislature today. Some water users and legislators have asked...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Since the end of the legislative session in September, support for ambitious water reform legislation has been growing steadily. Not only is the list of those calling for change long, but it also...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Last Saturday, my wife and I took a canoe trip with her nieces and nephew down the Feather River to watch one of California's most dramatic natural spectacles - the fall spawning run of Chinook salmon. The kids get very...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment
In the past decade, people have become familiar with the concept of peak oil -- the notion that we have passed the zenith of oil extraction and are facing a steady decline in the amount of oil we can recover....continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Two weeks ago, the Bureau of Reclamation turned the valves on Friant Dam and sent a big shot of liquid hope down to the Delta. This hope came in two forms. First, the San Joaquin has suffered for years from...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment
Harry Truman once said that "close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades." In the coming year, we'll see if close also counts in California water policy. Last Friday, in the closing hours of the legislative session for the year,...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably , Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Yesterday, just as the Senate and Assembly water committees began a joint hearing on an ambitious package of Delta and water reform bills, Governor Schwarzenegger released a letter outlining his requirements for signing any...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment
What do Dutch engineers and the new California water governance bills have to do with one another? Quite a lot, I realized the other afternoon, as I listened to a group of engineers explain how the Netherlands is preparing its...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment
A recent op-ed written by Delta Senator Lois Wolk points out an obvious truth, but one that she thinks has been forgotten in the Delta: When you are planning the future of a community, you have to involve the community. ...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment , Solving Global Warming
I have been working on California water issues for 25 years, and I've learned that major opportunities for transformative change doesn't come around too often. Now is one of those times. Late last week, the California Legislature released a package...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably
There’s no single “silver bullet” to meeting California’s future water needs, particularly in light of the likely impacts of our changing climate and the unlikelihood of squeezing more water out of the Colorado River or the Bay-Delta. Instead, we’re going...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably
This week, questions about the future of our water supply got the celebrity treatment: a feature on the Daily Show. Robert Glennon, a professor of law and public policy at the University of Arizona, went on the show to talk...continued→
Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably
With a third dry year, reduced water supplies, crashing fisheries and multiple crises in the Bay-Delta, the water challenges facing California have never been greater. Fortunately, as a result of the drought, the work of the Delta Vision Task Force...continued→
