Water Scarcity Resources
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A New Strategy For Western States To Adapt To Long-Term Drought: Customized Water Pricing
2/15/2023
Even after heavy snow and rainfall in January, western states still face an ongoing drought risk that is likely to grow worse thanks to climate change. A whopping snowpack is good news, but it doesn’t reduce the need for long-term planning.
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When It Comes To Water, California Is The Canary In The Gold Mine
2/14/2023
Talking to a friend a couple of weeks ago, the malaprop "canary in the gold mine" popped into the conversation. That was worth a chuckle, but then a moment of reflection. What a perfect way to describe California, nicknamed The Golden State by eager miners during the Gold Rush of the 1840s and '50s, that has been yielding a steady stream of riches from its farms, forests, mines, and minds ever since.
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Scientists Dig Deep And Find A Way To Accurately Predict Snowmelt After Droughts
1/13/2023
In an attempt to address the gaps in the traditional water supply forecasting model, researchers recently developed an updated model that considers additional factors, like water storage deficits in the soil and bedrock. This new model significantly improves the accuracy of water supply forecasts following drought.
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Adopting A 'One Water' Approach Through Integrated Master Planning
1/11/2023
A One Water master plan under development for the city of Winter Haven, Florida, serves as an example to other communities looking at the future through a One Water lens.
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How California Could Save Up Its Rain To Ease Future Droughts — Instead Of Watching Epic Atmospheric River Rainfall Drain Into The Pacific
1/6/2023
California has seen so much rain over the past few weeks that farm fields are inundated and normally dry creeks and drainage ditches have become torrents of water racing toward the ocean. Yet, most of the state remains in severe drought. All that runoff in the middle of a drought begs the question — why can’t more rainwater be collected and stored for the long, dry spring and summer when it’s needed?
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How EPA Can Help Utilities Be More Climate Change Resilient
1/6/2023
As global climate conditions change, water utilities face a variety of stressors, including drought, flooding, rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion, and more. These changing conditions put increasing amounts of pressure on utilities to upgrade and adapt their operations and infrastructure. Unfortunately, many utilities lack two key things needed to become more climate change resilient: the expertise to determine the most critical projects to invest in, and the funding needed to implement them.
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Record Low Water Levels On The Mississippi River In 2022 Show How Climate Change Is Altering Large Rivers
12/19/2022
Rivers are critical corridors that connect cities and ecosystems alike. When drought develops, water levels fall, making river navigation harder and more expensive. In 2022, water levels in some of the world’s largest rivers fell to historically low levels. The Mississippi River fell so low in Memphis, TN, in mid-October that barges were unable to float, requiring dredging and special water releases from upstream reservoirs to keep channels navigable.
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Bezos Earth Fund Should Focus On Water
11/29/2022
With Jeff Bezos announcing that he will be donating most of his wealth to philanthropic causes during his lifetime, I decided to repost my 2018 open letter to him on why his philanthropy should be directed towards water issues.
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Cryptocurrency And Water
11/18/2022
With the meltdown of FTX and the price of Bitcoin sinking to a quarter of its high water mark of over $64,000 in value (now maybe two bit Bitcoin?), I decided to resurrect my 2018 post Is Cryptocurrency Going Down the Drain?...
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What Is A Flash Drought? An Earth Scientist Explains
11/10/2022
Many people are familiar with flash floods — torrents that develop quickly after heavy rainfall. But there’s also such a thing as a flash drought, and these sudden, extreme dry spells are becoming a big concern for farmers and water utilities.