Western Water
Western Water has provided in-depth coverage of critical water issues facing California and the West since 1977, first as a printed magazine and now as an online newsroom. Articles explore the science, policy and debates centered around drought, groundwater, sustainability, water access and affordability, climate change and endangered species involving key sources of supply such as the Colorado River, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and more. Western Water is produced by a team of veteran journalists at the Water Education Foundation.
In the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, two groundwater sustainability agencies try to...
Agencies in two counties are pursuing different approaches to address overdraft and meet requirements of California’s groundwater law.
California weighs changes for new water rights permits in response to a warmer and...
As California’s seasons become warmer and drier, state officials are pondering whether the water rights permitting system needs revising.
Is ecosystem change in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta outpacing the ability of science to...
A science panel argues for a new approach to make research nimbler and more forward-looking to improve management in the ailing Delta.
Milestone Colorado River management plan mostly worked amid epic drought, review finds
Draft assessment of 2007 Interim Guidelines expected to provide a guide as talks begin on new operating rules for the iconic southwestern river
A Colorado River leader who brokered key pacts to aid West’s vital water artery...
Terry Fulp, Regional Reclamation Director, urges continued collaboration and cooperation to meet the river's tough water management challenges ahead
The Colorado River is awash in data vital to its management, but making sense...
A major science report that highlights scientific shortcomings and opportunities in the Basin could aid water managers as they rewrite the river's operating rules.
Long criticized for inaction at the Salton Sea, California says it’s all-in on effort...
Dust suppression and habitat restoration are key elements in a plan to aid the Salton Sea, whose ills have been a sore point in Colorado River management.
Questions simmer about Lake Powell’s future as drought, climate change point to a drier...
Lake Powell faces demands from stakeholders with different water needs as runoff is forecast to decline due to warmer, drier conditions.
Framework for agreements to aid health of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a starting point...
Voluntary agreements in California have been touted as an innovative and flexible way to improve environmental conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the rivers that feed it. The goal is to provide river flows and habitat for fish while still allowing enough water to be diverted for farms and cities in a way that satisfies state regulators.
Can carbon credits save Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta islands and protect California’s vital water hub?
An ambitious plan would use carbon credits as incentives to convert Delta islands to wetlands or rice to halt subsidence and potentially raise island elevations.