The plan to update the state’s water system has hit a major snag.
California Governor Jerry Brown wants to build a pair of tunnels to get water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California. However, the project, called California WaterFix, will not get a certification it needs from the Delta Stewardship Council, meaning it will not have approval before Brown’s departure in January.
The California Department of Water Resources withdrew its petition to the council after feedback that the analysis was lacking, particularly related to climate change and its effect on water usage. Environmental and conservation groups consider the withdrawal a victory. They say the tunnels will remove too much water from the delta and adversely affect fish and wildlife.
The project was supposed to remedy the main problem with the water system: pumps near Tracy, California, that kill fish and cause delta water to flow backward. The result has been rationing of water in the Central Valley, Southern California, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Read the full story: Big setback for Gov. Brown’s twin tunnels delta water project
Desalination and Water Recycling Needed to Increase Bay Area Water Supply
In an ongoing drought exacerbated by climate change, the Bay Area needs to look toward two technologies to secure adequate drinking water supply: desalination and wastewater recycling, according to an analysis by the San Francisco Examiner.
Opinion: California State Water Department Needs to Step Up in the Fight on Climate Change
California's water resources are under threat from climate change, and the state's water agency must take action to face the challenges.
California Resists Federal Efforts to Roll Back Environmental Regulations
California is pushing back against federal actions by enforcing state rules and standards that it says have precedence.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Raised interest rates may kill financially vulnerable construction projects
The chief economist at ConstructConnect warns that if construction project owners are negatively impacted by the raised rates, it could result in delayed payments to contractors.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello