California Department of Water Resources

Energy Reliability Vs. the Environment
A controversial but unanimous vote by California officials last week to keep three older, coastal natural gas power plants operating beyond their termination dates shows that environmental protection takes a back seat to keeping the lights on.

Disaster Averted!
The California power grid withstood its biggest test ever on Tuesday and passed—barely. The only rolling blackouts that occurred during the Stage Three Energy Emergency alert were results of miscommunication.

Funding Allocated to Extend Life of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant
In order to to ensure that the lights stay on, the California legislature approved allocating up to $75 million to extend the life of the state's sole remaining nuclear plant and four natural gas powered plants, to the chagrin of environmentalists.

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 Delta Project Facing Approval Challenges
The plan to update the state’s water system has hit a major snag.

Voters to Decide on Repair of Vital Aqueduct for San Joaquin Valley
California voters in November will have the opportunity to help repair the Friant-Kern Canal, damaged by subsidence, as well as invest in watershed conservation programs, by passing a citizen-initiated $8.9 billion general obligation bond measure.

Rebuilt Oroville Spillway Could Get its First Test This Weekend
The quickly repaired Oroville Dam spillway is hoping for better performance this year, after a year of intense repair work.

Desalination Projects Get a Big Boost in California
Desalination is often suggested as a potential panacea for California's ongoing struggles with drought. The catch in the announcement of $34.4 million in state funding for desalination projects shows why desalination is not there yet.

Lawsuits Slow Progress of California's $17 Billion WaterFix Project
Environmentalists and the fishing industry filed lawsuits just a few days after a massive plan to build tunnels to move water under the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta in California received a green light from the federal government.

Decision on California's $15.5 Billion 'WaterFix' Expected, Finally, in September
The massive project known as the California WaterFix has nearly come to its day of reckoning.

California Delta Tunnels Don't Stand Up to Federal Analysis
Federal agencies think the proposed Bay Delta tunnels are still too dangerous for endangered species.

Oroville Dam Repair Costs Still a Confusing Secret
The Mercury News issues a pointed critique of the public relations efforts at the California Department of Water Resources in the shadow of this winter’s Oroville Dam crisis.

Oroville Dam Crisis Foreseen Over 11 Years Ago
Had federal authorities acted on the motion filed by three environmental groups in October 2005, nearly 200,000 people in three counties would not have been forced to evacuate due to a poorly constructed emergency spillway for Oroville Dam.
Feds to Investigate Possible Misuse of Funds for Controversial Bay Delta Tunnel Project
A highly controversial project that would build a system of tunnels to divert water from the Sacramento River, and a signature project of California Governor Jerry Brown, now finds itself in trouble with federal investigators.
California Scaling Back Controversial Delta Tunnels Plans
The planning process has revealed more modest potential benefits for the highly controversial proposal to spend $15 billion on tunnels to ease environmental strain on the Bay Delta.
The Incredible Sinking Central Valley
Parts of the nation's food basket, the San Joaquin Valley in California, are sinking at two inches per month, not per year. Known as subsidence, it results from over-pumping of groundwater by farmers desperate to save their crops in the epic drought.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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