Empires always fall. After 200 glorious years (the Pax Romana), the Roman Empire took another two centuries to decline into obscurity. Despite his boast of an empire that would last 1,000 years, Hitler’s Third Reich collapsed at the end of WWII. The British Empire, on which “the sun never set,” surrendered to the reality of […]
Water
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Injunction in Alderpoint Water Lawsuit Denied
Water tank construction will continue in Alderpoint after a judge today denied an injunction against the state’s payments for the project. Eureka-based contractor Mercer-Fraser is suing the Alderpoint Water District over its bidding process from last year. The company said the lowest bidder was unfairly awarded the project. Read about the lawsuit in this week’s cover […]
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Upper Klamath Tribes, Farmers Announce Tentative Agreement
Klamath Tribes and Oregon irrigators have reached an “agreement in principle” over the long-disputed waters of the Upper Klamath Basin, saying the groups will work toward a common goal of improving fisheries, water quality and agricultural sustainability in the region. Upper Klamath farmers were dismayed earlier this year when the Oregon Water Resources Department ordered […]
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Ease Up on the Spigots: Water District Turning off Flows Wednesday
Maybe take your shower in the rain tomorrow morning? The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District is asking its customers to conserve water Wednesday while it shuts off its water supply for repairs. That includes homes and businesses in Arcata, Eureka, Blue Lake, McKinleyville, Manila and those served by the Humboldt Community Services District and Fieldbrook-Glendale […]
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Water’s for Fighting
When’s the last time you visited the Trinity River? Late spring, when the bathtub rings begin to appear on rocks near Kimtu, when crisp, warm air and cold, fast flows combine to beckon swimmers? Late August, when the canyon walls are bleached, baked and orange-hued from overhead wildfire smoke? Winter, when the water pours into […]
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Slime Questions
“This is exactly what we’re looking for,” exclaims Keith Bouma-Gregson, his arm submerged to the elbow in a gelatinous muck that looks like a combination of snot and the ooze from Ghostbusters. Carefully, he extracts a dark green blob and rolls it between his fingers. “Are you worried about handling it?” someone asks. “Well,” he replies. […]
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EPA funds Klamath Restoration
The Yurok Tribe got $1.3 million from the Environmental Protection Agency this week to continue its work on wetland restoration and pollution control on a long stretch of the Klamath River. From the EPA: SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announces it has awarded a $1.3 million grant under its Performance Partnership […]
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Water Theft in Honeydew, Too
Claire Trower on Wilder Ridge reports that the Honeydew Volunteer Fire Department has been forced to remove the faucet handle of its pump after some less-than-ethical agricultural entrepreneurs stole several barrels of water from the VFD’s reserves. Boo. It’s only the latest of several recent SoHum water thefts.
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Water Theft Shuts Down School
Bridgeville Elementary School closed on Tuesday because it didn’t have running water after thieves emptied its entire 20,000 gallon water tank, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. The press release is below. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On 09-03-2013, approximately 12:20 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the superintendent of Bridgeville Elementary […]
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Fish Out of Water
What’s at greater risk — today’s fish or next year’s farms? That’s the crux of a fight between Central Valley irrigators and the federal government that goes before a federal judge in Fresno this week. Three days of hearings are anticipated to wrap on Friday, with fish friendlies arguing for water to flow downstream and […]
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Trinity Water Injunction Extended
Klamath and Trinity salmon got another potential setback today, as a federal judge extended a hold on releasing extra water down the Trinity River. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the release was stopped after Central Valley irrigators sued the Bureau of Reclamation, which controls the flow of water from the Trinity Reservoir. The judge until Aug. 21, […]
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Central Valley Farmers Sue to Stop Trinity Flows
Irrigators in the San Joaquin Valley filed suit this week to block a recent decision to increase water flows down the Trinity River. The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority — a collection of water agencies the operates in from as far north as Stockton down to Fresno — said in its filing that valley […]