A walk in the woods with Cleverly and Fleck

SAN ACACIA, NM — When the weather heats up, James Cleverly’s instruments can detect the moisture coming off this little patch of woods alongside the Rio Grande.

Once the heat dries out the surface soil, the plants’ roots tap into deeper water, bringing it up and “transpiring” it through their leaves — essentially exhaling water, explained Cleverly, a University of New Mexico biologist.

Because the river and the nearby groundwater are closely linked, this ultimately means less water in the river.

The story Cleverly’s instruments are telling, scientists say, is increasingly important to understanding what will happen to water supplies in New Mexico and across the West in a warming world. …

Click here to keep reading John Fleck’s science column in the Albuquerque Journal.

Click or here for links to  studies by James Cleverly.  To visit John’s blog, jfleck at inkstain, click here.

Cadiz to undergo new review

Publication yesterday by the Pacific Institute of the 2001 Department of Interior environmental impact report of the Cadiz groundwater project in the Mojave prompted the announcement by Cadiz Inc today that it would be seeking a new review, the scope of which is unclear.

Cadiz environmental review back online

Click on the cover to be taken to the report

WITH THE revival of the Cadiz groundwater project in the San Bernardino desert, the Pacific Institute has put back online an exhaustive environmental impact report finished in 2001. To access it, click on the cover, or hereFor the Pacific Institute overview page of its work on the Cadiz project, click here.  The institute’s president, Peter Gleick, who offered to host the material, says the “serious thanks” are due to Courtney Smith for uploading it. Courtney, thank you! Seriously.

The governor writes

Questioned on August 6 about his endorsement of the Cadiz, Inc groundwater project proposed for the Mojave Desert, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today replied.

Pipeline? What pipeline?

IF August 20th in Las Vegas proved anything, it’s what can happen when a publicity stunt backfires.

What had been hyped by a local newspaper and Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, as an “up-or-down” vote on the Las Vegas pipeline project soon gave way to embarrassed disclaimers from members of the SNWA board.  They were ”not voting upon starting to build a pipeline” assured director after director but rather “voting upon continuing a process to pursue environmental permits.”

The meeting room was packed with Nevadans there to beg the SNWA board for mercy or sing the praises of White Pine County, the place of springs and seeps that SNWA’s proposed 300-mile pipeline would tap most heavily (photos above). After 20 years of pursuing the pipeline project, SNWA general manager Pat Mulroy has the stomach to face down pudgy-cheeked, cap-in-hand octogenarian ranchers whose family farms her

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