Growing Returns

Critically low Lake Mead levels highlight need for Arizona action

By Kevin Moran / Bio / Published: August 17, 2018

Lake Mead water users this week learned we once again narrowly avoided water cutbacks by the skin of our teeth.

A 24-month projection released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation shows we skirted federal mandatory water cuts this year, but prospects for 2019 and 2020 do not look good. The forecast found Lake Mead water levels will end this month at 1,079 feet – a mere four feet away from the 1,075-feet threshold that would trigger a federal shortage declaration and mandatory cuts.

The report predicted Lake Mead will dip just below the threshold to 1,075 feet as early as May 2019 – in nine months. At the beginning of 2020, Lake Mead levels are predicted to be at approximately 1,070 feet and then predicted to fall to as low as 1,053 feet in the summer of 2020.

An official shortage declaration has been staved off until at least August 2019. That’s when the next key projection comes out, for January 1, 2020.

Water elevation of Lake Mead has been declining in recent years. (Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

Posted in Ecosystems, Water / Tagged Arizona, colorado river, drought, Gila River Community, Lake Mead, Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan, water levels, water managers | Leave a comment

How water managers can address surface water depletions – California's "sixth deadly sin"

By Maurice Hall / Bio / Published: August 15, 2018

The Cosumnes River is one of the last undammed rivers west of the Sierra Nevada. While not a large river, it flows year-round out of the Sierras, east of Elk Grove, south of Sacramento, and across the floor of the Central Valley before adding its modest flow to the Mokelumne River.

Every year, however, around the Fourth of July, the lower part of the Cosumnes River goes dry, even while the flow from the Sierras continues. The lower river stays dry until the first big rains come, sometimes as late as December or January, and resumes its high flow throughout the winter months.

When the Cosumnes River flows onto the valley floor, it leaks surface water into groundwater because the groundwater levels are low. In the summer, the river goes completely dry because the flows are especially low compared to the high leakage rates.

How can a river be flowing and then disappear downstream? The explanation lies in the inevitable interaction between groundwater and surface water, which have been managed separately – until now.

Posted in Water / Tagged california, central valley, Cosumnes River, groundwater, groundwater depletion, groundwater management, SGMA, surface water depletions, sustainable groundwater management act | Leave a comment

Environmental impact bonds can help make coastal communities safer, sooner. Here’s how.

By Shannon Cunniff / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 14, 2018

Last year’s hurricane season was the most destructive disaster season in U.S. history, causing $265 billion in damage and forcing more than one million Americans from their homes.

As climate change causes weather to get more extreme, coastal communities across the country are struggling to find cost-effective solutions to enhance their resiliency to storms and develop new ways to finance that work.

Photo Credit: Karen A. Westphal, Audubon Louisiana

How can we help make coastal communities more resilient more quickly? How can we engage the private sector in coastal resiliency efforts and generate a financial return for investors?

Together with my EDF colleagues and partners, I set out to explore how one innovative financing mechanism – environmental impact bonds – might help. Read More »

Posted in Coasts / Tagged climate change, coastal communities, coastal resilience, coastal restoration, Coasts, environmental impact bond, Louisiana, Quantified Ventures, restoration, restoration finance, wetland restoration | Leave a comment

How a farmer ‘think tank’ is shaping agricultural sustainability, far beyond the field

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 10, 2018

One of the best parts of my job at Environmental Defense Fund is working with our farmer advisory network – a group of 19 producers who farm across the Corn Belt and Great Plains on operations ranging in size from about 5,000 acres to 30,000 acres.

EDF's advisers farm across the heartland, from Minnesota to Texas, and from Idaho to Ohio.

They’re brilliant business people who know how conservation can benefit their bottom line. With their guidance, we’re making real progress aligning economic and environmental outcomes for agriculture.

Here’s how this unique partnership came about, and three of the most important areas of progress we’ve made through our collaboration over the past eight years. Read More »

Posted in Ecosystems, Sustainable Agriculture / Tagged Ag Retailers Association, agriculture, American Society of Agronomy, conservation, Corn Belt, farm bill, farmers, Field to Market, Great Plains, National Corn Growers Association, nutrient management, NutrientStar, sustainability | Leave a comment

4 ways drones are helping people and nature prepare for climate change

By David Festa / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 2, 2018

Drones have taken off in popularity, as updates in technology have made them more affordable and maneuverable. These advancements are allowing researchers to capture high-resolution data with accuracy, precision and ease, making drones a valuable tool for understanding how the world around us is changing, and how we can manage this change.

My Environmental Defense Fund colleagues are exploring ways drones can help us build ecosystem resilience, from corn fields in the heartland to wetlands along our coasts.

Here are four inspiring examples. Read More »

Posted in Coasts, Ecosystems, Habitat, Sustainable Agriculture, Water / Tagged aerial imaging, agriculture, conservation, data, drones, drought, farmers, fourth wave, groundwater, resilience, restoration, technology, wildlife | Comments are closed

Trump's ESA overhaul won’t give Americans what they want. Here’s what will.

By David Festa / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 26, 2018

We are observing the most coordinated set of attacks on the Endangered Species Act since it was signed into law nearly a half century ago.

Bald eagle soars thanks to endangered species act

The bald eagle – our nation's symbol – would have likely gone extinct if not for the protections of the Endangered Species Act. Learn how our nation’s symbol soared back from the brink. Photo Credit: Bob Jensen

The latest series of assaults – from legislation introduced in Congress to proposed changes by the Trump administration – fall into the increasingly perilous partisan trap that pits industrial and economic interests against the environment and public health.

This two-sided narrative consistently drowns out moderate voices in national media coverage and has created an illusion of broad disagreement around the ESA that simply does not exist.

Recent surveys show that 83 percent of Americans support the ESA, including 74 percent of conservatives.

That’s a lot of bipartisan support. Yet House legislators and the Trump administration are pushing extreme proposals that cater to the political whims of a few special interests.

Americans deserve better. Here are six actions that will improve protections for wildlife, preserve our outdoor heritage and strengthen local communities. Read More »

Posted in Endangered Species Act, Habitat / Tagged bald eagle, Congress, conservation, Endangered Species Act, ESA reform, landowners, monarch butterfly, Trump, wildlife | Read 2 Responses

The market for grassland carbon credits is on the rise. Here’s why.

By Robert Parkhurst / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 19, 2018

A new study from UC Davis found that “grasslands and rangelands are more resilient carbon sinks than forests in 21st century California.”

While forests remain vital to global climate mitigation efforts, the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires has heightened the need to explore additional carbon sinks in fire-prone regions. Grasslands lock carbon into the soil, and they don’t release it during wildfires.

Photo credit: Nicole Rosmarino, Executive Director of the Southern Plains Land Trust

It’s because of this resilient carbon-capturing power that grasslands and rangelands are essential to meeting climate goals. Unfortunately, these ecosystems are being converted into croplands at the highest rate in decades. Landowners converted 1.6 million acres of long-term grasslands – those that have existed for 20 years or more – into croplands between 2008 and 2012.

Record high land rental values make land conversion a compelling economic choice, but a new market opportunity may soon change this calculus. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Partnerships, Sustainable Agriculture / Tagged American Carbon Registry, carbon market, carbon sink, climate action reserve, climate change, colorado, grassland, grassland project protocol, grasslands protocol, greenhouse gas emissions, Microsoft, rangeland, Southern Plains Land Trust, wildfire | Comments are closed

Elite food consumers won’t make sustainable ag the norm. Here’s what will.

By Josette Lewis / Bio / Published: July 13, 2018

I recently participated on a panel discussion with a provocative title: “Elite Food Consumers: A Force for Environmental Good?” The panel was moderated by The Washington Post columnist Tamar Haspel and organized by the Breakthrough Institute.

It was a great discussion because there is no doubt that consumer preferences are changing food – and not just for elite consumers. Even the larger and more affordable food retailers are responding to new consumer demands for how food is produced, what ingredients it contains and how products are marketed. But consumer choices alone won’t reshape the food system.

Minimizing the environmental footprint of agriculture – in ways that don’t hurt farmers’ profitability or consumers’ pocketbooks – will require additional levers. Read More »

Posted in Fertilizer, Food, Partnerships, Supply Chain, Sustainable Agriculture / Tagged farm bill, fertilizer, organic, USDA, water quality | Read 1 Response

This new technology allows you to visit coastal Louisiana from your couch

By Steve Cochran / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 3, 2018

There is nothing like a boat ride through Louisiana’s Wax Lake Delta. This lush landscape, teeming with birds and wildlife, is an example of what Louisiana’s coast can look like if we use the Mississippi River to build land and increase the state’s resilience to storms and rising seas. It’s truly a beautiful place.

In stark contrast, a short plane ride over the region from New Orleans shows the true reality: Much of Louisiana’s coast is disappearing, as coastal wetlands cut off from the Mississippi River turn into open water. This Swiss cheese effect is startling when seen from the air. Read More »

Posted in Coasts, Ecosystems / Tagged 360 video, coastal resilience, coastal restoration, land loss, Louisiana, resilience, restoration, solutions, technology, virtual reality, wildlife | Comments are closed

From satellites to artificial intelligence, how tech will change conservation as we know it

By Evan Patrick / Published: June 28, 2018

Wyoming is known for its panoramic landscapes, jagged mountains, and herds of pronghorn and bison. This imagery is associated with parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. But not all of Wyoming's landscapes are encapsulated in iconic national parks.

In southern Wyoming, the continental divide splits to form an enormous arid basin marked by vast sand dunes and grey, alkali lakes. The largest unfenced area in the lower 48, this region is known by Wyomingites as the Red Desert.

The Red Desert stretches across 4 million acres in south central Wyoming. It is home to the largest herd of pronghorn in the continental U.S., the largest desert elk herd, and the longest migrating mule deer herd in North America. Nearly three quarters of the area is covered by sagebrush grassland, and sage-grouse leks are present in much of the region. In the Red Desert's northeastern corner, a series of alkali lakes known as the Chain Lakes provide critical wetland oasis for migrating shorebirds like ducks, trumpeter swans and white pelicans.

What differentiates the Red Desert from Wyoming's other iconic landscapes is the rapidly increasing land use for energy development.

Posted in Ecosystems, Habitat / Tagged energy, energy development, habitat, national parks, Natural Language Processing, oil, red desert, satellite imagery, wildlife, Wyoming | Read 1 Response