Robin Meadows is a science journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area who covers water and climate change adaptation in the American West. Find her on Twitter at @noka_oi.       https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/contributor/robin-meadows/rss en American West Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Solutions Wed, 22 Aug 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/08/22/a-century-on-the-battle-over-yosemites-hetch-hetchy-valley-continues https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/08/22/a-century-on-the-battle-over-yosemites-hetch-hetchy-valley-continues A lawsuit aimed at draining San Francisco’s reservoir in Yosemite National Park recently met another obstacle. But efforts to restore the flooded valley are far from over, supporters say. Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Innovation Law & Policy Solutions Fri, 08 Jun 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/06/08/bay-area-project-tackles-sea-level-rise-and-water-quality https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/06/08/bay-area-project-tackles-sea-level-rise-and-water-quality A horizontal levee built by the Oro Loma Sanitary District in the San Francisco Bay Area helps treat wastewater, provide wildlife habitat and protect against sea level rise. And it’s a model that may soon be replicated in the area. Agriculture Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Management & Supply Thu, 05 Apr 2018 03:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/04/05/in-napa-watershed-and-woodlands-initiative-clashes-with-wineries https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/04/05/in-napa-watershed-and-woodlands-initiative-clashes-with-wineries In California’s Napa Valley, voters in June will decide on a ballot initiative aimed at protecting the region’s remaining oak woodlands, which support healthy watersheds. But vintners and farmers are calling the plan anti-agriculture. Climate & Weather Environment & Wildlife Solutions Fri, 09 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/02/09/bay-area-residents-embrace-effort-to-prevent-flooding-clean-waterways https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/02/09/bay-area-residents-embrace-effort-to-prevent-flooding-clean-waterways Numerous cities in the San Francisco Bay Area now have “Adopt a Drain” programs where volunteers help keep storm drains clear of debris, improving water quality and preventing flooding. Climate & Weather Innovation Fri, 08 Dec 2017 03:00:58 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/12/08/new-radar-system-being-developed-to-help-pinpoint-flooding https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/12/08/new-radar-system-being-developed-to-help-pinpoint-flooding The San Francisco Bay Area will get a much-needed new radar system that will be able to more precisely determine when and where it will rain, helping experts understand potential flood risks. Environment & Wildlife Innovation Solutions Fri, 13 Oct 2017 03:00:39 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/10/13/freeing-up-fish-how-barriers-to-spawning-sites-are-being-removed https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/10/13/freeing-up-fish-how-barriers-to-spawning-sites-are-being-removed After 20 years of work to restore habitat for steelhead trout on Alameda Creek in the Bay Area, efforts will get a significant boost with the biggest barrier to fish migration finally being tackled. Environment & Wildlife Solutions Wed, 16 Aug 2017 03:00:59 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/08/16/why-nutrient-pollution-may-become-a-threat-to-san-francisco-bay-health https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/08/16/why-nutrient-pollution-may-become-a-threat-to-san-francisco-bay-health Sediment-laden water has helped the Bay escape the worst effects of nutrient pollution so far, but that’s changing and it could hasten the growth of algae dangerous to the ecosystem and humans. Agriculture Toxic Taps Wed, 05 Jul 2017 03:16:32 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/07/05/living-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley-may-harm-your-health https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/07/05/living-in-californias-san-joaquin-valley-may-harm-your-health More than 1 million people in the region have been exposed to unsafe drinking water in recent years from pesticides, arsenic, nitrate and uranium. And many communities also face multiple environmental health threats. Environment & Wildlife Tue, 18 Apr 2017 05:00:33 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/04/18/pesticide-impact-on-bay-delta-fish-could-be-greater-than-realized https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/04/18/pesticide-impact-on-bay-delta-fish-could-be-greater-than-realized When combined, pesticides at sublethal levels can have deadly synergistic effects on fish – and new monitoring in the Bay Delta shows that the water is a soup of urban and agricultural insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. Economics Management & Supply Solutions Fri, 24 Feb 2017 05:00:44 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/02/24/how-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-balancing-new-development-and-water https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/02/24/how-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-balancing-new-development-and-water Population growth in the Bay Area is spurring the need for new housing developments, but in water-stressed California this means that regional planners have to be more strategic. Economics Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Thu, 19 Jan 2017 05:00:29 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/01/19/why-water-regulations-are-spurring-action-on-tackling-homelessness https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/01/19/why-water-regulations-are-spurring-action-on-tackling-homelessness The social and environmental problems that result from homeless encampments in the Bay Area are being addressed by a surprising regulation – cleaning up stormwater. Environment & Wildlife Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Thu, 08 Dec 2016 05:33:14 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2016/12/08/the-race-to-turn-stormwater-from-gray-to-green https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2016/12/08/the-race-to-turn-stormwater-from-gray-to-green Newly passed bills in California are helping turn attention to green infrastructure projects that can help cities take advantage of stormwater to replenish groundwater, increase water supply and decrease water pollution. Innovation Law & Policy Management & Supply Fri, 14 Oct 2016 05:00:23 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2016/10/14/san-francisco-bay-area-makes-history-with-wetland-restoration-measure https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2016/10/14/san-francisco-bay-area-makes-history-with-wetland-restoration-measure A ballot measure passed in June holds big lessons for the San Francisco Bay Area. The effort to restore wetlands revealed residents’ motivations for protecting the bay and could inform future efforts. Environment & Wildlife Innovation Management & Supply Sat, 30 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2016/01/30/a-backup-plan-for-the-delta-smelt https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2016/01/30/a-backup-plan-for-the-delta-smelt Delta smelt have become so rare in the wild now that a mere six adults were found during a sample survey of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta carried out last spring. That’s why the U.C. Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Laboratory has a backup plan. Environment & Wildlife Tue, 15 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2015/12/15/tiny-plastics-in-our-water-no-easy-solutions https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2015/12/15/tiny-plastics-in-our-water-no-easy-solutions Microplastics found in fabrics and cosmetics accumulate in fish tissue, absorb pollutants and may harm human health. Studies estimate the United States dumps 8 trillion microbeads into its waters every day. The problem is particularly acute in San Francisco Bay, where water flushes out slowly. Agriculture Environment & Wildlife Law & Policy Management & Supply Tue, 06 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2015/10/06/delta-water-tunnel-project-revised-again-but-concerns-linger https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2015/10/06/delta-water-tunnel-project-revised-again-but-concerns-linger Two massive tunnels proposed under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could help ease future droughts, but some say the risks are too great. Sat, 15 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2015/08/15/reckoning-with-responsibility-in-dry-times-a-personal-water-story https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2015/08/15/reckoning-with-responsibility-in-dry-times-a-personal-water-story Bay Area Monitor: We have a duty to keep a close eye on our water use, even in places that are relatively well supplied – like Fairfield. Energy Innovation Thu, 23 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Robin Meadows https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2015/07/23/your-faucet-as-power-switch-waters-hidden-energy-cost https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2015/07/23/your-faucet-as-power-switch-waters-hidden-energy-cost Distributing Water Burns Electricity, a Fact California is Only Starting to Reckon With.