Water Resources

Fellow Story

Antos quoted on how Los Angeles County uses storm runoff

While rainfall can be a welcome sight in the dry Southland, when water hits the region’s concrete and blacktop landscape, it turns into a giant headache for beachgoers and environmentalists: untreated storm water or urban runoff.
December 22, 2014
Fellow Story

Lightbody catches construction workers dumping in local creek

On Monday morning, the Madbury Commons construction site was seen dumping sedimentation into the Pettee Brook in Durham. The brook appeared extremely polluted and murky; quite different from its natural state. Several passersby noticed a green hose that was pumping into the brook. The town was immediately contacted. Anne Lightbody, a resident of Durham and a University of New Hampshire earth sciences professor, observed the incident when she left the dentist’s office located on Mathes Terrace.
December 16, 2014
Fellow Story

Zollitsch connects wetlands, climate change, and Jurassic Park

Wetlands, climate change, and Jurassic Park-- what do they have in common? Brenda Zollitsch recently published a piece on The Wetland Wanderer blog, "Wetlands, Climate Change and Jurassic Park: Thoughts about Wetlands as a Climate Resiliency Tool in a Rational yet Unpredictable World". Read the piece
December 8, 2014
Fellow Story

What?! Fish Can’t Be Organic?

That’s right. Neither wild fish nor farmed fish can be certified organic because no organic standards exist in the U.S. to regulate them. But that may be about to change—for the worse. Why? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently proceeding with the development of organic aquaculture regulations that could allow wild fish and ocean-based fish farms to be certified organic. Read a Switzer Fellow Thought Leadership piece by 1994 Fellow Lisa Bunin of the Center for Food Safety.
December 6, 2014
Foundation News

Webinar: Water Quality and Environmental Justice in the Central Valley

The Switzer Foundation seeks to protect, improve, and sustain our natural environment for the well-being of people and the planet. We have provided funding to 2009 Fellow Carolina Balazs for her ongoing work on historical inequalities in distribution of clean water to disadvantaged communities in California's agricultural Central Valley. Watch our recent webinar with Carolina, and read more about how her work has expanded recently to strengthen engagement between California’s Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) and communities facing environmental injustices.
November 19, 2014
Fellow Story

Kapnick study tries to resolve Karakoram glacier anomaly

Researchers from Princeton University and other institutions may have hit upon an answer to a climate-change puzzle that has eluded scientists for years, and that could help understand the future availability of water for hundreds of millions of people.
October 30, 2014
Network Innovation Grant Grant

Environmental Justice and Water Management in California

Dr. Carolina Balazs, Post-doctoral researcher at UC Davis, and Mike Antos, Program Director for the Council for Watershed Health in Los Angeles, are involved in California's Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program. This program...
October 23, 2014
Fellow Story

Protecting forested watersheds smart economics for water utilities, writes Gartner

The breathtaking $1 trillion estimated price tag to repair and expand our nation’s drinking water infrastructure is both sobering and compelling (LaFrance, 2013). To address this costly issue, some water utilities and the communities they serve are turning to a solution nearly as old as our nation itself—protecting forested watersheds. Increasing evidence suggests that healthy forests produce water that is less expensive to treat, transport, and store.
October 1, 2014
Fellow Story

Zollitsch compiles snapshot of stream mitigation programs in US

Streams are impacted by the development of roads, building of condominiums and box stores, placement of stream crossings and culverts, even stream restoration activities. Many of the activities are subject to state and/or federal dredge and fill permits. So, how extensive are these impacts and what is happening in each state to address them? Read more (PDF download)
September 26, 2014
Fellow Story

Steele featured in film on swales and rain gardens

Nancy Steele was recently featured in a California film on how swales and rain gardens can protect watersheds from runoff. See the episode (#7) and others
September 25, 2014