Water in the southwest a ticking time bomb
April 7, 2019
Today's California particularly the Southern half features cities and agriculture where desert should be.More likely than not, the water that keeps these cities running comes from a river or stream in Northern California.The south has been stealing water from the north for much too long. This has been dr...
Through the Late Night podcast: Jaden Smith provides clean water for Flint, Michigan
Mitchell Kret, Angel Ortega, and Alex Coba
March 12, 2019
“Through the Late Night” is the Arts & Entertainment’s new music podcast for The Orion News. Led by section writers Mitchell Kret and Angel Ortega, every other week you’ll get to hear them tackle different topics and issues facing the music industry, as well as highly anticipated...
Oroville Spillway crisis sheds light on failing infrastructure
February 15, 2017
The Oroville Dam situation isn’t a sudden problem, it comes from years of neglect by California Governor Jerry Brown. Brown is not the only person who was responsible for the spill. Yes, he could have payed attention to the 2005 reports about the massive spillway adjacent to the dam, which would ...
Wildcats wet their toes with water field trip
Amelia Storm and George Johnston
May 3, 2016
Last weekend, 36 students and three faculty members got a firsthand look at water rights and usage all across Northern California. The overnight trip was put on by Eric Houk, a professor in the College of Agriculture, with help from Jennifer Rotnem who works at the Center for Water and Environment. Destinations...
Students want to halt the waste of single-use water bottles
April 13, 2016
On April 13, Students for Sustainable Hydration passed the ballot to eliminate single-use bottled water on campus. "We are a group of students who all have one thing in common: We strive to live a sustainable lifestyle," said Molly Marcussen, leader of Students for Sustainable Hydration. Bottl...
Water pipeline bursts on 9th and Orange Street
February 1, 2016
A waterline bursted on the corner of 9th and Orange street around 3 p.m. Monday. Chico Fire Department conducted traffic control as California Water Service crews tried to reverse the flooding. “We're working with Cal Water in protecting the assets of the community,” said Fire Captain Carlos Munoz. It...
Slip ‘N Sliding through California’s water supply
April 27, 2015
Water. Everyone needs it, but the privileged still abuse it. Coming from an upper middle-class, suburban family, I was no exception. But considering California’s current circumstances, even I am shortening my showers. The way I see it, adults today won't bear the full burden of the drought. C...
University Farm hit hard during drought
April 13, 2014
Chico State's University Farm has not had enough rain this year to be able to produce nearly as much feed as it used to.Low rainfall has drastically increased the price and demand for crops, said Cindy Daley, manager of the University Farm's dairy farm. At the same time, feed crop suppliers have not been able to produce as much either, and both the shortage of and the demand for these cr...
Drought-resistant plants grow on campus
March 11, 2014
Students walking through the Chico State campus will find trees and plants from the East Coast, Europe and Southeast China. In fact, 90 percent of the campus harbors non-native flora, said Michael Alonzo, the supervisor of grounds and landscape services for Facilities Management and Services.Though London plane trees, Chinese pistache trees and grassy lawns provide aesthetic value...
A conversation about conservation
January 23, 2014
Unless you've been under a rock for the past few weeks, you've most likely heard that California is in a bit of a water crisis. According to the US Drought Monitor, about 99 percent of California is "abnormally dry" or worse. However, that statistic really doesn't do the drought justice as abou...
