Dutch Slough wetlands restoration in Delta finally breaks ground

Groundbreaking has finally happened on the Dutch Slough restoration project in the Delta that we toured with John Cain (whose idea for the project dates back to 1998).  John showed us the project site when we crossed California, 10 years ago (!) for our book,  Traveling the 38th Parallel: a Water Line Around the World. Nice to read this update about the project finally moving forward:  Dutch Slough project underway East Bay Times article

Unsustainable Groundwater pumping foretells global food shock

In this National Geographic article, aquifers in California's Central Valley, the Ogallala aquifer in the U.A. midwest, and aquifers in Spain and Italy, all closely tied to the 38th parallel, are

Center pivot sprinklers in western Kansas tapping the Ogallala aquifer

specifically mentioned as areas being rapidly depleted. This National Geographic article says: "California’s agricultural powerhouses—the Central Valley, Tulare Basin, and southern San Joaquin Valley, which produce a plentiful portion of the nation’s food—could run out of accessible groundwater as early as the 2030s."
    Yet the drilling of new wells and unsustainable pumping rates have accelerated in California in recent drought years.  New groundwater management plans are required by law, now, but will not take effect until 2040, so the short-term greed to pump now before it is regulated has kicked in. 

A Heart-wrenching report about the coming demise of Hasankeyf, on the Tigris River

We Could Not Save HasankeyfThis is a sad goodbye from one of the people who fought to save Hasankeyf from being submerged by the Ilisu Dam.  The reservoir will fill in 2017.

Great news about Japanese Crested Ibis chicks born in the wild

The captive breeding and release program of Japanese Crested Ibis on Sado Island, in Japan, written about in the last chapter of our book, is celebrating several chicks that were just hatched in the wild .  That is great news.  The similar program in China is having even greater success.  See the news story at:
Japanese Crested Ibis chicks born in the wild news story

Water Tensions Between Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Islamic State

 The Ilisu Dam, which will inundate Hasankeyf on the Tigris River inside Turkey, is also part of the water tensions between Turkey and the water users downstream, as Turkey holds back releases to the Tigris and Euphrates.

See Bloomberg article, July 2015, about water tensions between Turkey, Iraq, and Islamic State

An update on Lake Urmia in Iran, shrinking salt lake due to river diversions

www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2015/world/infographic-lake-urmia-drained-by-water-diversions/Circle of Blue has posted an infographic blog about the status of shrinking Lake Urmia, in northwest Iran on the 38th Parallel,  It has shrunk by 88% due to river diversions for agriculture and development.  Tourism, natural values, and human health impacts due to dust of the salty lakebed are described with striking changes shown in satellite imagery at:  circleofblue.org Lake Urmia information

4 Rivers Restoration Project remains controversial in South Korea

The Four Rivers "Restoration" Project in South Korea that we described in our book, Traveling the 38th Parallel: a Water Line Around the World, remains controversial.  A new administration is now the ruling party and, "ruling and opposition parties failed to reach an agreement Tuesday over the budgets for river related projects. The key issue was whether the government has to pay 317 billion won ($283.7 million) in interest for debts of the Korea Water Resources Corporation incurred from the project.  Some in the ruling Saenuri Party are now agreeing with the opposition party’s demand to hold a National Assembly probe into the project. 'The government invested 24 trillion won and it has brought about environmental problems, so an investigation is necessary,' said Rhee In-je, a senior leader of the party."
 Follow this link to the original story:
Korean news article about former President's anger over attacks on his legacy

Pink Floyd YouTube video features Aral Sea

We explored the Turkmenistan diversions of the Amu Darya that play a major part in the decline of the Aral Sea, once the 4th largest lake in the world.  This video goes to the lakebed and the Kazakh people whose fishing boats are stranded far from any water today:  Louder Than Words video features Aral Sea

500 square miles of mountains being leveled near Lanzhou, China

We visited Lanzhou, on the Yellow River, in the interior of China during our 38th parallel travels.  A new project to level mountains and then build on them to serve the growing population and development pressure is underway, with concern being raised by Chinese scientists as the effort continues.    See: Chinese Scientists Question Plan to Bulldoze 700 Mountains in Lanzhou

The objective is different than mountaintop removal coal mining, which we also described, in the Appalachian Mountains of the U.S.   This Chinese effort is a way to flatten mountains for construction purposes.  Whether the land will be stable enough is one question.  Dust issues are occurring.  Water quality in the Yellow River watershed is another big question.

Human Face of Hasankeyf

An intriguing article about Hasankeyf, the ancient town on the Tigris River, threatened with inundation as Turkey completes the Ilisu Dam, was published at Today's Zaman:  http://www.todayszaman.com/news-349056-human-face-of-the-ilisu-dam-project.html

Since we visited Hasankeyf during our travels around the world on the 38th parallel, the Ilisu Dam has nearly been completed, despite the archaeological values of the ancient town.  This new article includes an interview with a Hasankeyf lodgekeeper and family man named Firat, who firmly believes the town will not be flooded, because the very idea is so wrong.  But the author's concluding words reveal his skepticism about Firat's optimism:  " I nodded and said farewell to Fırat, his family and the ancient town of Hasankeyf.