California’s dilemma: How do you harness an epic amount of rain in a water-scarce state? Let it flood, scientists say
1 year, 11 months ago

California’s dilemma: How do you harness an epic amount of rain in a water-scarce state? Let it flood, scientists say

CNN  

CNN — California has gone from extreme drought to extreme flooding in a matter of days. “That will allow us to capture more of these flood flows, store it underground in these aquifers, and then use those ground water resources when we need them in dry years.” Many climate experts agree – using levees to prevent floods during the wet season means less water is available to seep into underground aquifers. They made a multi-billion-euro investment to draw levees back.” Video Ad Feedback Ellen DeGeneres posts video of flash flood near Montecito home 01:16 - Source: CNN Pinter said the US has always leaned toward building infrastructure to provide protection. “There’s also an intense resistance by property owners when it comes to giving up their property rights.” There’s also the threat of pushback from political leaders worried about property tax revenue loss and the loss of land for building and development, Pinter said. Video Ad Feedback See the mud caked over on a major freeway in California 01:28 - Source: CNN “We have to redesign insurance policies so that we are not rebuilding houses once they’ve been damaged in the same places where they are going to flood again, Gleick said.

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History of this topic

State Water Project supplies could fall up to 23% within 20 years due to climate change
4 months, 3 weeks ago

State Water Project supplies could fall up to 23% within 20 years due to climate change

LA Times  

Climate change threatens to dramatically shrink the amount of water California can deliver over the next 20 years and could reduce supplies available from the State Water Project by up to 23%, according to new projections released Wednesday by Gov. Such a loss in the State Water Project’s water delivery capacity, if not addressed, could lead to major shortages for …

Amid extreme heat, California adopts long-term water-saving targets for cities
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Amid extreme heat, California adopts long-term water-saving targets for cities

LA Times  

Welcome to Boiling Point. of California Water Agencies, which represents more than 470 public agencies, said the new rules will be challenging to meet and will require a “whole statewide effort to change the way that we use water in California.” She said the additional five years will be important for achieving the long-term goals. One National Weather Service meteorologist …

California has underestimated the epic potential of future flooding, research shows
6 months, 3 weeks ago

California has underestimated the epic potential of future flooding, research shows

LA Times  

For well over a century, the Great Flood of 1862 has remained among California’s worst natural disasters — a megastorm that’s been used as a benchmark for state emergency planners and officials to better prepare for the future. After analyzing layers of sediment at Carrizo Plain National Monument, researchers at Cal State Fullerton say they have identified two massive, unrecorded …

A wet year boosted California’s groundwater, but not enough to address long-term declines
7 months, 2 weeks ago

A wet year boosted California’s groundwater, but not enough to address long-term declines

LA Times  

After years of pervasive declines, groundwater levels rose significantly in much of California last year, boosted by historic wet weather and the state’s expanding efforts to replenish depleted aquifers. The state’s aquifers gained an estimated 8.7 million acre-feet of groundwater — nearly double the total storage capacity of Shasta Lake — during the 2023 water year that ended Sept. 30, …

‘Rivers in the sky’ have drenched California, yet even more extreme rains are possible
8 months ago

‘Rivers in the sky’ have drenched California, yet even more extreme rains are possible

LA Times  

For years, scientists have said that atmospheric rivers can either make or break the water supplies of thirsty California cities and farms. The research provides the most historical context to date for the state’s rainfall variability, and found that the region “consistently registered extreme precipitation over a 3,200-year period.” Biola University students take turns using a rope from a footbridge …

L.A.’s water supplies are in good shape. But is the city ready for the next drought?
8 months, 1 week ago

L.A.’s water supplies are in good shape. But is the city ready for the next drought?

LA Times  

California’s second wet winter in a row has left L.A.’s water supplies in good shape, and the city has used its reprieve from drought to make progress on water-saving infrastructure projects. After the state’s final snow survey of the season, officials with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced that Eastern Sierra snowpack is measuring 103% of normal, …

Opinion: California has to conserve water. Why is Sacramento dragging its heels?
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Opinion: California has to conserve water. Why is Sacramento dragging its heels?

LA Times  

State law set in motion a process of setting of standards for indoor and outdoor water use that utilities and consumers can meet in flexible ways. That legislation established a framework for creating long-term water-use efficiency standards for urban water suppliers that would govern indoor use, allowable water loss and outdoor use. Because the water board’s latest plan for implementing …

Editorial: L.A. may not get another wet winter for a while. We should prepare for drier times
9 months ago

Editorial: L.A. may not get another wet winter for a while. We should prepare for drier times

LA Times  

A wet February weekend, as shown in this Feb. 4 photo of the Grammy Awards ceremony at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, gave way to a wet March as the 2024 Southern California rainy season drew to a close. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power captured and stored more than 13.5 billion gallons of stormwater in February …

California doubles State Water Project allocation thanks to February storms
9 months ago

California doubles State Water Project allocation thanks to February storms

LA Times  

On the heels of a soaking start to 2024, state water managers on Friday announced a considerable increase in their forecasted water allocation for the year. “Mid- to late February storms have since improved hydrological conditions particularly for Northern California, allowing for a more robust water supply allocation,” the agency said in a statement. Nemeth said similarly that “DWR continues …

California is letting billions of gallons of stormwater wash out to sea each year, report finds
9 months, 3 weeks ago

California is letting billions of gallons of stormwater wash out to sea each year, report finds

LA Times  

For too long, California and other states have viewed stormwater as either a threat or an inconvenience — something to be whisked away from cities and communities as quickly as possible. It’s time to elevate the role of stormwater capture in the national water conversation,” said Bruk Berhanu, the report’s lead author and a senior researcher with the Pacific Institute, …

US Cities Could Be Capturing Billions of Gallons of Rain a Day
9 months, 3 weeks ago

US Cities Could Be Capturing Billions of Gallons of Rain a Day

Wired  

Your city is a scab on the landscape: sidewalks, roads, parking lots, rooftops—the built environment repels water into sewers and then into the environment. Urban areas in the United States generate an estimated 59.5 million acre-feet of stormwater runoff per year on average—equal to 53 billion gallons each day—according to a new report from the Pacific Institute, a nonprofit research …

California’s rainy season is here. What does it mean for water supply?
10 months ago

California’s rainy season is here. What does it mean for water supply?

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — After a dry start to winter, California’s rainy season is finally well under way. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print WHAT ABOUT SNOW? A man shovels snow off his car in the Cleveland National Forest, on Feb. 7, 2024, in eastern San …

California hit with another storm as state battles flooding and mudslides
10 months ago

California hit with another storm as state battles flooding and mudslides

The Independent  

✕ Close Floodwaters rush through Montecito, California on Monday afternoon Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A brutal storm that battered …

How California’s storms are projected to become more extreme with climate change
10 months, 2 weeks ago

How California’s storms are projected to become more extreme with climate change

LA Times  

Scientists have long known that as the atmosphere gets warmer, the air is able to hold more moisture. “In general, this allows the most intense downpours to get more intense, because there can be a greater amount of water vapor in the air,” UCLA atmospheric scientist Karen McKinnon said. Explore the section As the climate warms, the atmospheric rivers that …

Climate change will bring megafloods to California
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Climate change will bring megafloods to California

BBC  

Climate change will bring megafloods to California Getty Images 94% of California's population are under flood alerts Climate change is making it a matter of time before a megaflood hits the state. These severe floods in California are a "broadly underappreciated risk", according to a 2022 paper, co-authored by Daniel Swain and Xingying Huang, scientists at the National Centre for …

California storms kill three people as 38 MILLION remain under flood alerts and Beverly Hills roads turn to rivers of mud
10 months, 2 weeks ago

California storms kill three people as 38 MILLION remain under flood alerts and Beverly Hills roads turn to rivers of mud

Daily Mail  

Multi-million-dollar homes of Tinsel Town's elite have been trashed by flooding The National Weather Service forecasts the storm could bring up to an additional six inches of rain into Tuesday The Pineapple Express weather system has killed three Californians and 38 million people remain under flood alerts At least three people have died in the historic flooding battering California, as …

Why California Isn’t Built To Handle This Kind Of Storm
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Why California Isn’t Built To Handle This Kind Of Storm

Huff Post  

A person walks in the rain as a powerful long-duration atmospheric river storm, the second in less than a week, impacts California on Sunday in Santa Barbara, California. Mario Tama via Getty Images A rare weather event that brought catastrophic flooding and wind gusts exceeding 100 miles per hour to California has already incapacitated much of the state — including …

California is in a ‘snow drought.’ Why this week’s atmospheric rivers won’t be enough to end it
10 months, 3 weeks ago

California is in a ‘snow drought.’ Why this week’s atmospheric rivers won’t be enough to end it

LA Times  

Despite forecasts of heavy rain and possible flooding in the coming days, state water managers are warning that the “snow drought” in California’s Sierra Nevada could remain for the rest of the winter and into the spring. Swain said while it’s hard to predict how the snowpack will turn out, this year could end up with a below-average snowpack “because …

California isn’t prepared for turbocharged storms like the ones we’re getting this week
10 months, 3 weeks ago

California isn’t prepared for turbocharged storms like the ones we’re getting this week

LA Times  

As a series of major winter storms sweep over the West Coast this week, anxious Californians are looking back at the flash floods and the “thousand-year” deluge that shocked San Diego a week ago, and Oxnard a few weeks earlier, wondering what’s in store. Starting Tuesday night, and then again on Sunday, two “atmospheric river” systems will bring high winds …

Is El Niño’s reputation as a legendary rainmaker overblown?
1 year ago

Is El Niño’s reputation as a legendary rainmaker overblown?

LA Times  

In the minds of many Californians, El Niño has long loomed as a rainmaker of epic proportions. Similarly, this past winter proved to be one of the state’s wettest ever, even though California was mired in a rare three consecutive years of La Niña, El Niño’s typically dry counterpart. “When you hear El Niño, you visualize floods and mudslides almost …

California Gov. Gavin Newsom advances water tunnel project amid opposition from environmental groups
1 year ago

California Gov. Gavin Newsom advances water tunnel project amid opposition from environmental groups

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A long-sought and disputed project in drought-prone California aimed at capturing more water during heavy rain storms reached a key milestone on Friday when Gov. The Sierra Club said in a statement that the tunnel’s construction and operation would “cause mass environmental destruction for Delta communities and ecosystems.” Scott Artis, executive director of the Golden State Salmon …

California cities and farms will get 10% of requested state water supplies when 2024 begins
1 year ago

California cities and farms will get 10% of requested state water supplies when 2024 begins

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California water agencies serving 27 million people will get 10% of the water they requested from state supplies to start 2024 due to a relatively dry fall, even though the state’s reservoirs are in good shape, state officials said Friday. “California’s water year is off to a relatively dry start,” Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of …

Officials urge California residents to brace for flooding as El Niño looms
1 year, 2 months ago

Officials urge California residents to brace for flooding as El Niño looms

LA Times  

With California facing the prospect of a second consecutive winter of heavy precipitation, state officials are urging residents to prepare for possible widespread flooding and evacuations in the coming months. Among the efforts is the Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback Project, a $280-million endeavor that, in conjunction with a weir widening project from the Army Corps of Engineers, will send …

California’s epic rain year boosted groundwater levels, but not enough to recoup losses
1 year, 2 months ago

California’s epic rain year boosted groundwater levels, but not enough to recoup losses

LA Times  

California’s extraordinarily wet year brought the state vast quantities of water that have soaked into the ground and given a substantial boost to the state’s groundwater supplies, but not nearly enough to reverse long-term losses from over-pumping in many areas, according to a new state report. Groundwater levels, while recovering, are still lower than the period after the 2012-2016 drought.” …

California just experienced a ‘miracle’ water year. But winter could bring new challenges
1 year, 2 months ago

California just experienced a ‘miracle’ water year. But winter could bring new challenges

LA Times  

The typically parched, brown hills above Los Angeles are a vibrant shade of green — a rarity for early October. There’s a lot of work to continue to be done — particularly when it comes to flooding and protecting our communities.” This year’s soggy conditions were due primarily to 31 atmospheric river storms that unleashed torrents on the Golden State …

‘Miracle’ water year in California: Rain, snow put state’s reservoirs at 128% of historical average
1 year, 2 months ago

‘Miracle’ water year in California: Rain, snow put state’s reservoirs at 128% of historical average

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California ended its “miracle” water year on Saturday with enough rain and snow to fill the state’s reservoirs to 128% of their historical average, making it among the wettest years in recorded state history. California’s “water year” begins annually on Oct. 1 so it can include all of the fall and winter months when California gets the …

Sweeping California water conservation rules could force big cuts in some areas
1 year, 3 months ago

Sweeping California water conservation rules could force big cuts in some areas

LA Times  

With California facing a hotter and drier future — punctuated by bouts of extreme weather — state officials are moving forward with a new framework for urban water use that could require some suppliers to make cuts of 20% or more as soon as 2025. “That legislation, and the board’s regulation, really mark a turning point and a major improvement …

California is now practically drought-free, but we keep wasting so much rainwater
1 year, 3 months ago

California is now practically drought-free, but we keep wasting so much rainwater

LA Times  

A driver whose car stalled out on flooded Avenue 48 asks for help from a passerby during Tropical Storm Hilary. He still called Hilary’s rainfall “an unexpected boon” for Southern California’s local water supplies, but said too much of the storm’s water washed away — the latest reminder of the state’s urgent challenge to better capture rainwater to help refill …

Winter storms boost Central Valley water supplies, but aquifer levels remain depleted
1 year, 6 months ago

Winter storms boost Central Valley water supplies, but aquifer levels remain depleted

LA Times  

Snow geese gather on a flooded farm near Dunnigan, in Yolo County, in January. The historic winter storms that filled California’s reservoirs and covered the Sierra Nevada with snow have brought a major boost to water supplies across Central Valley watersheds — an increase that measurements from NASA satellites show is the largest year-over-year gain in more than two decades …

One way to lower California's flood risk? Give rivers space : Short Wave
1 year, 6 months ago

One way to lower California's flood risk? Give rivers space : Short Wave

NPR  

One way to lower California's flood risk? Give rivers space toggle caption Lauren Sommer/NPR With much of California's massive snowpack yet to melt, downstream communities remain on high alert for flooding. Today, NPR climate correspondent Lauren Sommer talks about a new approach: just giving rivers some space to flow. Levees are being removed and moved back, creating natural floodplains that …

Majority of Californians fear worsening weather swings due to climate change, poll finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Majority of Californians fear worsening weather swings due to climate change, poll finds

LA Times  

As California continues to experience swings from one weather extreme to another, a majority of residents say they are increasingly concerned about the state’s changing climate, and some worry that weather impacts could force them to move in the future. Nearly 70% of registered voters say they expect that volatile fluctuations between severe drought and periods of heavy rain and …

California is still at risk of flooding. Maybe rivers just need some space
1 year, 6 months ago

California is still at risk of flooding. Maybe rivers just need some space

NPR  

California is still at risk of flooding. "We love to see the floodwater on our property," says Jon Carlon, co-founder of River Partners, as he looks across the water from an aluminum boat. "Rivers move and that's a really hard concept for us with property rights and roads and infrastructure," Carlon says. toggle caption Lauren Sommer/NPR Regulations are for levees …

Opinion: We’ve seen the flooding in California. Will we move to higher ground?
1 year, 6 months ago

Opinion: We’ve seen the flooding in California. Will we move to higher ground?

LA Times  

The slow-motion rebirth of Tulare Lake has inundated farm fields and threatened levees, homes and whole towns. Yet the flooded crops and tenuous levees at Tulare Lake represent only a fraction of the statewide and nationwide landscape now subject to greater floods of the global warming era. Here’s how bad it can get: In Houston, one home initially valued at …

Editorial: Drought and flood, California’s double whammy
1 year, 8 months ago

Editorial: Drought and flood, California’s double whammy

LA Times  

Just as federal officials were laying out alternative scenarios last week for steep water supply cuts from the Colorado River due to the drying Southwest, California officials were warning that this year’s historic Sierra snowpack could flood much of the state later this year. Lake Mead, and farther up the Colorado River, Lake Powell — Southern California’s two big out-of-state …

Volcano? Climate change? Bad luck? Why California was hit with 31 atmospheric river storms
1 year, 8 months ago

Volcano? Climate change? Bad luck? Why California was hit with 31 atmospheric river storms

LA Times  

As winter approached, few anticipated what was about to hit California. It could be random bad luck.” Many of winter’s atmospheric river storms came farther south, moved slowly after making landfall and came later in the season than in prior years — creating more disruption, said Chad Hecht, a research and operations meteorologist at the Center for Western Weather and …

Opinion: Catastrophic floods and breached levees reveal a problem California too often neglects
1 year, 8 months ago

Opinion: Catastrophic floods and breached levees reveal a problem California too often neglects

LA Times  

For much of the past decade, Californians have been fixated on drought, and rightly so. Third, as recent work at UC Irvine has shown, flood preparedness efforts tend to focus narrowly on meeting the bare-minimum federal standards — standards few floodplain managers consider adequate. Our flood management infrastructure, meanwhile, is aging: Most of California’s levees, dams, coastal protections and flood …

California farmers flood fields to boost groundwater basin
1 year, 8 months ago

California farmers flood fields to boost groundwater basin

Associated Press  

A field that has long grown tomatoes, peppers and onions now looks like a wind-whipped ocean as farmer Don Cameron seeks to capture the runoff from a freakishly wet year in California to replenish the groundwater basin that is his only source to water his crops. “We’re doing our part to protect communities downstream, but we’re also putting the water …

California ends some water limits after storms ease drought
1 year, 9 months ago

California ends some water limits after storms ease drought

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Gavin Newsom ended some of the state's water restrictions …

Newsom rolls back California drought restrictions after remarkably wet winter
1 year, 9 months ago

Newsom rolls back California drought restrictions after remarkably wet winter

LA Times  

A Rancho Cucamonga housing tract was among those where outdoor watering was restricted to one day a week during last year’s drought. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that he will roll back some of the state’s most severe drought restrictions and dramatically increase water supplies for agencies serving 27 million people. “We’re modifying it as opposed to eliminating it because …

3 reasons why California's drought isn't really over, despite all the rain
1 year, 9 months ago

3 reasons why California's drought isn't really over, despite all the rain

NPR  

3 reasons why California's drought isn't really over, despite all the rain Enlarge this image toggle caption Ken James/California Department of Water Resources Ken James/California Department of Water Resources Ask a water expert if California's drought is finally done, and the answers sound something "Yes and no." "While we've seen some pretty fantastic wet weather and we've seen conditions improve, …

Amid soaking storms, California turns to farmland to funnel water into depleted aquifers
1 year, 9 months ago

Amid soaking storms, California turns to farmland to funnel water into depleted aquifers

LA Times  

As storms have drenched Northern California, water diverted from the swollen Sacramento River has been flowing from a canal and pouring onto 200 acres of farmland. “This is how we’re going to start to recover from the drought, get water back into our drought buffer, our storage bank,” said Tim Godwin, a technical and policy advisor in the state Department …

Age, drought, rodents and neglect weaken California levees, heightening flood danger
1 year, 9 months ago

Age, drought, rodents and neglect weaken California levees, heightening flood danger

LA Times  

Much of the Monterey County town of Pajaro, just across the Pajaro River from Watsonville, was flooded when a levee failed early Saturday. “That’s just the very unfortunate way the planning and development process has worked over the past 100 plus years in the United States.” Throughout Northern California, the Central Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, there are …

A waterlogged California is bracing for yet another atmospheric river
1 year, 9 months ago

A waterlogged California is bracing for yet another atmospheric river

NPR  

A waterlogged California is bracing for yet another atmospheric river Enlarge this image toggle caption Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images California is bracing for another atmospheric river expected to make landfall as soon as Monday night as the state has been inundated with intense rainfall since Friday, causing widespread flooding and mudslides. A river levee …

Flush with rain, California plans to replenish drought-depleted groundwater with floodwaters
1 year, 9 months ago

Flush with rain, California plans to replenish drought-depleted groundwater with floodwaters

LA Times  

The Delta-Mendota Canal, part of the federal Central Valley Project, runs along the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley. California water officials have approved a plan to divert more than 600,000 acre-feet of floodwaters from the San Joaquin River to recharge groundwater and supply wildlife refuges. “We are taking steps to maximize groundwater recharge in a way that the …

Atmospheric river floods California towns, brings rain, snow
1 year, 9 months ago

Atmospheric river floods California towns, brings rain, snow

India Today  

More than 9,000 California residents were under evacuation orders Friday as a new atmospheric river brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, swelling rivers and creeks and flooding several major highways and small rural communities. READ | Gigantic winter storm across northern US to produce brutal cold, blizzards Wingfield said living near Soquel Creek has meant being aware there might …

California lowering dam water levels, warns of flood threat as storm hits
1 year, 9 months ago

California lowering dam water levels, warns of flood threat as storm hits

LA Times  

Workers release water from the Santa Anita Dam after a series of January storms. Anne Lynch, integrated water management lead with the consulting firm GHD, said it’s good news that the state’s reservoirs are being actively managed for flood control, especially in areas that saw flooding previously. “It’s a complicated thing.” Some areas that flooded during the previous storms, such …

California braces for flooding, snowmelt from a warm atmospheric river set to slam state
1 year, 9 months ago

California braces for flooding, snowmelt from a warm atmospheric river set to slam state

LA Times  

Clouds hover behind the downtown Los Angeles skyline late last month after a powerful winter storm caused flooding and power outages in some areas. Another atmospheric river system has set its sights on California, raising considerable concern about flooding and structural damage as warm rain is expected to fall atop the state’s near-record snowpack this week, forecasters say. “It now …

Half of California freed from drought thanks to rain, snow
1 year, 9 months ago

Half of California freed from drought thanks to rain, snow

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Tremendous rains and snowfall since late last year have freed half of California from drought, but low groundwater levels remain a persistent problem, U.S. Drought Monitor data showed Thursday. “Clearly the amount of water that’s fallen this year has greatly alleviated the drought,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The …

California drought levels recede in the face of winter storms
1 year, 9 months ago

California drought levels recede in the face of winter storms

Al Jazeera  

About half of the state has been lifted out of drought conditions by a series of storms that have drenched the region. California has seen drought levels recede after a series of winter storms pummeled the western United States with snow and rainfall, a boon to a state where extreme drought and water access have been a persistent concern. As …

Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows
1 year, 9 months ago

Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows

LA Times  

California’s remarkably wet winter has helped ease drought conditions considerably, with large swaths of the state — including the coast of Humboldt County, much of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada and the Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu — no longer considered to be in drought, according to federal officials. According to their mapping, which includes data on hydrology, soil moisture …

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