California’s recent rains won’t end our stubborn drought. These charts show why
2 years, 11 months ago

California’s recent rains won’t end our stubborn drought. These charts show why

LA Times  

California just received more precipitation in the last three months of 2021 than it got in the previous year. In fact, as the U.S. Drought Monitor’s chart of California since 2000 starkly shows, the state has been gripped by drought for most of the last 22 years. Though the map of the last three months celebrates the state’s plentiful recent precipitation, especially in December, the view of just how rain-deprived California has been for the last two years is sobering and guaranteed to put a damper on the party. December rains have made the water year look good, but that doesn’t wash away the deficits over the last two dry years. California’s water situation remains uncertain, and the state is a long way from being out of the drought.

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History of this topic

California has a plan for new water rules. Will it save salmon from extinction?
1 week ago

California has a plan for new water rules. Will it save salmon from extinction?

Associated Press  

The Newsom administration is refining a contentious set of proposed rules, years in the making, that would reshape how farms and cities draw water from the Central Valley’s Delta and its rivers. Crowfoot told the water board that the proposed rules would do “a good job working to balance all of needs, and ultimately help the environment to recover in …

Expansion of San Luis Reservoir set to boost California’s water-storing capacity
1 month, 1 week ago

Expansion of San Luis Reservoir set to boost California’s water-storing capacity

LA Times  

The Biden administration and eight California water agencies have reached an agreement to share in the costs of raising a dam to expand San Luis Reservoir, a nearly $1-billion project intended to increase the state’s water-storage capacity and benefit a group of urban communities and agricultural areas. San Luis Reservoir, which ranks among California’s largest reservoirs, is slated to gain …

Can a $10 billion climate bond address California’s water contamination problem?
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Can a $10 billion climate bond address California’s water contamination problem?

Salon  

When Cynthia Ruiz turns on her kitchen faucet, she hears a slight squeak before cloudy fluid bursts out of the spout. “We need help to fix our water problem.” Tucked in a $10 billion climate bond on the November ballot is an earmark to improve drinking water quality for communities such as East Orosi. “We have communities in California that …

Letters to the Editor: How California’s big farms kill effective groundwater management
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Letters to the Editor: How California’s big farms kill effective groundwater management

LA Times  

Orchards and farmland at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County are seen in 2019. To the editor: California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was enacted in 2014. Ten years later, wells in the San Joaquin Valley are still going dry, water quality is poor, and land subsidence is still happening. Large-scale agriculture is more than satisfied …

A decade after signing of California groundwater law, major challenges remain
3 months, 1 week ago

A decade after signing of California groundwater law, major challenges remain

LA Times  

Water flows from a well to irrigate an orchard in Visalia in 2021. The state’s approach to intervention, he said, would saddle growers with an estimated $10 million annually in pumping fees, and would bring rapid and “extreme” restrictions on water use. “Under SGMA, local agencies are responsible for the sustainable management of their groundwater basins,” said Edward Ortiz, a …

Californians’ water usage is down 9% and other takeaways from The Times’ updated water tracker
5 months ago

Californians’ water usage is down 9% and other takeaways from The Times’ updated water tracker

LA Times  

California residents are using about 8 fewer gallons of water per day than they did during the last drought emergency, according to newly released state data. Between April 2023 and last April, urban water users consumed an average of 77 gallons per person per day. Gavin Newsom called for Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15%, a move …

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 adopts sweeping statewide water conservation framework
5 months, 3 weeks ago

California adopts sweeping statewide water conservation framework

LA Times  

After years of deliberation, California water officials have adopted landmark rules that will guide future water use and conservation in the state. “To do this well and to do this right — and to achieve all of those long-term goals that we really desire as a community — the additional five years that the state water board provided is really …

California lawmakers reject proposal to curb well-drilling where nearby wells could run dry
6 months ago

California lawmakers reject proposal to curb well-drilling where nearby wells could run dry

LA Times  

Over the past several years, California’s water managers have seen a pattern emerge in farming areas of the Central Valley: Even as declining groundwater levels have left thousands of residents with dry wells and caused the ground to sink, counties have continued granting permits for agricultural landowners to drill new wells and pump even more water. In a recent report …

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, …

Editorial: Even with the coming tax and rate hikes, water in SoCal is pretty cheap
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Editorial: Even with the coming tax and rate hikes, water in SoCal is pretty cheap

LA Times  

It’s the most frustrating part of conservation. Ratepayers in cities such as Los Angeles that have their own water supplies may not notice, because they will need relatively little Met water after the wet winter. Southern California’s water rates and taxes are byproducts of the 20th century, an era with vastly different climate and economic conditions from today. When the …

California increases water allocation after wet winter, but fish protections limit pumping
8 months ago

California increases water allocation after wet winter, but fish protections limit pumping

LA Times  

With runoff from this year’s snow and rain boosting the levels of California’s reservoirs, state water managers on Tuesday announced plans to increase deliveries of supplies from the State Water Project to 40% of full allotments, up from 30% last month. But the Department of Water Resources also said officials have had to limit pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River …

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 …

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 …

Experts urge California to avoid pitfalls in water deals in the delta
10 months ago

Experts urge California to avoid pitfalls in water deals in the delta

LA Times  

Welcome to today’s edition of Boiling Point. Summarizing their conclusions, Marcus, Kiparsky and their colleagues wrote that leading with voluntary agreements “as a solution for balancing human and environmental needs for water — rather than first, or simultaneously, pursuing a regulatory pathway to achieve key biological goals — is a perilous strategy that risks continued environmental degradation.” Although voluntary agreements …

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 …

Clean water is a human right. Why are so many California communities without it?
11 months ago

Clean water is a human right. Why are so many California communities without it?

LA Times  

The Friant-Kern Canal is off limits to the residents of Tooleville, who have no access to clean running water. Gavin Newsom journeyed to a rural school in the Central Valley and stood by chance against a backdrop more prescient than he had planned: a classroom whiteboard that posed the “Essential Question — How do you respond to challenges?” The governor …

California’s water-saving plan slammed as costly, complicated and unrealistic
11 months, 1 week ago

California’s water-saving plan slammed as costly, complicated and unrealistic

LA Times  

In a scathing review, advisors to the state Legislature have found that California’s proposed regulations for urban water conservation would be costly, overly complicated and difficult to implement. But the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office said in its report that the regulations, as proposed by the State Water Resources Control Board, would create challenges for water suppliers, “in many cases without …

Drought-prone California OKs new rules for turning wastewater directly into drinking water
1 year ago

Drought-prone California OKs new rules for turning wastewater directly into drinking water

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When a toilet is flushed in California, the water can end up in a lot of places: An ice skating rink near Disneyland, ski slopes around Lake Tahoe, farmland in the Central Valley. California regulators on Tuesday approved new rules to let water agencies recycle wastewater and put it right back into the pipes that carry drinking …

Inside California’s plan to transform sewage into drinkable water
1 year ago

Inside California’s plan to transform sewage into drinkable water

LA Times  

It’s Tuesday, Dec. 19. California’s State Water Resources Control Board is set to approve new regulations today that would allow suppliers to begin treating wastewater and providing it to households across the state. “The new rules represent a major milestone in California’s efforts to stretch supplies by recycling more of the water that flows down drains,” my colleague Ian James …

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 …

California sets initial State Water Project allocations at 10% after two dry months
1 year ago

California sets initial State Water Project allocations at 10% after two dry months

LA Times  

Last winter’s historic storms filled California’s reservoirs to the point that the state was able to deliver water agencies 100% of their allotments from the State Water Project for the first time since 2006. The State Water Project’s aqueducts and pipelines transport water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to 29 water agencies that supply 27 million people. In Southern …

There’s no drought anywhere in California: How long that’s expected to last, and why
1 year, 1 month ago

There’s no drought anywhere in California: How long that’s expected to last, and why

LA Times  

Agribusiness consultant Mark Grewel stands on a farm road that was flooded near Corcoran after heavy rains in the San Joaquin Valley last March. “For the most part, California had been drought-free” for weeks, but “a little smidgen” remained, said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska. Part of the reason for …

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 …

‘A ticking time bomb’: Why California can’t provide safe drinking water to all its residents
1 year, 2 months ago

‘A ticking time bomb’: Why California can’t provide safe drinking water to all its residents

LA Times  

In the Mojave Desert community of North Edwards, 5-year-old Adam Ezelle knows never to drink water from the tap, which contains dangerous levels of arsenic. With new regulations slated to take effect in the next few years, many systems will need to take urgent and proactive steps or “they’ll be out of compliance and be failing.” The crisis has cast …

Thousands of California wells are at risk of drying up despite landmark water law
1 year, 3 months ago

Thousands of California wells are at risk of drying up despite landmark water law

LA Times  

Michael Torres gestures toward his dry well in the unincorporated Fresno County community of Tombstone Territory in August 2022. “I hope that there’s a conversation around how we can support particularly rural and lower-income communities that will be impacted by declining groundwater levels.” The researchers said contingency plans could include securing funds to lower people’s pumps, drill new wells or …

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 …

Californians were asked to cut water use 15% during the drought. How close did they get?
1 year, 6 months ago

Californians were asked to cut water use 15% during the drought. How close did they get?

LA Times  

JJ Bennett waters the ninth hole during the First Look for the U.S. Open Championship 2022, in Los Angeles. The South Coast region, which includes Los Angeles and half the state’s population, cut water use by 6%, or about 7 fewer gallons per person per day, the analysis found. The communities were able to “cut their water use enough to …

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 …

A wet California boosts water allocations to 100% for first time in nearly 20 years
1 year, 8 months ago

A wet California boosts water allocations to 100% for first time in nearly 20 years

LA Times  

The San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos, a key water supply for millions of Californians from Silicon Valley to San Diego, is nearly at full capacity after a series of storms this winter. “Even in pretty wet years, we haven’t gotten to 100% allocations.” Just last year — when the state faced a third season of punishing drought — officials …

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 …

Before and After: California storms fill parched reservoirs, end 3-year drought | In pics
1 year, 8 months ago

Before and After: California storms fill parched reservoirs, end 3-year drought | In pics

India Today  

As many as 12 of California’s 17 major reservoirs are filled above their historical averages for the start of spring. Houseboats rest in a channel at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area in Butte County and Houseboats float at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area on Sunday, March 26, 2023 Major reservoirs are filled above their historical averages for the start of …

‘Nature gave us a lifeline’: Southern California refills largest reservoir in dramatic fashion
1 year, 8 months ago

‘Nature gave us a lifeline’: Southern California refills largest reservoir in dramatic fashion

LA Times  

Following a series of winter storms that eased drought conditions across the state, Southern Californians celebrated a sight nobody has seen for several punishing years: water rushing into Diamond Valley Lake. “We need to take this lifeline, replenish our resources, but continue to work and plan ahead.” Water cascades into Diamond Valley Lake from the DVL’s inlet/outlet tower in Winchester. …

Column: Newsom denies the obvious: California is no longer in drought
1 year, 8 months ago

Column: Newsom denies the obvious: California is no longer in drought

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom announces the rollback of some drought restrictions during a news conference Friday at a farm in Dunnigan, Calif. Gov. Is the drought over?” Newsom asked rhetorically in his opening comments at the farm, answering every attending reporter’s question before it was asked. “It’s incumbent upon us to continue to maintain our vigilance … to allow for the fast-tracking …

California eases water restrictions, but drought isn’t over
1 year, 8 months ago

California eases water restrictions, but drought isn’t over

Associated Press  

DUNNIGAN, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom ended some of the state’s water restrictions on Friday because a winter of relentless rain and snow has replenished the state’s reservoirs and eased fears of a shortage after three years of severe drought. But Newsom did say he would stop asking people to voluntarily cut their water use by 15%, a request …

California ends some water limits after storms ease drought
1 year, 8 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, …

Storms end Southern California water restrictions for 7M
1 year, 9 months ago

Storms end Southern California water restrictions for 7M

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — California’s 11th atmospheric river left the storm-soaked state with a bang Wednesday, bringing flooded roadways, landslides and toppled trees to the southern part of the state as well as drought-busting rainfall that meant the end of water restrictions for nearly 7 million people. Even as residents struggled to clean up before the next round of winter arrives …

Drone photos show dramatic rise in California reservoirs after record-setting rain, snow
1 year, 9 months ago

Drone photos show dramatic rise in California reservoirs after record-setting rain, snow

LA Times  

Winter storms across California have significantly improved drought conditions and filled state reservoirs that had held less than a third of their capacity. Lake Oroville’s water level rose steadily with each storm passing California this winter. A November 2022 image shows low water conditions surrounding Granite Bay Main Beach at Folsom Lake in Placer County, when the reservoir storage was …

Water restrictions lifted for millions in SoCal, but region still urged to conserve
1 year, 9 months ago

Water restrictions lifted for millions in SoCal, but region still urged to conserve

LA Times  

The water below Bidwell Bar Bridge at Lake Oroville, which supplies the State Water Project, has risen dramatically with runoff from recent storms. “We don’t need to take that next step, although we really need consumers to continue to use water efficiently.” On average, about one-fourth of Southern California’s water supply comes from the Colorado River, where chronic overuse and …

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 …

California regulators reject San Joaquin Valley groundwater management plans
1 year, 9 months ago

California regulators reject San Joaquin Valley groundwater management plans

LA Times  

Construction continues on a section of the Friant-Kern Canal damaged by subsidence, a sinking of the earth from groundwater removal, in Terra Bella. California regulators have told local agencies in large portions of the San Joaquin Valley that their plans for combating overpumping of groundwater are inadequate, a step that clears the way for state intervention to curb chronic declines …

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 …

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