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 of groundwater replenishment projects, stormwater capture and recycling programs,” Newsom continued. He noted that two parts of California — the Southeastern region that relies on Colorado River water and the Klamath Basin near Oregon — “continue to experience acute water shortages.” “No,” he told reporters, “We’re not out of drought conditions.” “If we declared the drought over and removed emergency provisions,” Crowfoot said, “we would be unable to quickly and effectively provide support where those conditions still exist.” Why? “No one understands a continued drought declaration after the 12th atmospheric river,” says state Sen. John Laird, a former natural resources secretary.

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History of this topic

Newsom lifts drought declaration for most Californians, yet measures remain in some areas
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Newsom lifts drought declaration for most Californians, yet measures remain in some areas

LA Times  

Following two wet winters that boosted California’s water supplies, Gov. “This targeted action is responsive to current conditions while continuing the tools and support for work underway to help future-proof water supplies in the most impacted communities.” State officials said Newsom’s order responds to the improved conditions in parts of the state while continuing efforts to support drought recovery. “We …

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 …

Amid above-average snowpack, Newsom urges focus on state water resilience and adaptation
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Amid above-average snowpack, Newsom urges focus on state water resilience and adaptation

LA Times  

With California snowpack and reservoirs at above-average levels following two wet winters, Gov. “The water system in California was designed for a world that no longer exists.” The governor presented a new water plan that lays out priorities for changing how the state captures, stores and moves water, including efforts to replenish groundwater, recycle wastewater and restore the natural ecosystems …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

With all this rain and snow, can California really still be in a drought? Look deeper
1 year, 10 months ago

With all this rain and snow, can California really still be in a drought? Look deeper

LA Times  

Lake Oroville, seen at the beginning of February, is one of the state’s largest reservoirs and currently at 71% capacity following the January storms. “We’re in better shape than we were two months ago, but we’re not out of the woods.” California Photos: Two atmospheric river storms descend on California California’s deadly storm season continued Friday as the first of …

Newsom wants to waive environmental rules in the delta amid drought worries
1 year, 10 months ago

Newsom wants to waive environmental rules in the delta amid drought worries

LA Times  

Photos of Lake Oroville show the reservoir in a badly depleted state in 2021 and at much higher levels after a series of atmospheric rivers hit the state in January. “Until it is clear what the remainder of the wet season will hold, the executive order includes provisions to protect water reserves.” As part of the governor’s effort, the state …

California debates what to do with water from recent storms
1 year, 10 months ago

California debates what to do with water from recent storms

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Weeks after powerful storms dumped 32 trillion gallons of rain and snow on California, state officials and environmental groups in the drought-ravaged state are grappling with what to do with all of that water. “This governor is the most anti-environmental governor, with respect to endangered species and California water, that we’ve had in my lifetime,” said Jon …

California downpours won't fix decades of drought: Scientists
1 year, 11 months ago

California downpours won't fix decades of drought: Scientists

The Hindu  

Near-record rainfall has battered California for weeks, sparking floods and landslides as the state struggles to cope with so much water. But scientists say even this much precipitation won't reverse the western US state's decades-long drought. Aquifers in deficit Beyond its reservoirs and snow reserves, the state faces a much deeper-seated problem with its depleted groundwater, says Nicholas Pinter, a …

Nearly all of California exits the worst drought categories in U.S. Drought Monitor
1 year, 11 months ago

Nearly all of California exits the worst drought categories in U.S. Drought Monitor

LA Times  

The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor showed an extraordinary sight: Deep splotches of dark red and purple signifying the worst levels of drought have been erased from California’s map almost completely. “We’re definitely looking to be in a better situation than we were last year, where everything shut off for a good three months, and there will be …

Drought emergency declared for all Southern California
2 years ago

Drought emergency declared for all Southern California

LA Times  

As California faces the prospect of a fourth consecutive dry year, officials with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California have declared a regional drought emergency and called on water agencies to immediately reduce their use of all imported supplies. If we don’t have an extremely wet winter, we will need to elevate to our highest level — a water …

California braces for dry winter as Western drought drags on
2 years, 2 months ago

California braces for dry winter as Western drought drags on

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The past three years have been California’s driest on record and state officials said Monday that they’re preparing for the streak to continue. Though its impossible to predict with certainty what the winter will bring, “we are actively planning for another dry year,” said Jeanine Jones, drought manager for the state Department of Water Resources. Snow that …

California governor signs sweeping climate legislation
2 years, 3 months ago

California governor signs sweeping climate legislation

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of bills Friday to expand California’s reliance on clean energy and reduce carbon emissions, moves he said further establish the state as a global climate leader. “Or we can actually make demonstrable progress.” State Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat, was an author of one bill aimed at protecting vulnerable communities …

With California expected to lose 10% of its water within 20 years, Newsom calls for urgent action
2 years, 4 months ago

With California expected to lose 10% of its water within 20 years, Newsom calls for urgent action

LA Times  

With California enduring historic drought amplified by global warming, Gov. And Newsom does not seem very willing to do that.” Poole said the state plan “doesn’t fundamentally change the direction of water management, which is needed to really grapple with climate change.” The governor’s strategy calls for moving ahead with controversial plans to build a giant water tunnel beneath the …

California drought official quits, blasting Newsom for ‘gut wrenching’ inaction
2 years, 4 months ago

California drought official quits, blasting Newsom for ‘gut wrenching’ inaction

LA Times  

In his time at the California State Water Resources Control Board, Max Gomberg has witnessed the state grapple with two devastating droughts and the accelerating effects of climate change. “The way some of you have simply rolled over and accepted this has also been difficult to watch.” In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gomberg said he went public …

Did California learn anything from the last drought? ‘Gambling’ with water continues
2 years, 6 months ago

Did California learn anything from the last drought? ‘Gambling’ with water continues

LA Times  

An aerial photo shows a shrinking Lake Oroville in California’s Butte County. “In some ways, the way we use water is pretty much like gambling,” said Felicia Marcus, a fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program. Marcus, who also served as chair of the state water board during the last drought, remained optimistic about the Sustainable Groundwater Management …

As California’s big cities fail to cut their water use, rural communities are already tapped out
2 years, 6 months ago

As California’s big cities fail to cut their water use, rural communities are already tapped out

CNN  

CNN — Gary Biggs’ family hasn’t had water coming out of their private well for over a decade, after a multi-year drought and overpumping by agriculture and industry. “Believe it or not climate change is here, and California is a poster child for it.” As cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco struggle to cut their water use – water …

California just adopted new, tougher water restrictions: What you need to know
2 years, 6 months ago

California just adopted new, tougher water restrictions: What you need to know

LA Times  

California water regulators strengthened the state’s drought rules this week, ordering local suppliers to take steps to reduce water usage to stretch limited supplies this summer. Gavin Newsom warned that more stringent statewide water restrictions could come if the state doesn’t make more progress on conservation soon. Water agencies that haven’t yet turned in a contingency plan are required to …

Flush less. Bathe less. L.A. Times readers’ tips for saving water in the drought
2 years, 6 months ago

Flush less. Bathe less. L.A. Times readers’ tips for saving water in the drought

LA Times  

Are you watching your lawn slowly crisp and turn brown? These are just some of the ideas L.A. Times readers sent us when we asked them to tell us how they’re conserving water. It’s an urgent question, with Southern California water authorities announcing new restrictions to deal with the drought and reduced water supply. And while many readers called on …

Newsom urges aggressive water conservation and warns of statewide restrictions
2 years, 7 months ago

Newsom urges aggressive water conservation and warns of statewide restrictions

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom speaks with leaders of urban water agencies during a meeting in Sacramento on May 23. Gavin Newsom met with leaders of the state’s largest urban water suppliers Monday and implored them to step up efforts to get people to reduce water use as California’s drought continues to worsen. “Every water agency across the state needs to take more …

California drought: Officials worry there’s not enough water to get through summer without cuts
2 years, 7 months ago

California drought: Officials worry there’s not enough water to get through summer without cuts

CNN  

CNN — As Southern Californians brace for unprecedented water restrictions, officials worry some communities won’t have enough water to get through the summer – at least not without residents and businesses significantly cutting back on their usage. “Climate change is accelerating in alarming ways and faster than scientists predicted even 10 or 20 years ago and that means we have …

California drought deepens as wet season is anything but
2 years, 8 months ago

California drought deepens as wet season is anything but

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is experiencing one of the driest starts to spring in decades, data showed Friday, and absent a heavy dose of April and May showers the state’s drought will deepen and that could lead to stricter rules on water use and another devastating wildfire season. The nearly 11 inches worth of water sitting in snow in the …

California calls for more local water conservation
2 years, 8 months ago

California calls for more local water conservation

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Californians will be asked to further cut back on their water use, state officials said Monday as they warned water scarcity will shape the future of the drought-stricken state. Gavin Newsom’s administration saying allowing local retailers to set conservation needs is the best approach in a state of nearly 40 million people where water needs vary. “Our …

Newsom calls for more aggressive water conservation amid third year of drought
2 years, 8 months ago

Newsom calls for more aggressive water conservation amid third year of drought

LA Times  

On the heels of the driest ever start to the year in California, Gov. “What we learned from the last drought is that it’s really important to listen to locals — that we live in a state that has many different hydrological zones, many different water usage scenarios, and that the ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t really work in California,” …

With no respite from drought, officials call upon Californians to conserve water
2 years, 9 months ago

With no respite from drought, officials call upon Californians to conserve water

LA Times  

Houseboats on the water at a receding Lake Oroville, which stood at 33% full when this photograph was taken on June 29, 2021, in Oroville, Calif. With the severe drought now in a third year, the state faces depleted reservoirs, a meager snowpack in the Sierra Nevada and a worsening water shortage on the Colorado River. The latest conservation figures …

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 …

As drought persists, Californians are ‘backsliding’ in effort to conserve water
3 years, 1 month ago

As drought persists, Californians are ‘backsliding’ in effort to conserve water

LA Times  

State water regulators urged Californians to do more to save water after the latest monthly data showed conservation lagging in September, with statewide water use in cities and towns decreasing 3.9% compared with the same month a year ago. Esquivel said water conservation will continue to be critical for the state, “not just in the drought but for the long …

Southern California drought emergency declared
3 years, 1 month ago

Southern California drought emergency declared

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The giant Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has declared a regional drought emergency due to record dry conditions. “We need immediate action to preserve and stretch our limited State Water Project supplies,” board Chairwoman Gloria D. Gray said. Next year, we’ll be lucky to get a small fraction of that.” Water years 2020 and 2021 were …

Gov. Newsom to push vaccines in Southern California swing
3 years, 1 month ago

Gov. Newsom to push vaccines in Southern California swing

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, added to the intrigue on Sunday night with a since-deleted tweet telling people to “please stop hating and get a life.” But Tuesday, Newsom said his absence was nothing more than a chance to recharge with his family after a frenetic three years in office that included an unprecedented pandemic, …

Hopeful storms in forecast for drought plagued US West
3 years, 2 months ago

Hopeful storms in forecast for drought plagued US West

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mired in an historic drought, California is set to get its first significant soaking of the season this week, with storms forecasted to dump up to 7 inches of rain in parched parts of the state. Tuesday, state water officials warned one of the state’s large reservoirs in Mendocino County could run dry by next summer. Newsom’s …

Many California farmers have water cut off, but a lucky few are immune to drought rules
3 years, 3 months ago

Many California farmers have water cut off, but a lucky few are immune to drought rules

LA Times  

Driving between her northern Central Valley rice fields with the family dog in tow, fifth-generation farmer Kim Gallagher points out the window to shorebirds, egrets and avocets fluttering across a thousand-acre sea of green flooded in six inches of water. Now, due to decades-old agreements with the federal government, rice farmers like Gallagher are going relatively unscathed by unprecedented emergency …

Historic drought threatens California farms
3 years, 4 months ago

Historic drought threatens California farms

Al Jazeera  

Farmers say extreme weather and policies meant to combat climate change have left their fields barren. “I had two wells dry up last week,” 28-year-old Nick Foglio, a fourth-generation farmer and feed broker, told AFP news agency. Standing in a dusty field near Fresno, he said he worries that with “the wrong political agenda, we’re simply going to starve ourselves …

With drought worsening, should California have much tougher water restrictions?
3 years, 5 months ago

With drought worsening, should California have much tougher water restrictions?

LA Times  

A truck crosses the Enterprise Bridge at Lake Oroville, which was 33% full and 40% of historical average when this photo was taken on June 30 in Oroville. Jerry Brown stood in a field near Lake Tahoe that was bereft of normally plentiful snow and called for water restrictions amid the state’s punishing years-long drought. Felicia Marcus, who worked closely …

California’s regional drought state of emergency: What you need to know
3 years, 5 months ago

California’s regional drought state of emergency: What you need to know

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom holds a news conference April 21 in the parched basin of Lake Mendocino in Ukiah, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday extended his drought emergency declarations to counties representing roughly 42% of Californians and asked everyone to do their part to save water amid a worsening drought. Newsom’s regional drought state of emergency applies to 50 California counties. …

Newsom asks all Californians to voluntarily reduce water usage by 15% amid drought
3 years, 5 months ago

Newsom asks all Californians to voluntarily reduce water usage by 15% amid drought

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom on Thursday expanded his regional drought state of emergency to apply to 50 California counties, or roughly 42% of the state’s population. Newsom’s regional emergency order instead provides a path for the State Water Resources Control Board to mandate potentially unpopular water restrictions. California California’s drought and wildfire dangers rising at stunning pace State leaders in climate change …

Newsom extends drought emergency to 41 California counties
3 years, 7 months ago

Newsom extends drought emergency to 41 California counties

LA Times  

In a stark indication of California’s growing water crisis, Gov. “With the reality of climate change abundantly clear in California, we’re taking urgent action to address acute water supply shortfalls in Northern and Central California while also building our water resilience to safeguard communities in the decades ahead,” Newsom said in a prepared statement. Newsom said the emergency would “address …

Letters to the Editor: California, stop divvying up water like it’s the Little Ice Age
3 years, 7 months ago

Letters to the Editor: California, stop divvying up water like it’s the Little Ice Age

LA Times  

Trees burned in a recent wildfire line the banks of Lake Oroville, where water levels are low, on April 27. To the editor: The Times Editorial Board recognizes that water policies developed on the heels of the Little Ice Age are not scientifically sound or sustainable for California. Even more “balanced” articles often quote farmers, fishermen, even environmentalists but ignore …

Newsom launches effort to deal with drought; emergencies declared in two counties
3 years, 8 months ago

Newsom launches effort to deal with drought; emergencies declared in two counties

LA Times  

Clouds from a passing storm mix with the sunset in Sonoma County on Feb. 3. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a drought emergency in two Northern California counties as he stood on the dry shoreline of Lake Mendocino. Californians, he said, “have a conservation mind-set.” The drought situation is particularly acute in Mendocino and Sonoma counties because the local water …

Drought is back. But Southern California faces less pain than Northern California
3 years, 8 months ago

Drought is back. But Southern California faces less pain than Northern California

LA Times  

Sean de Guzman, chief of snow surveys for the California Department of Water Resources measures snowpack at Phillips Station near Echo Summit in February. Yet, hundreds of miles to the south, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California reports record amounts of reserves — enough to carry the state’s most populous region through this year and even next. “We don’t …

On tap in California: Another drought four years after last
3 years, 8 months ago

On tap in California: Another drought four years after last

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — California’s hopes for a wet “March miracle” did not materialize and a dousing of April showers may as well be a mirage at this point. “The time in between the end of the last drought and, possibly, the beginning of this next one isn’t that long,” Chappelle said. “Guys are in a really tough spot when they …

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