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No Federal Water for CA Farmers Despite El Niño

The current El Niño is already the strongest since 1950 in many areas of California, including the fertile San Joaquin Valley, where many of the country’s fruits and vegetables are grown. Fresno has seen 6.61 inches of rain since October 1; the historical average is 4.64 inches, according to the Fresno Bee.

 

There is more rain on the way: the National Weather Service forecasts two new storm systems will move into the area on Monday and Tuesday, dropping rain in the Valley and snow in the Sierra Nevada.

 

Two More Storms Ahead This Week

Humboldt County residents should keep their rain jackets, their umbrellas handy, and alternate routes in mind, because two storms — one today and another later in the week — are expected to hit the county.

 

Another storm is expected to bring more rain across Humboldt County all day today, National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Aylward said.

California Farmers Brace for Water Shortage Despite El Nino

Farmers in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley are bracing to receive no irrigation water from the federal government for a third consecutive year.

 

They’re hoping for El Nino-driven storms to produce the very wet winter they need. Reservoirs and groundwater supplies are critically low after four drought years.

Study: Borrego Water Woes Dire

A study recently completed by the U.S. Geological Survey confirms what people in the tiny desert town of Borrego Springs have suspected for some time: Their only source of water, deep below the earth, is being depleted at a rate roughly four times faster than it is being replenished.

 

The six-year study, done in conjunction with the Borrego Water District, puts hard numbers to a situation that can only be described as dire. Complicating matters further, the Borrego Water District recently was forced to enter into an agreement with the state saying it will find a way to stop over-drawing the aquifer within 20 years.