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El Nino so Far Has Drenched Parts of California, but not the South

Even though Southern California hasn’t gotten the drought-busting rainy windfall some might have expected from El Nino, federal scientists hold out hope for the next several weeks.

Central and Northern California have gotten more heavy rain, especially in recent weeks. Southern California hasn’t quite been so soaked. But National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists say their turn may still yet come. Traditionally Southern California gets its downpours from El Ninos later, in the spring, said NOAA research scientist Martin Hoerling.

 

Southern California Water District’s Island Buys May Be Related to Delta Tunnels Project

In a controversial move, a piece of San Joaquin Valley may end up belonging to Southern California as part of the Delta tunnels project.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted to buy five islands that could potentially influence the state’s water supply. The district says it wants to buy Bouldin Island, Bacon Island, Webb Tract most of Holland Tract and the western tip of Chipps Island to preserve quality water.

A Raid on Delta Islands

If it’s not a water grab, it comes close. That’s one way to view a move by Southern California’s largest water district to buy a handful of Sacramento Delta islands that spell the future of state water policy.

Though it’s based hundreds of miles away, the Metropolitan Water District, which serves 19 million customers, is buying 20,000 acres of real estate in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California’s prime plumbing fixture.

OPINION: Bureau of Reclamation Should Increase Delta Water Exports

There’s no other way to say it. The federal Bureau of Reclamation’s decision Wednesday to export less water south from the Delta than is legally allowed defies common sense.

Rain and snow finally have returned to California following three years of intense drought. This most recent storm was big enough to inflict damage on coastal areas and bury the northern Sierra under deep blankets of snow.

El Niño’s Winter Storms Are No Cure-All for California Drought

The El Niño storms drenching California won’t suffice to solve the state’s drought and won’t permanently save the Central Valley’s vulnerable salmon, federal scientists are cautioning.

In an apolitical assessment that comes amid a highly political time, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration experts stress that this year’s El Niño bounty is both useful and limited. It might well be followed, moreover, by a swing back to a different kind of weather complication called La Niña.

Miracle March, Round Two: Pineapple Express Targets California with More Rain And Snow

Over the past week, Northern and Central California received two to three times as much rain as it usually does up to this point in the month. As much as five feet of snow fell across the peaks of the Sierra Mountains. Round two of what Californians are calling “Miracle March” begins Thursday.

An atmospheric river of moisture over the Pacific Ocean has been pointed like a fire hose at the West Coast since last week. The plume spans over 2,000 miles across the Pacific, and gets its nickname “the pineapple express” from its origin around Hawaii.

Parade of Storms Expected to March Through North State

How wet will it be? Baruffaldi said the North State can expect as much as 5 1/2 inches of rain through Tuesday. The first of the rain should arrive Thursday morning and then ease off a bit Friday. Another storm is expected to arrive Saturday night. And more is forecast to follow that one through Tuesday.

The series of storms is being drawn up from out in the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii, said David Houck, a meteorologist with Accuweather.

CA State Water Resources Control Board Rescinds Conservation Order for Rainbow Municipal Water District

The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) has notified the Rainbow Municipal Water District (RMWD) that they have rescinded the Conservation Order issued to RMWD on August 31, 2015.

The Conservation Order was issued after RMWD failed to meet the mandatory 36% cutback in residential water consumption in the first month that the Emergency Regulations were in place. RMWD has met or exceeded the standard in the following months, leading to the rescission of the Conservation Order.

Fix-A-Leak Week Delivers Discount Leak-Stopping Services

As part of the regional effort to reduce water waste, the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies are again partnering with the local chapter of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association during national Fix a Leak Week, March 14-20, to make fixing water leaks less costly for residents and businesses.

Throughout Fix a Leak Week, participating contractors will offer customers a 10 percent discount, up to $100, on products and services related to fixing leaks at homes and businesses in the San Diego region.

Surfrider Foundation to Offer Landscape Classes

The Surfrider Foundation‘s San Diego County Chapter is offering courses on how to design a sustainable landscape, with upcoming sessions planned for March 16 in Carlsbad and March 19 in Oceanside.

Urban run-off is the primary source of ocean pollution, and landscapes “can help soak up rainwater, reduce polluted rainwater run-off and prevent water run-off on dry days,” according to the Surfrider Foundation.