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Decision Time for California Governor’s Big Water Project

Atop a dirt levee his great-grandfather built in the 1800s to hold back California’s mightiest river, Northern California farmer Russell van Loben Sels looks out over the site of a new water project, one that would be the state’s most ambitious in a half-century.

Promoted by Gov. Jerry Brown, the $15.7 billion project would run giant twin pipes, each four stories high, underground for 35 miles and eventually pull thousands of gallons of water a second from the stretch along the Sacramento River where van Loben Sels farms to cities and farms to the south.

Reservoirs are getting a big boost from ‘Miracle March’ — but the drought isn’t over yet

So much rain has fallen in Northern California recently that federal officials have done what would have been unthinkable a year ago. They opened the spill gates at Folsom Lake and let precious water tumble into the American River as a precaution against — of all things — flooding.

A series of storms during this “Miracle March” has caused Folsom and two of its neighbors, Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake, to swell. The massive reservoirs are at above-average levels for the first time since the spring of 2013.

Dramatic images show El Niño beginning to rescue California from its drought

No, California’s drought isn’t over. But this week, the state came to terms with the fact that the series of El Niño-influenced storms has made a dent.

State officials say it’s far too early to declare the drought over — especially given that the rains seem to have focused on Northern California, while Southern California has seen comparatively little rain. But reservoir levels are rising, along with the snowpack. Both are key sources of water for the state.

Decision Time for California Governor’s Big Water Project

Atop a dirt levee his great-grandfather built in the 1800s to hold back California’s mightiest river, Northern California farmer Russell van Loben Sels looks out over the site of a new water project, one that would be the state’s most ambitious in a half-century.

Promoted by Gov. Jerry Brown, the $15.7 billion project would run giant twin pipes, each four stories high, underground for 35 miles and eventually pull thousands of gallons of water a second from the stretch along the Sacramento River where van Loben Sels farms to cities and farms to the south.

Things to know about California’s giant twin tunnels project

California is proposing its most ambitious water project in a half-century. At $15.7 billion, it would run two giant tunnels, each four stories high, for 35 miles under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Northern California, sending water to cities and farms to the south. In size and cost, the feat would rival or dwarf the tunnel under the English Channel and Boston’s Big Dig.

California Pushes Huge Underground Water Tunnels

Gov. Jerry Brown wants to restructure California’s water system by building two massive underground tunnels to divert water to farms and cities in the south. But his administration faces strong opposition for the $15.7 billion project.

Expanding use of recycled water would benefit the environment and human health

Expanding the use of recycled water would reduce water and energy use, cut greenhouse gas emissions and benefit public health in California—which is in the midst of a severe drought—and around the world.

A new study by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, published online March 17 in the American Journal of Public Health, found that recycled water has great potential for more efficient use in urban settings and to improve the overall resiliency of the water supply.

Storm Brings Nearly 2 Inches of Rain to Modesto

Between 6 p.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. Monday, nearly 2 inches of rain fell on downtown Modesto, according to Modesto Irrigation District monitoring equipment.

 

The “parade of storms,” as the National Weather Service put it, will impact Northern California through Tuesday and again Friday. The first entry caused a few scattered power failures, MID spokeswoman Melissa Williams said Monday. A crew was working Monday morning on K Street between 11th and 12th streets to restore power after a falling tree struck lines.

Local Reservoir and California Snowpack Levels Starting To Increase

El Niño has brought flooding since it has arrived in California this winter, but now those heavy rains may finally be doing something to help us. The snowpack is higher than it has been in years, and reservoir levels in San Diego County are looking better than they have in the last four years of drought.

 

San Vicente in Lakeside, our largest local reservoir, is over 61% capacity, while Lake Murray is at more than 89% and Lower Otay is over 84%. But some other reservoirs remain low, such as El Capitan at just under 28%,

County Water Use Went Up in February

Water consumption in San Diego County jumped 5 percent last month compared to February 2013 because of record-setting warm temperatures, the San Diego County Water Authority reported Friday.

Even so, county residents have still cut back water use a total of 21 percent since the state implemented water saving rules last June, according to the Water Authority. The state-mandated goal for San Diego County is a 20 percent reduction from 2013 usage levels.“Weather plays a huge role in outdoor water consumption, and we saw that clearly last month, which was the hottest February on record,” said Dana Friehauf, SDCWA water resources manager.