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Wet Winter Invites Flooding Research on Valley Farms

/in /by /The Business Journal (Fresno)by By Chuck Harvey

Area farmers report that any flooding of their nut and fruit orchards during the current El Niño condition would likely do more good than damage to their trees. In fact, some farmers plan to deliberately flood their orchards as part of testing the benefits of winter flooding.

By doing so, they not only ensure the trees have enough water, but they are also helping recharge the groundwater basin in winter when more water is available. California gets its bulk of rainwater from December to March. This year some storms caused brief flooding on farms.

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Strong Winter Storm to Bring Several Feet of Snow to Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe

/in /by /The Los Angeles Timesby By Veronica Rocha

An atmospheric river drawing moisture from the tropics is expected to blanket the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe area with more than 3 feet of snow through the weekend, forecasters say.

The strong winter storm will start off light Friday night with snow levels at 7,500 to 8,000 feet through Saturday, said meteorologist Tony Fuentes of the National Weather Service in Reno. Up to 3 feet of snow could cover the Sierra crest.

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El Nino-Driven Storms to Dent California’s Drought with Inches of Rain Next Week

/in /by /AccuWeather (State College, Penn.)by By Brett Rathbun

Following a warm, dry February in California, a shift in the weather pattern will open the door for several storms to soak the state during the second week of March.

Enough rain may fall to put a noticeable dent in the drought across the state.By the end of this weekend, storms will usher in moderate to heavy rain across California and heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada.

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Drought-Struck California Finally Looks Due for an Epic Soaking

/in /by /CityLab (Washington, D.C.)by By John Metcalfe

In the past, powerful El Niños have typically delivered about 22 inches of rain to the city by this time; the current amount is far below that. To reach the El Niño average of 30 inches by the beginning of summer, the NWS writes, “we would need more than two tenths of an inch every day through the end of May.”

That seemed improbable a few days ago — and still iffy today — but there’s a developing weather pattern that’s boding drenching days ahead for drought-struck California. Weather models are predicting torrential rains through the weekend, with more than 12 inches of precipitation possible in the mountains.

 

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California’s Snowpack Falls Below Average, Sparking New Drought Fears

/in /by /The Los Angeles Timesby By Matt Stevens

After a promising start to winter, California’s snowpack has shrunk to below-average levels, causing state water officials to redouble their calls for water conservation.

On Tuesday, the statewide snowpack stood at only 83% of average for the day, a result the California Department of Water Resources blamed on fall and winter seasons that have brought only “moderate precipitation” and “relatively warm temperatures.”

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California Department of Water Resources Makes Progress in SGMA Implementation by Releasing Draft Regulations for Groundwater Sustainability Plans

/in /by /The National Law Review by By Courtney A. Davis

The Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) recent release of draft emergency regulations for developing and evaluating groundwater sustainability plans marks continued progress toward implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), California’s comprehensive groundwater regulatory framework enacted in 2014. SGMA and its implementing regulations are likely to impact availability of groundwater throughout California, especially for users in basins that have historically experienced overdraft conditions. A copy of the new draft regulations can be accessed here.

The draft regulations are important for private landowners and developers because they provide a role for public participation during the groundwater sustainability plan development and adoption process and during DWR’s approval of the plans. Additionally, California Public Utilities Commission-regulated water corporations and mutual water companies that hope to participate in their basin’s groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) should view these regulations as an opportunity to preview the kinds of issues likely to arise during development of groundwater sustainability plans

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California on Course for Another Drought Year

/in /by /Lake Tahoe Newsby By Kathryn Reed

Even though the region is going into a wet cycle, that news isn’t enough to lift California out of its four-year drought. While the snow survey at Phillips Station today was the best March reading since 2011, statewide the water content is below average.

At the field adjacent to the road leading to Sierra-at-Tahoe the snow depth on March 1 was 58.3 inches, water content 27.1 inches, which is 105 percent of the long-term average. Statewide the snowpack is 83 percent of average.

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Save the Rain – And Your Yard

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby By Debbie Arrington

During recent winter storms, many Sacramentans had the same thought: How can I save some of that rain for later?

Forget buckets; instead, rethink your flow. Traditionally, most of our home landscapes were designed for maximum runoff, whisking any excess water away from homes into streets, then rivers and out to the ocean.

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Drought Hasn’t Been All Bad — We’ve Learned Some Things Too, California Water Chief Says

/in /by /The Los Angeles Timesby By Peter H. King

It was the final Wednesday of a warm, dry February, and here as in much of California it seemed that spring had made an early arrival.

The sky was blue, temperatures mild. Almond and fruit trees were ablaze with blossoms. Along the highways, poppies were in full flower, competing for attention with ubiquitous Caltrans message boards that warned: “Severe drought/Limit Outdoor Watering.”

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El Niño No-Show Could Damage California’s Water Conservation Efforts

/in /by /Pasadena Star-Newsby By Robert Rector

We have been snookered, hoodwinked, bamboozled and beguiled.
We bought a “Rolex” watch from some guy on the street corner. We believed we won millions in some foreign lottery. We gave money to the nice young man at the front door who said he was supporting an orphanage. We took financial advice from Bernie Madoff.

And when we were told we would be subjected to monster storms this winter, we believed it.
We repaired the roof and replaced the gutters. We laid in a supply of sandbags. We placed cisterns beneath the downspouts. We bought kayaks. We stopped conserving water.

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