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Tropical Storm Brings 3rd Day of Rain to San Diego

Heavy showers fell in San Diego early Wednesday, the third day of a storm system spurred by tropical weather moving north from Baja California. The storm, according to NBC7’s Whitney Southwick, will weaken by late morning producing just partly cloudy skies for the afternoon in most areas.The exception could be some possible thunderstorms in our local mountains.Conditions will feel tropical, rain or not; muggy and hot with 70s at the coast, 80s valleys, 60s in the mountains and low to mid 90s in the deserts.

Big Crowd Fills San Vicente Reservoir On Re-Opening Day

Fishermen, water skiers and boating enthusiasts filled the San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside Thursday morning, marking the grand re-opening of the popular recreation area after eight years. Some people were so eager, they camped out overnight outside at the front gate off Moreno Avenue. The reservoir, owned by the city of San Diego, shut down to visitors Sept. 2, 2008. It closed so the San Diego County Water Authority could raise the height of the reservoir’s concrete dam by more than 100 feet to increase its water storage. The dam is now at 337 feet.

 

How Much Do El Niño and La Niña Affect Our Weather?

California grows more than 90 percent of the tomatoes, broccoli and almonds consumed in the U.S., as well as many other foods. These crops require a lot of water. In the spring of 2015, after four years of little winter rain, the state was in a severe drought. Reservoirs were far below capacity, and underground aquifers were being heavily tapped. Mountain snowpack, an important source of meltwater throughout the spring and summer, was nearly gone in many areas.

San Vicente Reservoir will open Thursday after being closed 8 years

Closed for eight years because of a dam-raising project, the San Vicente Reservoir is scheduled to reopen to the public Thursday.

The city of San Diego-owned body of water in the East County will be available for boating and fishing. The marina will include a six-lane boat ramp, concessions stand to rent boats and supplies, parking lot for more than 300 vehicles and a picnic area.

“This is an exciting day for anglers, water sport enthusiasts, boaters and San Diego families,” Mayor Kevin Faulconer said.

Brown Says He’ll Push California’s Climate Agenda Whoever Wins in November

Governor Jerry Brown says he will continue to push California’s climate change policies, no matter the results of November’s presidential election.

“I would do what I’m doing now,” he said, speaking in Sacramento at the Doubletree Hotel on the opening night of the Society of Environmental Journalists conference, an annual meeting attended by more than 300 journalists from around the country this year. Brown, who has made climate change a centerpiece of his final term as governor, touted the group of climate change bills signed over the last month, including SB32, which set a new climate change agenda for California.

Gov. Brown overhauls L.A. County water board in response to allegations of mismanagement, financial misconduct

Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed two bills aimed at overhauling operations of the Central Basin Municipal Water District in Commerce after years of political scandal and allegations of ethical lapses at the agency.

One of the measures, by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), will expand the district’s governing board from one of five elected members to four members elected by residents and three with technical expertise who would be appointed by water purveyors in the district beginning in 2022. It also imposes new ethics rules on the district.

Gov. Brown is right, we must ‘agree’ on rivers

Some comments carry more weight than others – such as comments from Gov. Jerry Brown.

The State Water Resources Control Board unveiled its plan to take 30 to 50 percent of the Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers late last week. After taking four years to compile the 2,000-page report, the water board gave the people of the Northern San Joaquin Valley 60 days to digest it and make objections.

Drought ‘a Slow Moving Natural Disaster’

One Londonderry well owner left a trash can outside with the lid open in the rain Sunday night. She needs the water to flush her toilet.

She has also been doing laundry at her daughter’s house, showering in small increments so as not to let the water run continuously, and using paper products at meal time to wash fewer dishes. She, like many of her neighbors in Southern New Hampshire, is experiencing the affects of a months-long drought.

Climate Change This Week: Megadroughts, Virtual Clean Power Plants, and More!

Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more crowded. Saving BUB, Beautiful Unique Biodiversity, as in this Amazonian ant-mimic treehopper, is another reason to preserve carbon storing forests. Credit Andreas Kay at flickr A Key Preserver of Carbon Storage in Rainforests – are tapirs, which help disperse the seeds of the largest carbon-storing trees. The Surprising Link Between The Tapirs Of Costa Rica And Climate Change – They disperse seeds of the largest trees that store the most carbon, suggest new studies. Protecting tapirs and other large seed-eating mammals is key to preserving carbon storage capability in rainforests.

Microbes Help Plants Survive in Severe Drought

With California in its fifth year of severe drought and many western states experiencing another year of unusually dry conditions, plants are stressed.

Agricultural crops, grasses and garden plants alike can get sick and die when factors such as drought and excess sun force them to work harder to survive.

Now, plants can better tolerate drought and other stressors with the help of natural microbes, University of Washington research has found. Specifically, plants that are given a dose of microbes stay green longer and are able to withstand drought conditions by growing more leaves and roots and using less water.