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Many Cities, Farms Getting Full Water Supplies, But Not All

Federal water managers in California say they’ll provide many cities and farms their full water supply in a year of record rain and snowfall. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday announced its initial allocations for a wet 2017 following five drought years. The vast system of reservoirs and canals irrigates three million acres of farmland and provide drinking water to two million people. Reclamation’s Pablo Arroyave says recent storms dumped rain and snowfall nearing record highs. However, the initial supply estimates don’t include many farms in the vast San Joaquin Valley, which won’t learn their allotments until late March.

Trump Directs EPA To Begin Dismantling Clean Water Rule

President Trump stepped up his attack on federal environmental protections Tuesday, issuing an order directing his administration to begin the long process of rolling back sweeping clean water rules that were enacted by his predecessor. The order directing the Environmental Protection Agency to set about dismantling the Waters of the United States rule takes aim at one of President Obama’s signature environmental legacies, a far-reaching anti-pollution effort that expanded the authority of regulators over the nation’s waterways and wetlands.

California Farms Given Good News As Reservoirs Fill And Snowpack Builds

The extraordinary turnaround in California’s water picture is becoming a windfall for farm country. Federal officials announced Tuesday that the 20 reservoirs that make up the Central Valley Project are so swollen with winter runoff that many growers will get all the water they requested this year — a remarkable change from the past few years when countless orchards and fields received no federal water at all.

California Water Bills Are Starting To Trickle Out On Capitol Hill

The lead author in the House of Representatives of a big and controversial California water bill that passed last year is back for more. With a Republican in the White House and the GOP controlling Congress, Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., said Tuesday that he was hoping to build on last year’s legislation that was loved by farmers and loathed by environmentalists. The bill scales back an ambitious San Joaquin River restoration program, speeds completion of California dam feasibility studies and locks in certain water deliveries to Sacramento Valley irrigation districts, among other things.

Otay Reservoir Spills Over Its Dam

The Lower Otay Reservoir spilled over its dam today for the first time in six years because of Monday’s heavy rainfall, the city of San Diego reported today. The reservoir crested and began to spill into the Otay River Valley, but no downstream danger was anticipated, city spokeswoman Alma Rife said. “The reservoir serves as a terminal reservoir for a significant-sized watershed, imported water aqueducts and a source of local water for the Otay Drinking Water Treatment Plant,” Rife said.

Drought-Busting Winter Storms Have Another Upside: Cleaner Air

The epic rainfall that has pummeled Southern California this winter has lifted the area out of extreme drought – and it’s also been great for air quality. Strong winds blow smoke, soot and particulates out of the L.A. basin, while rain rinses the air clean. This winter is the 7th wettest in Southern California since 1946, according to data through February 24. Air pollution has exceeded federal standards for particulate matter on just 7 days since November 2016. Compare that to 35 days in the same period in 2014-2015, the worst winter of the drought.

In California, A Move To Ease The Pressures On Aging Dams

Until a few weeks ago, the McCormack-Williamson Tract in the California Delta was an island of low-lying farmland, more than two square miles protected from the surrounding rivers and sloughs by earthen levees. Today the tract is an immense lake, up to 15 feet deep, with fish prowling the water and ducks skimming the surface. The adjacent Mokelumne River, swollen by the intense storms that have drenched the state this winter, caused a levee to break, allowing the water to rush in.

OPINION: There’s No Risk to San Diego From the Oroville Dam Disaster

The emergency that unfolded recently at Oroville Dam in Northern California poses no immediate or projected impact to water supplies in San Diego County. Voice of San Diego’s story on the crisis, though, states that “we could lose a significant chunk of our water supply, perhaps even 20-25 percent.” Low winter water demand, significant water reserves in Southern California and local investments in water supply reliability will allow the San Diego County Water Authority to provide uninterrupted water service here even if deliveries from Oroville are impacted.

 

In California, A Move To Ease The Pressures On Aging Dams

Until a few weeks ago, the McCormack-Williamson Tract in the California Delta was an island of low-lying farmland, more than two square miles protected from the surrounding rivers and sloughs by earthen levees. Today the tract is an immense lake, up to 15 feet deep, with fish prowling the water and ducks skimming the surface. The adjacent Mokelumne River, swollen by the intense storms that have drenched the state this winter, caused a levee to break, allowing the water to rush in.

City Says Sewage Is Hard To Find, Pushes Water Recycling Plan That Has Neighbors Nervous

Cities and water districts in East County, North County and the South Bay have lined up to oppose the city of San Diego’s ambitious plans to turn sewage into drinkable water. For years, San Diego has aimed to make recycled water drinkable and widespread. The idea used to face opposition from the public, who thought it was yucky. Two years ago, the drought and changes in public opinion seemed to remove any obstacles, so the city decided it could double the size of the three-part project’s first phrase.