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First Of 3 More Storms Hits California As Drought Retreats

/in /by /Associated Press (As published by Fox News)

The worst area of drought in California has significantly narrowed to a small region northwest of Los Angeles that has stubbornly failed to benefit from Pacific storms that have drenched much of the state since the fall and were lining up again Wednesday. Just 2.1 percent of the state is now deemed to be in “exceptional drought” — a far cry from a year earlier when that label applied to a vast region stretching from greater Los Angeles hundreds of miles up the state’s core to far northern counties.

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California Proposing To Continue Water Conservation

/in /by /Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)by Amy Quinton

Water conservation would continue in California until at least May under a proposal regulators are considering. Currently, emergency drought regulations require cities and water agencies to prove they have enough water to meet future demands or they must cut back water use. Those rules are set to expire at the end of February. But the State Water Resources Control Board has proposed extending them, despite the heavy rain and snow this winter.

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California Schools Can Now Ask Water Supplier To Test For Lead On Campus

/in /by /Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)by Rich Ibarra

California schools can now ask their water supplier to test for lead on campus. This affects any school from kindergarten through 12th grade, both public and private. Flint, Michigan served as a warning to everyone on the dangers of lead in the water system. Starting this year, California schools can request their water agency to test their water on site at no cost. California Water Service covers most of the state including customers in Stockton, Dixon and Marysville.

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Despite Drenching, Santa Barbara Still In ‘Extreme’ Drought

/in /by /Santa Barbara Independentby Nick Welsh

The good news is that rainfall year to date is now slightly above average at Lake Cachuma, which typically supplies half the water needs for South Coast residents. The bad news is that Santa Barbara County remains in the throes of what federal meteorologists describe as “extreme drought conditions.” Only two percent of the California land mass now fits that category and Lake Cachuma qualifies as the most distressed reservoir in California.

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Drought’s Back Broken — Or Not?

/in /by /Capitol Weekly (Sacramento)by Lisa Renner

Despite the torrential rains of the last few weeks, experts say it’s too early to tell whether California’s interminable drought is really over. It will be necessary to monitor rainfall through at least March to make an assessment. California has been in a drought since 2012. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency in January 2014 after the state experienced record dry conditions.

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Trio Of Storms To Bring Dangerous Surf And 6 Inches Of Rain To Southern California

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Joseph Serna

A trio of storms now headed for Southern California will bring dangerous surf, strong winds and up to 6 inches of rain by early next week, according to the National Weather Service. The storms are similar to those that rocked Northern California recently by flooding rivers, blocking mountain passes and causing several deaths. This latest round, however, is expected to pack less of a wallop, forecasters say. The first storm should arrive Wednesday night and is expected to drop between 0.75 and 1.25 inches of rain in the foothills and valleys through Thursday, said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

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VIDEO: Central Basin MWD Special Meeting On Delta Tunnels Benefits & Costs

/in /by /Restore The Delta (Stockton)

In case you missed it, we traveled to East Los Angeles to present our side at the Central Basin Municipal Water District Special Meeting on California WaterFix.

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Should California Drought Rules Be Lifted? State Ponders Question As Storms Roll In

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

With rivers roaring and more rain coming, California’s drought cops are wrestling with a complicated question: Should they keep patrolling the beat? A chorus of urban water districts Wednesday urged the State Water Resources Control Board, California’s chief drought regulator, to allow the state’s emergency conservation rules to expire. At a lengthy hearing in Sacramento, representatives of the water districts said the state board is losing credibility by insisting the drought still exists when residents can see how much conditions have eased.

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California’s Wet Year Means We Will Get Increased Water Deliveries

/in /by /The Press Enterprise (Riverside)by Suzanne Hurt

California water suppliers pleaded with state water officials on Wednesday to end a statewide emergency water conservation regulation. Nearly half of the state is out of drought as much of Northern California has been socked with one of its wettest years in decades. Late Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Water Resources announced plans to increase water deliveries from Northern California via the State Water Project from 45 percent to 60 percent of requests to 29 contractors from Plumas to San Diego counties.

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Strongest Storm In 6 Years To Bring Heavy Rain, Mountain Snow

/in /by /Fox 5 (San Diego, Calif.)by Mike Wille

A series of Pacific storms will bring heavy rain, mountain snow and gusty wind to San Diego County starting later this week and extending through early next week. The first storm is expected to hit late Wednesday night, and gusty winds, rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms are expected. Predicted rainfall amounts range from less than two-tenths of an inch in the deserts to one- to two-thirds of an inch of rain west of the mountains to three-quarters of an inch to 1.5 inches in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

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