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California Department of Water Resources to Conduct First Snow Survey of 2020

The California Department of Water Resources is set to conduct the first snow survey of 2020 on Thursday.

The DWR snow survey is a chance for officials to measure the water content in the snowpack. Data collected from the monthly snow surveys will help determine the amount of water that will melt and run off to state reservoirs during warmer months. The information is critical to the water managers who allocate California’s natural water resources to regions downstream.

December Has Been Wet in California, But a Predicted Dry Winter Means Wildfire Danger Could Return Early

Southern California’s wettest December in nearly a decade quashed any danger lingering from destructive wildfires in fall, but experts warn that red flag conditions could return as early as April.

Enough Rain? Sufficient Snow? Here’s How Wet California, and Sacramento, Got in 2019

It’s a new year, and a time to take stock in California’s most precious commodity: water.

While October marks the start of the new water year, state hydrology leaders opened the new year with the first measure of snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, east of Sacramento.

Balancing Water Supply for All is 2020 Priority, California Farm Bureau Federation Says

California water policy leaders say balancing the supply of groundwater by implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, and addressing policies related to water supply and water quality, will continue to be priority issues in 2020.

Vanderlaan Selected as LAFCO Vice-Chair

Bonsall resident Andy Vanderlaan will be the vice-chair of San Diego County’s Local Agency Formation Commission for the 2020 LAFCO board meetings.

Vanderlaan, who is the public member on the LAFCO board, was chosen as the LAFCO vice-chair Dec. 2. County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who was LAFCO’s vice-chair for 2019, will be the 2020 chair.

Drought, What Drought? Largest Snowpack in 4 Years, Most Stored Water in Southern California History Paint Rosy Picture

With snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada registering at 90% of normal Thursday and state reservoirs at record historic levels, the urban water supply picture for 2020 could hardly be any rosier.

Southern California water managers are trying to restrain their joy, not because of a picture-postcard mountain top, but for the bounty that will come in spring when the snow melts, sending pristine water into state reservoirs and more importantly, southward via the State Water Project aqueduct, a source that supplies 30% of Southern California’s drinking water.

Helix Water District Taking Entries for High School Scholarship and Photo Contests

The Helix Water District has launched two contests for high school students in the East County district’s service area and both contests have a payoff.

The 2020 High School Photo Contest “Water in Everyday Life” offers $150 to the winner, $100 for second place and $50 for third place in both color and black & white categories.

Moving Forward with the California Water Portfolio

The development of California’s water portfolio continues to progress. A presentation at the most recent meeting of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture highlighted the priorities for establishing the state’s water resiliency portfolio. Board President Don Cameron noted that the development of a water resiliency plan for California is going to need to incorporate several different factors.

Water Crisis Puts Oregon Community At A Crossroads

In a desert far from any city, farmers use groundwater to grow lush green hay. The hay fattens livestock all over the world. But there’s a big problem: The water is drying up. Now scientists warn it will take thousands of years for an aquifer in southeastern Oregon to recover, while residents there are already hurting.

2019 In Review: Desalination Plans Stalled By Lawsuit

Plans to build an ocean desalination plant by West Basin Municipal Water District have been percolating for years.

The past year saw the completion of an Environmental Impact Report for a proposed facility in El Segundo that would generate 20 million gallons of freshwater daily from the salty ocean. Conservationists opposed to the technology say it’s too energy intensive, pollutes the air and water, and would sidetrack ongoing water recycling and replenishment goals. The district, meanwhile, says it’s a prudent measure to ensure water needs are met in times of droughts or emergencies.