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La Niña Arrives, Threatening to Stoke Droughts and Roil Markets

/in , , /by /Bloombergby Brian K Sullivan

A weather-roiling La Niña appears to have emerged across the equatorial Pacific, setting the stage for worsening droughts in California and South America, frigid winters in parts of the U.S. and Japan and greater risks for the world’s already strained energy and food supplies.

The phenomenon—which begins when the atmosphere reacts to a cooler patch of water over the Pacific Ocean—will likely last through at least February, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said Thursday. There is a 57% chance it be a moderate event, like the one that started last year, the center said.

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Late October Rains Could Dampen Wildfires and Help With Drought, Forecasters Say

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Paul Duginski

A wetter than average forecast for late October could dampen wildfires burning in Northern California and help ease drought conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

The latest weather outlook for the latter part of this month calls for above-normal precipitation in California, with possible high-elevation heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades. There is also potential for an atmospheric river between Oct. 21 to Oct. 27, forecasters said.

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Drought Could Dry Up Popular I-5 Oasis

/in , , /by /SJV Waterby Jesse Vad

Kettleman City, a popular stop for travelers on Interstate 5 with its host of gas stations and fast food joints, is on the brink of going dry. If that happens, those businesses could shut down.

Lawmakers and others are trying to work out a fix but so far, things are moving slowly.

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Opinion: Lithium in Imperial Valley Could Light California’s future

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Hochschild, Ben Hueso, Silvia Paz

President Joe Biden’s pledge to boost America’s clean-energy economy is great news for the planet and aligns well with California’s goal to lead the way to a 100 percent clean energy future. The Biden administration is working to position the United States to lead the world in manufacturing electric vehicles while securing a domestic supply chain of the materials these vehicles require.

Last year, electric vehicles became California’s No. 1 export and our state is proud to be home to 34 zero-emission vehicle related manufacturers.

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Every drop of water is precious. Maximizing irrigation efficiency goes a long way toward conserving our water resources. Photo: Ju Irun / Pixabay

Boost Your Irrigation IQ

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To support and protect your investment in waterwise landscaping, you need to have a strong irrigation IQ and understand the basics. You’ll be able to best maintain and maximize your system’s efficiency, which is vitally important during times of drought in the San Diego region.

Conventional irrigation systems can be inefficient

Letting sprinklers run to excess is an example of a poorly performing irrigation system due to bad design, inadequate maintenance, and improper management and it's unacceptable. Photo: Wolfgang Bantz irrigation IQ

Letting sprinklers run to excess is an example of a poorly performing irrigation system due to bad design, inadequate maintenance, and improper management and it’s unacceptable. Photo: Wolfgang Bantz

Well-designed and operated systems can reliably deliver the necessary water to sustain your landscaping without waste or excess. Poorly performing systems can suffer due to bad design, inadequate maintenance, and improper management.

A shutoff valve (ball valve) can be manually operated to cut off the water supply in the event of a leak, a malfunction, or a major repair.

The anti-siphon valve, when activated by an irrigation controller, delivers water through a PVC pipe lateral irrigation line, ultimately reaching the sprinkler head, which applies the water to your landscaping.

Intelligent irrigation systems operate efficiently

Efficient irrigation components are designed to operate at lower pressure levels, as specified by each product manufacturer. Devices are more likely to fail under excess pressure, and damage can occur.

A pressure regulator will eliminate excess pressure.

A submeter can be installed where the irrigation system tees off the mainline to the house. It is a recommended option for large properties to keep track of the actual volume of water being applied to the landscape. Single-family homes typically have a single mixed-use meter which doesn’t distinguish between indoor and outdoor water use. An alternative is to install a flow sensor working in tandem with a smart controller.

Low-volume irrigation devices like rotary nozzles and micro or drip irrigation are designed to deliver water to the landscape at a slower rate. This better approximates the infiltration rate of the soil and reduces runoff.

Smart controllers will automatically adjust irrigation schedules in response to changing weather conditions. They come in two varieties. ET controllers monitor weather conditions. Soil moisture-based controllers directly sample the moisture in the ground. These devices also have features like “cycle and soak functions that can help eliminate runoff. When selecting a controller, look for brands with the EPA WaterSense ® label.

This article is part of a year-long series inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Remains at Level 1 of Its Water Shortage Contingency Plan

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Encinitas, Calif. — At its October 13 meeting, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors received an informational report on water supply conditions. OMWD will remain at Level 1 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan, which calls for voluntary conservation efforts.

OMWD moved out of a Level 2 Water Supply Shortage condition, which has mandatory water use restrictions, and down to Level 1, on July 20, 2016, as a result of a State Water Resources Control Board order allowing agencies to determine their conservation standard based on the ability to meet demands with existing supplies. Since July 20, 2016, OMWD has remained in Level 1.

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD Wraps Up Year-Long Construction Project Along El Camino Real

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors unanimously approved today the filing of a notice of completion for the El Camino Real Potable Water Pipeline Replacement and Green Bike Lane Striping Project. After over a year of collaboration with the City of Encinitas, OMWD has officially turned the project over to the city. The city will now begin the repaving and bike lane striping portion of the project.

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Atmospheric Rivers Left California Mostly Dry in Water Year 2021

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, or CW3E, at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, released its report October 11 on atmospheric rivers during Water Year 2021.

The report, “Distribution of Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers over the U.S. West Coast During Water Year 2021: End of Water Year Summary” shows that more atmospheric rivers landed on the U.S. West Coast in Water Year 2021 than in Water Year 2020. But the majority of those storms reached the Pacific Northwest, not California, where drought conditions have impacted water supply.

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La Niña Brings More Worries Amid Drought

/in , , /by /The Daily Journalby Corey Browning

Though it’s unclear what the effects of the La Niña climate expected this winter will be for Northern California, drought-ending rain is likely not among them.

The climate pattern brought on by cooler-than-usual surface water in parts of the Pacific Ocean creates varying weather globally, but historically the phenomena has meant drier conditions in the southern part of the state and wetter conditions in the Pacific Northwest.

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This Summer was California’s Driest on Record in More Than 100 years, Here’s What That Means

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Danielle Escheverria and Yoohjun Jung
In another alarming measure of California’s historic drought, the summer months this year were the state’s driest on record since 1895, when data-gathering for the government’s standard drought index began.
The monthly average dryness for July, August and September 2021 was -6.8 on the Palmer Drought Severity Index, which indicates extreme drought. Anything below -4.0 on the Palmer scale is considered “extreme drought.” A year with normal precipitation would fall between -0.49 and 0.49 on the scale, and an “extremely wet” year would land above 4.0.

 

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