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Opinion: California’s Drought Response Isn’t Working. It’s Time to Order Cuts in Water Use.

/in , /by /Los Angeles Times

California is in year three of a worsening drought and the situation is growing dire. After a wet and snowy December, California experienced its driest January and February on record. More than 93% of the state is now suffering “severe” or “extreme” drought, compared with 66% last month, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Sierra Nevada snowpack has dropped to 55% of normal for this time of year and reservoirs are depleted.

Gov. Gavin Newsom in July called for Californians to voluntarily reduce water use by 15% compared with 2020 levels, but the state has cut back by only about 6.5%. In January, urban water use increased by 2.6%, compared with the same month in 2020, heading in the wrong direction even as the drought deepens.

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Only 8 of 20 Critical GSA Plans Approved

/in , , /by /Western FarmPressby Tim Hearden

Only eight of the 20 California watersheds most critically affected by subsidence have had their groundwater sustainability plans approved by state water officials, according to recent testimony before a state board.

The other 12 – most of which are in the San Joaquin Valley – had their plans marked “incomplete” by state water regulators and face a July deadline to fix their deficiencies, said Paul Gosselin, who oversees the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act office for the state Department of Water Resources.

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State Water Project Declines Highlight Drought’s Severity

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

“Today’s announcement about reduced allocations from the State Water Project brings into focus the increasing challenges created by the megadrought. This is an emergency felt throughout the state and we strongly support continued conservation.”

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Carlsbad Desalination Plant Shields Region From Megadrought

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

As the worst drought in 1,200 years grips the West, the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is protecting the San Diego region with 50 million gallons a day of drought-proof water.

Completed in 2015, the plant was built before the period of increasing inflation that’s driving up prices for water infrastructure projects that are just starting. That means the desal plant is safeguarding the region’s economy and quality of life today at a lower cost than it would be to build now.

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CAISO Approves Nearly $3B of Transmission Projects to Prepare for California’s Clean Energy Goals

/in , , /by /Utility Diveby Kavya Balaraman

The California Independent System Operator approved a transmission plan Thursday that includes 23 projects, estimated to cost nearly $3 billion, to cope with the dramatic increase in renewable generation and forecasted load growth in its footprint.

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Farmers Key to Renewable Energy Future

/in , /by /Imperial Valley Pressby Christine Souza / California Farm Bureau Federation

California is progressing toward its goal of achieving 100% renewable and carbon-neutral electricity by 2045, and agriculture may be an integral part of the solution.

Farmers statewide have invested in renewable-energy technologies near vineyards, row-crop farms and atop walnut dryers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 8% of California farms have an on-site renewable-energy system.

Aaron Barcellos, who farms row crops and trees in Merced and Fresno counties, took advantage of federal tax incentives and invested in constructing two solar systems that total 1.4 megawatts to offset the farm’s energy usage.

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State Water Project Declines Highlight Drought’s Severity

/in , /by

March 18, 2022 – “Today’s announcement about reduced allocations from the State Water Project brings into focus the increasing challenges created by the megadrought. This is an emergency felt throughout the state and we strongly support continued conservation.

“Reduced water deliveries from the State Water Project highlight how the San Diego region’s conservation ethic combined with investments in drought-resilient supplies are paying off. The region uses very little water from the Bay-Delta, and even with reduced allocations, the Water Authority has reliable water supplies for 2022 and beyond.

“During this extended drought, we urge residents and businesses to use water wisely by limiting showers to five minutes, fixing indoor and outdoor water leaks, and ensuring irrigation systems are working efficiently. We must continue to care for our most precious natural resource to sustain our economy and quality of life – not just for today but for our future.”

— Sandra L. Kerl, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority

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Calif. to Zero Out Water Supplies Again Amid Dry Winter

/in , , /by /The Sunby Reid Stone

For the second time in a single water season, California water officials are preparing to zero out water deliveries to Valley farmers reliant on the State Water Project.

During a Tuesday meeting of California’s State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Water Resources director Karla Nemeth announced her agency would be enacting the cuts on water contractors and preserving resources for health and safety needs only.

Brad Hooker of Agri-Pulse first reported the news.

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Spring Outlook: Drought to Expand Amid Warmer Conditions

/in , , /by /NOAA-NWS Climate Prediction Center / California DWR

NOAA issued its U.S. Spring Outlook today and for the second year in a row, forecasters predict prolonged, persistent drought in the West where below-average precipitation is most likely. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center — part of the National Weather Service — is also forecasting above-average temperatures for most of the U.S. from the Desert Southwest to the East Coast and north through the Midwest to the Canadian border from April to June.

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Opinion: This Megadrought’s Dry Years to Come

/in , , /by /The Sun

Reading the tree rings from Montana to northern Mexico, from Pacific beaches to the Colorado Rockies, a team of scientists led by a UCLA researcher has shown that the current long-term drought in the West is the most severe in 1,200 years.

It’s not just a dry spell — it’s a megadrought.

The rigorous study, aided by NASA, shows all that talk you have heard most of your life, about how the lack of rain in these parts is normal, and about how “we live in a desert anyway” — we don’t; we live in a rare Mediterranean climate — is nonsense.

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