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Miracle or Mirage? Atmospheric Rivers End California Drought Year With Heavy Snow and Rain

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

After the driest start to any year on record, California will end 2022 with snow-capped mountains, soaked roadways and — in some places — flood warnings. The soggy end to an otherwise bone-dry year came as something of a surprise. Only weeks earlier, officials sounded the alarm about a rare third appearance of La Niña — a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific that is often associated with dry conditions in the state.

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Turn Off Irrigation During and After Rainstorms

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by Debbie L. Sklar Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A series of storms bringing much-needed rain to the San Diego region is also a reminder for residents and businesses to turn off irrigation systems when wet weather is predicted and for at least a week after significant rainfall.

While a series of atmospheric rivers is boosting the Sierra snowpack and easing dry conditions statewide, there is still a long way to go to overcome three arid years. Water-saving actions today can help conserve more of our most precious natural resources when needed.

“Outdoor watering accounts for at least half of a typical household’s water use, which means that cutting back on irrigation during damp and cool periods is one of the easiest ways to live WaterSmart,” said Efren Lopez, a water resources specialist for the San Diego County Water Authority. “With a half-inch of rain in many areas on Tuesday night and several more damp days in the forecast, this is the perfect time to turn off the sprinklers for an extended period.”

Despite the most severe drought conditions in more than 1,200 years, San Diego County continues to have enough water to meet demands due to significant investments in water conservation and supplies. The region’s long-term supply reliability depends on a continued commitment to water-use efficiency indoors and outdoors by homes and businesses both large and small.

Rain barrels are one easy way to save water. “Water stored in rain barrels can gradually be released into landscapes between rains,” said Lopez. “With our region’s traditionally wet months just ahead, this is a great way to increase your outdoor water efficiency.”

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Storms Boost Snowpack as First Survey Nears

/in , , /by /Western Farm Press

Reporters who slog through a meadow near Lake Tahoe next week for California’s first manual snow survey of the season will find copious amounts of snow. The state Department of Water Resources’ electronic readings on Dec. 29 showed a statewide snowpack at 156% of normal as a persistent parade of storm clouds has pelted the West Coast in December.

 

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‘Extra Winter’s Worth of Precipitation’ Needed to Bust California Drought, Scientist Says

/in , , /by /Fox Weatherby Hillary Andrews

Some western residents are breathing a sigh of relief after recent atmospheric river storms have drenched the drought-parched region, and more are on the way. However, scientists caution that it is too early to celebrate. “At this point in time, we still have another four or five months in our snow season and in our typical rainy season,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the Central Sierra Snow Lab.

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Column: How Alfalfa, Cows and a Saudi-Owned Farming Operation Became Villains of Western Water Woes

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

People don’t eat much alfalfa, at least not directly. But the crop widely grown throughout California and the West to feed cows across the world has become central to discussions about managing a future with limited water. That’s part of the larger debate over what’s being grown and where it goes, and even what people should eat to ease pressure on the water supply and fight climate change.

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How Colorado River Cities Are Preparing for Shortages With Conservation and Alternate Sources

/in , , /by /The Arizona Republicby Brandon Loomis

The grass beneath the palm trees at the Foothills has no function other than to look lush and inviting for people driving up to the gated community’s entrance. The homeowners’ association there, like many that govern such developments dating to the 1980s and 1990s, was still sprinkling Colorado River water on about 50,000 square feet of turf this year.

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Snow Study: Researchers Examine Factors Impacting Sierra Nevada Snowpack

/in , /by /Tahoe Daily Tribuneby Claire McArthur

Eight of the top 10 warmest years on record occurred in the last decade. The snowline where rain turns to powder continues to move uphill. The dry season is longer than ever as wildfires ravage forests and communities. It’s a bleak outlook for the state of the Sierra Nevada snowpack, not to mention our planet as a whole.

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‘The Brink of Disaster’: 2023 is a Critical Year for the Colorado River as Reservoirs Sink Toward ‘Dead Pool’

/in , /by /CNNby Ella Nilsen and Rachel Ramirez

Deep uncertainty looms over the Colorado River and the 40 million people who depend on it for their water supply as the basin enters a critical year that could determine its future stability. Plagued by decades of overuse and human-caused climate change, demand for the river’s water has vastly outpaced its supply.

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How Record Snowfall Could Soften the 2023 Drought Season

/in , /by /NPRby Ari Shapiro

NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with Andrew Schwartz of the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab about how record snowfall in western states could mean a less drought-ridden 2023.

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Turn Off Irrigation During and After Rainstorms

/in , /by /The Vista Press Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A series of storms bringing much needed rain to the San Diego region is also a reminder for residents and businesses to turn off irrigation systems when wet weather is predicted and for at least a week after significant rainfall.

While a series of atmospheric rivers is boosting Sierra snowpack and easing dry conditions statewide, there is still a long way to go to overcome three extremely dry years. Water-saving actions today can help conserve more of our most precious natural resource for when it’s needed most.

Full Story