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No Rest for the Weary: More Flooding Rain to Eye California

/in , , /by /AccuWeatherby Courtney Travis

AccuWeather meteorologists say that more rain is in the forecast for California, as additional storms from the Pacific are expected to reach the western United States in the coming days.

Multiple large and powerful storms have hit California since New Year’s Eve, making for a disastrous start to 2023 for the state. The most recent California storm killed at least three people and dumped nearly 10 inches of rain on southern parts of the state and around 2 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada.

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Reservoirs, Snowpack Are Benefitting Big Time From California’s Stormy Pattern

/in , , /by /KCRA 3by Heather Waldman

It’s been a wild couple of weeks of weather in Northern California. But there is a rather bright silver lining to this train of storms: our surface water supply is getting a big boost.

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In a Water Deficit, Arizona Contemplates a Future Without Colorado River Access

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Joe Duhownik

Water from the Colorado River covers more than a third of Arizona’s total water usage, but the state is increasingly losing access to that supply.

The state is no longer in what Terry Goddard, the president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board of Directors, called “a fool’s paradise.” Arizona had maintined a surplus of water since the mid-1980s, but that’s not the case today. Now, it’s losing water, and it’s losing it fast.

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Reclamation Invests $7M in Water Efficiency Projects

/in , , /by /WaterWorld

The Bureau of Reclamation has announced a $7 million investment for 82 small-scale water efficiency projects across the West.

The grants will support local community projects, including measuring water flow, automating water delivery, or lining canals. The funding is part of the WaterSMART program, which supports states, Tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply through investments to modernize existing infrastructure and avoid potential water conflicts.

“Community-driven projects are at the heart of WaterSMART, and small investments can go a long way to support water supply and reliability,” says Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “These water efficiency improvements are small, but when combined throughout the West, the projects play an important role in communities becoming more resilient to drought.”

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Rain Forecast From Atmospheric Rivers Poses Challenge, But Advancements Are Being Made

/in /by /KPBS-FM/TVby John Carroll and Roland Lizarondo

The forecast said high winds and up to an inch of rain in San Diego Tuesday. The winds showed, but the rain? That was a different story.

How much water you got from this latest atmospheric-river charged storm depended on where you live.

For an example, as of noon Tuesday, San Onofre had received a little over an inch of rain, but San Diego International Airport received just three-tenths of an inch.

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Environmentalists say Newsom’s Budget Cuts Jeopardize Climate Programs, Electric Car Mandate

/in , /by /CalMatters by Nadia Lopez

Environmentalists slammed Gov. Gavin Newsom for slashing billions of dollars from initiatives that the governor has repeatedly called top priorities: efforts to combat climate change and transition to zero-emission vehicles.

Facing a projected $22.5 billion deficit, Newsom today proposed to eliminate $6 billion in climate spending in his 2023-24 budget. The governor helped push a five-year $54 billion climate package approved by the Legislature during last year’s session, but he now proposes to cut it to $48 billion.

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Landscape Makeover Program Adds New ‘Designer At Your Door’ Service

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

There is a new opportunity for San Diego County residents who want to save water through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program: “Designer At Your Door.” This new in-person service offers on-site and in-studio technical design assistance from landscape industry professionals for qualified residents.

As 2023 begins with cool, rainy weather, now is the ideal time to attend a virtual three-hour workshop to start your makeover.

This new iteration of the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program features the original award-winning WaterSmart curriculum delivered in three ways: special topic workshops available online and in-person; virtual skill-building videos; and in-person technical design assistance.

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Despite Storms, State Reservoirs Aren’t Likely to Return to Normal Levels This Year

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1by Susan Carpenter

Even with a sixth atmospheric river in two weeks dumping rain on California, water regulators said reservoirs are not likely to completely refill this year. As of Sunday, the state’s 17 reservoirs were at 78% of average, the Department of Water Resources announced Monday.

“We’re still below average,” said Jon Yarbrough, assistant deputy director for the State Water Project, the California agency that collects water from Northern California rivers and redistributes it to major cities. “We still have a lot of room in our reservoirs to take in the in-flows that we’re seeing on the horizon here.”

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California Storms Persist With Deluges, Mudslide Threats

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Christopher Weber and Stephanie Dazio

California saw no relief from drenching rains early Tuesday as the latest in a relentless string of storms continued to swamp roads and batter coastlines with high surf, turning rivers into gushing flood zones and forcing the evacuation of thousands in towns with histories of deadly mudslides. At least 14 people have died since the storms began last week.

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California Snowpack Soars to Nearly 200% of Normal

/in , , /by /KTLAby Marc Sternfield

While many areas of California are coping with the destructive impact of relentless rainfall, the news is nothing but good when it comes to the state’s snowpack. As of Monday, California’s snow water equivalent was 199% of normal for the date (January 9), according to the California Department of Water Resources.

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