Early January was an unusually wild ride of atmospheric rivers. Nine sizable systems produced a train of storms beginning about New Years and lasting for several weeks across almost all of California. After three years of drought, the storms reminded us that California has flood problems similar in magnitude to its drought problems, and that floods and droughts can occur in synchrony.
Underground storage may be a key for Western states navigating water shortages and extreme weather.
Aquifers under the ground have served as a reliable source of water for years. During rainy years, the aquifers would fill up naturally, helping areas get by in the dry years.
The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which has continued to increase throughout January as a result of storms battering much of the state since the New Year, might help California combat its ongoing drought.
As of January 20, the Sierra snowpack state-wide was at 240 percent of the average for this time of year. The South Sierra stations, located between the San Joaquin and Mono counties through to Kern county, reported snowpacks at 283 percent of the January 20 average.
There’s a problem with Tijuana’s lifeline to its single water source – the Colorado River– which forced it make more, costly emergency water purchases from California.
The San Diego County Water Authority recently learned that problems emerged with Tijuana’s aqueduct in December, according to a press release this week. Tijuana requested emergency water from San Diego on Jan. 2, which the Water Authority expedited through a typical months-long approval process involving water agencies that also have to sign-off on emergency orders from Mexico.
Spring Valley, Calif. – At its January meeting, the Otay Water District board of directors elected new officers to lead the District’s board for 2023.
The board elected director Mark Robak, who represents division five, as president. The board also elected board member Jose Lopez, serving division four, as vice president and Ryan Keyes, serving division two, as treasurer.
Robak’s election as president follows two years of board leadership under past president Tim Smith. Robak will serve as president through January 2024 when officer elections will again take place. He has served on the District’s board for 18 years since January 2005.
Chula Vista, Calif. – At its January 19 meeting, the South Bay Irrigation District (SBID) appointed Manny Delgado to represent residents living in SBID Division 3. As part of his duties, Delgado will also serve on the Governing Board of Sweetwater Authority.
Delgado replaces former Director Jose Preciado, who resigned from the seat in November 2022 when he was elected to the City of Chula Vista City Council. He will serve until the next General Election for the South Bay Irrigation District, which will occur on November 5, 2024. At that time, a director will be elected to a four-year term.
The San Diego County Water Authority’s First Aqueduct will be shut down periodically over the next three months for maintenance projects to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for the region. Two shutdowns on the First Aqueduct are scheduled from January through March, when portions of the aqueduct will be relined, along with other maintenance.
Officials involved in the talks over how to cut Colorado River water use amid a historic drought say they’re optimistic a consensus will be reached by states before a Feb. 1 deadline even though the negotiations are in a delicate place.
If the seven Western states don’t reach consensus, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Reclamation will consider mandating water cuts—a move the states are working feverishly to avoid.
California voters approved a ballyhooed $7.5-billion bond issue eight-plus years ago thinking the state would build dams and other vital water facilities. But it hasn’t built zilch. True or false?
That’s the rap: The voters were taken. The state can’t get its act together.
Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019