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Atmospheric River-fueled Storm Arrives in California. Here’s Which Areas Will Be in the Bull’s-Eye

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Gerry Diaz

California is once again bearing the brunt of inclement weather, as a low-pressure system off the coast rapidly intensifies and becomes a storm, tapping into another atmospheric river that’s flowing between Hawaii and California.

The storm that started Monday night is forecast to raise powerful winds along the coast that will spread to all corners of the Bay Area, Central Coast and Central Valley and peak just before sunrise on Tuesday. These winds will ferry heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and the risk for more flooding across most of the California coast and eventually Southern California.

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Carlsbad Aquafarms Gets Grant for Living Shoreline Project

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Phil Diehl

The Carlsbad Aquafarm has been allocated a $230,000 grant to install and monitor native oyster reefs and eelgrass meadows along the shore of Agua Hedionda Lagoon near the strawberry fields, the Carlsbad desalination plant and the Encina power plant.

Oysters and mussels have been grown commercially in the outer lagoon since the 1950s, when San Diego Gas & Electric Co. dredged it to make it deeper and provide a constant source of seawater to cool the power plant.

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More Moisture is Headed to Utah, the West. Will It Help Lake Powell?

/in , /by /Deseret Newsby Amy Joi O’Donoghue

Lake Powell is currently close to 180 feet below full pool and coming off a summer last year where several boat ramps were closed and owners were advised to retrieve their houseboats from the docks.

Releases from a couple of upstream reservoirs, including Flaming Gorge, were made last summer to help the nation’s second largest reservoir and its Glen Canyon Dam, which provides power generation to Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Nebraska.

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EPA to Limit Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Michael Phillis and Matthew Daly

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water, a long-awaited protection the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer.

The plan would limit toxic PFAS chemicals to the lowest level that tests can detect. PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated substances, are a group of compounds that are widespread, dangerous and expensive to remove from water. They don’t degrade in the environment and are linked to a broad range of health issues, including low birthweight and kidney cancer.

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

Water Districts Partner to Offer Complimentary WaterSmart Landscape Design Workshop

/in , /by

Encinitas, Calif. — In order to promote outdoor water use efficiency, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, San Dieguito Water District, and Santa Fe Irrigation District invite members of the public to attend a free WaterSmart landscape design workshop on Monday, April 3, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Encinitas Community and Senior Center at 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive in Encinitas.

Steve Sherman of California Landscape Technologies will provide an informative and interactive workshop that will feature methods to reduce outdoor water use and increase irrigation efficiencies. The workshop will provide homeowners simple, step-by-step approaches for creating attractive, water-wise landscapes that are easy to maintain.

Registration for the workshop is required at www.olivenhain.com/events.

This free two-hour workshop is offered through a partnership between OMWD, San Dieguito Water District, and Santa Fe Irrigation District.

Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

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Newsom Loosens Rules to Allow More Floodwater to Flow Into Underground Reservoirs

/in , , /by /The New York Timesby Soumya Karlamangla and Jill Cowan Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

As another round of heavy storms battered California, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that he would ease state rules to allow local water agencies to more easily redirect floodwaters to replenish the state’s severely depleted groundwater supplies.

The move comes amid criticism that California has flushed trillions of gallons of water out to sea during this winter’s repeated deluges. Water agencies and experts say the state’s strict rules that limit who can take water from streams and creeks have prohibited the local agencies from capturing the excessive flows, though California desperately needs to bank water for its next drought.

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Battered by Destructive Flooding, California Braces for More Rain

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times

California is bracing for another round of rain beginning Monday as officials assess the damage from severe flooding along the Central Coast and Central Valley, which left scores stranded, and whole blocks under water.

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Sierra Snowpack Hits Record Levels After Recent Storms

/in , , /by /Newsweekby Jess Thomson

The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains has reached record-breaking levels thanks to the deluge of snow smashing California this week.

According to data from the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR), the Southern Sierras—from San Joaquin and Mono counties to Kern county—currently have a snowpack 257 percent greater than the average for this time of year, and 247 percent larger than is average for the usual snowpack peak on April 1.

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WaterSmart Makeover: Helix District Winner’s Landscape an Homage to Neighborly Inspiration

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Caron Golden

After spending his weekdays with 25 energetic 5-year-olds as a kindergarten teacher, Nick Voinov needs a place and activity that provides respite. For decades, it’s been his garden.

Voinov, who lives in La Mesa with his wife, Joanna, and their three children, originally moved into his house in 1994 with friends. His mom, Janet, had bought it the year before. It’s across the street from the family home Voinov grew up in and where Janet still lives. Voinov bought it from her 10 years later when he and Joanna married. And he’s been working in that garden, now filled with a wide variety of succulents, for more than 20 years. It was only last year that he heard about Helix Water District’s WaterSmart Landscape contest. He entered and he won, receiving a $250 gift certificate to Walter Anderson Nursery.

 

(Editor’s Note: This is the fifth in an occasional series on winners of the annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest, conducted in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority. To learn about entering the next contest, visit landscapecontest.com. For details on classes and resources through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program, visit www.sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation. Landscape rebates are available through the Socal WaterSmart Turf Replacement Program at socalwatersmart.com.)

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Update: How the Recent Storms Impacted San Diego’s Water Supply in Reservoirs

/in , , /by /FOX 5 San Diego Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

With recent storm systems that swept through the west, California has seen more precipitation this year than normal, bringing the water supply stored in reservoirs — both locally and across the state — up from historic lows to levels that are some of the highest in years.

And with drought conditions having improved in much of California, experts say that the amount of water captured from this year’s particularly wet winter could help ease the impact of hotter, drier weather in San Diego, as the state recovers its depleted water supplies.

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