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Winter Outlook: Warm South; Cooler North; Murky In Middle

Federal forecasters predict this winter may paint the U.S. in stripes of different weather: Warmer and drier than normal in the south, and colder and wetter than usual in the far north. The National Weather Service winter outlook , issued Thursday, gets murky in the nation’s middle belt, with no particular expectation for trends in temperature or precipitation. Still, some nasty storms might make the winter there memorable, said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center.

California’s Dire Drought Message Wanes, Conservation Levels Drop

Remember the California drought? It was all over the news a year ago, when the state took the unprecedented step of mandating statewide water cutbacks. The Sierra Nevada snowpack was at its lowest recorded level. Rivers and reservoirs were getting shallower and shallower. Wells in rural towns were literally running dry. That drought is still very much a thing. More than 62 percent of California remains in severe to exceptional drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. And without a wet winter the state could be facing a sixth-consecutive year of severe drought.

Here’s How the Drought Is Impacting Investment Markets

For those with a financial stake in water, drought can mean boom or bust, depending on the investment. And even without a specific market to trade water, there are numerous ways to invest in it – from buying land with water rights to stocks in water-dependent companies to municipal bonds. Take Michael Burry, for instance, the hedge fund manager featured in the book and movie “The Big Short” who outsmarted the subprime housing market crash. The end of the movie includes the line: “Michael Burry is focusing all of his trading on one commodity: Water.”

 

‘One-Two Punch’ Of River Flow Plans Hits Rural California

Plans announced today to dedicate more Sacramento River flows to fish will harm farms and ranches statewide, according to the California Farm Bureau Federation. By limiting the amount of water that could be stored in reservoirs, CFBF President Paul Wenger said, the draft proposal from the State Water Resources Control Board would reduce surface-water supplies on which much of California depends. “This plan is part of a one-two punch aimed at rural California,” Wenger said.

OPINION: State’s Water Grab Will Hurt Everyone In This Region

It’s now abundantly clear we have water problems.The first problem is that the general public doesn’t realize the state’s recently proposed reduction in river water for farmers is more dangerous for them than it is for agriculture. The list of those who will suffer from the reduction of water allowed to stay in this region is long – professionals, store owners, farmers, public servants and all of those whose income comes from agriculture-related jobs or who do business with farmers (from cutting their hair to washing their cars).

Return Of Rain Doesn’t Alleviate Need For Conservation

While the heavens have opened up and finally dropped some rain on Marin’s drought-riddled terrain, a recent report says ongoing conservation is the best way to thwart years of dryness. A new report from the Pacific Institute calls upon Californians to continue to conserve water regardless of how much rain may fall this fall and winter. “The study’s findings definitely pertain to Marin,” said Emma Detwiler, public information representative for the Marin Municipal Water District. “Specifically, this statement: ‘Nonetheless, the study finds that urban water conservation and efficiency are the most cost-effective ways to meet current and future water needs.’”

Southern California To See High Heat, Fire Danger

Rugged peaks of the Sierra Nevada received a dusting of snow from an autumn storm that brought Yosemite Falls back to life, but it’s not time for sweaters and hot chocolate everywhere in California. Santa Ana winds typical of fall in Southern California are expected to bring a summerlike heat wave and high fire danger for the next several days from coastal counties northwest of Los Angeles down to the Mexico border. Temperatures in the hottest areas were predicted to soar into the 90s to around 100 degrees Wednesday through Friday.

4 Bold Collaborations Tackling California’s Drought

Water is California’s lifeblood, feeding Central Valley farmlands, inviting Malibu lawns and gardens to grow and cooling Silicon Valley data centers. It spurs the state’s diverse ecosystem, allowing for an economy and production exported all across the U.S.  California’s secret suffering — a record-breaking, six-year drought — has become irreversibly visible in recent years, as the impact of dwindling water levels, population growth, aging infrastructure and climate change strain the state’s access to fresh water. All of California is in “severe drought” or worse, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor

 

As California Water Use Rises, Some Ask: Were Limits Eased Too Soon?

This state slashed urban water use over 25 percent in the face of a punishing drought last year, exceeding a mandatory order issued by Gov. Jerry Brown and turning California into a model of water conservation. Californians tore out lawns, cut back landscape watering and took shorter showers as they embraced Mr. Brown’s call to accommodate what he warned were permanently drier times.

California Eyes More Sacramento River Water For Fish, Less For Farms, Cities

Signaling a cutback in water supplies for farming and cities, California regulators on Wednesday issued a new scientific analysis that proposes overhauling the management of the Sacramento River and devoting more water to Northern California’s dwindling fish populations.The State Water Resources Control Board, in a widely anticipated report crafted by its staff, said it’s considering allowing much more of the flow from the Sacramento River and its tributaries to wash out into the ocean.The board avoided issuing a specific recommendation on how much additional water should go to fish.