You are now in California and the U.S. category.

Maybe it was a tomato, head of lettuce or a chunk of cheddar. Chances are, the Central Valley farmers our firm has financed through loans or lines of credit have grown something that has reached your dinner table. We have a farm-to-fork connection. Today, the challenging part of that connection is water. Rural and urban California have done a great job following state directives to lower rural and residential water use during the historic five-year drought. The actual savings varies throughout California, from 100 to 200 gallons per person each day around the home. That’s a very significant savings.

 

Regulators say water conservation continues to slip in drought-stricken California after officials lifted mandatory cutbacks. Max Gomberg, a senior climate scientist for the State Water Resources Control Board, said officials on Wednesday will release the figures for how well Californians cutback their water use in August. California just entered its sixth year of a historic drought. Last winter delivered a near-average amount of rain and snow mostly in Northern California, but it wasn’t enough to end the long dry spell. Gomberg says he’s concerned by the latest monthly results.

October is the time for optimism about water in California. The forecasts start calling for rain as the coming winter offers hope of relief for the state’s thirsty rivers and reservoirs. Just this weekend, parts of Northern California saw up to three quarters of an inch of rain, while the first big snow shut down Highway 120 in Yosemite. Hydrologically speaking, Oct. 1 also marked the official start of the state water year. But as much as the milestone brought the prospect of drought-busting storms ahead, it highlighted the grim reality of the past 12 months.

A low-interest loan program that supports California water projects has seen three times more requests for money than it has funds available, partly because of surging interest in water recycling.The Clean Water State Revolving Fund exists to help local agencies pay for wastewater treatment plant upgrades, stormwater capture and wildlife habitat projects that improve water quality. Eighty percent of the money in the fund comes from federal appropriations via the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the remainder from state appropriations. A separate Drinking Water State Revolving Fund provides grants and loans for drinking water treatment and supply projects.

 

An unseasonably cool weather system dropped rain and hail in parts of Northern California and dusted the Sierra Nevada with snow. Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe tweeted photos of snow on the slopes on Sunday. The National Weather Service says up to 3 inches of snow could fall until midnight. Spotty showers moved across the region, where nearly a half-inch of rain fell in the northern Sacramento Valley. Hail was reported in Chico, about 80 miles north of Sacramento, as well as Rocklin and Folsom Lake.