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

History is best not forgotten, especially when lives could be at stake.
Earlier this month, operators of the federal dam at Folsom Lake significantly increased releases into the American River, even though California’s water crisis is far from over.

Though the reservoir was sitting at 40 percent of capacity, a manual drawn up in 1987 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers required the action, The Bee’s Ryan Sabalow, Phillip Reese and Dale Kasler reported last week. Some regional water managers and experts frowned that too much water was being released when California is still gripped by drought.

Politicians who oppose the plan of Gov. Jerry Brown for twin tunnels in the Delta lose labor money, a Republican candidate for the 3rd state Senate district said Wednesday – so an out is available for them to just state they don’t support the tunnels.

Greg Coppes said at the Vaca Valley Tea Party evening meeting that people should demand that politicians oppose the twin tunnels and have a plan to stop them.

As the California drought continues despite recent rainfall, water agencies in the Santa Clarita Valley say that conservation is still essential and the drought is far from over.

Snowpack through January was “trending at 115 percent of normal,” but since February was dryer than usual, currently water inflow is about average, according to Mike Alvord, assistant general manager at Newhall County Water District.

An avalanche near Alpine Meadows ski resort struck a bus Thursday morning and pushed it 30 feet into a house after a storm passing through the Sierra brought nearly two feet of snow to resorts across the region, officials said Thursday.

The avalanche hit the bus traveling on Alpine Meadows Road in North Lake Tahoe, said Ron Carson, a spokesman with the North Tahoe Fire Protection District. No one was injured in the incident.

Record high temperatures and a dry spell in California the past week has “renewed concerns of early snowmelt” in the Sierra and “considerable long-term” drought impacts remain.

“In the core western drought areas of California and western Nevada, dry, warm weather during the period resulted in no change to this week’s drought depiction,” reports the U.S. Drought Monitor in its update released Feb. 18. “While much of the region has experienced favorable precipitation during the 2015-16 Water Year – and subsequent removal of the “S” (short-term) drought Impact Type – considerable long-term (L) impacts remain.”