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‘Double-Edged Sword’: Why the Badly Needed Rains in California Could Fuel Catastrophic Fires

/in , , /by /The Guardianby Gabrielle Canon

Deep underneath the sodden soils and the berms of snow that now coat California, fuels for fire are waiting to sprout. Grasses and other quick-growing vegetation, spurred by the downpours that saturated the state at the start of the year, quickly turn to kindling as the weather warms.

“When that rain comes – and it came last month – that results in significant fuel load increases,” said Isaac Sanchez, a CalFire battalion chief.

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Big Cities Are Downsizing Their Water Footprints

/in , , /by /Sustainable Watersby Brian Richter

Forty percent or more of all water use in western US cities goes to outdoor watering of lawns, gardens, pools, and golf courses. One of the most effective urban water conservation strategies is to reduce the area of irrigated landscaping, or switching to less water-intensive vegetation.

My research group spent three years collecting water data and other information from 28 water utilities that serve a total of 23 million people in the American Southwest. The task wasn’t easy: 39 researchers were involved in collecting data from 45 different utility employees. Each of these utilities we surveyed is dependent on the Colorado River for some portion or all of their water supplies.

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Policy Group Warns of Steep Ag Losses Without Coordinated Action on Water

/in , , /by /Bakersfield.comby John Cox

Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley may be able to blunt a sharp decline in the years ahead if policymakers and the industry can come together on a series of strategies for reducing demand for irrigation while also increasing water supply, according to a new assessment from a prominent policy organization.

The report this month from the Public Policy Institute of California examined the biggest challenge confronting the state’s ag industry then recommended softening the impact by loosening water-trading rules, incentivizing farmland reuse and investing in storage, including groundwater recharge.

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From Snowpack to Groundwater: Here’s a Look at Water Supply Conditions Across California

/in , , /by /KCRAby Heather Waldman

The first week of February brought only modest amounts of rain and snow but despite that, California’s snowpack and many of the state’s largest reservoirs are in good shape.

According to data tracked by California’s Department of Water Resources, the statewide snowpack is at 135% of the average peak. Typically the snowpack peaks in late March to early April.

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Opinion: Drought Doom Paralyzed California. Now, We’re Dumping Water Into the Ocean.

/in , /by /The San Joaquin Valley Sunby Wayne Western, JR.

As we entered the fall of 2022 in California, news headlines read of a 1,200-year drought and state agencies warned the current drought from 2020 to 2022 was the driest on record.

In a matter of weeks, stories changed to talk of flooding, mudslides, and record rainfall. The New Year brought one of the wettest months on record in California. This set of evolving headlines is nothing new.

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The Rockies Are Having a Snowy Winter, but Not All of That Water Will Make It to the Colorado River

/in , , /by /KUNCby Alex Hager

New data show a snowy start to 2023 for the Colorado River basin. Inflows into Lake Powell, the nation’s second largest reservoir, are currently projected to be 117% of average during spring runoff thanks to heavy winter precipitation in the Rocky Mountains.

The beleaguered river is shrinking due to climate change and steady demand. Scientists say this winter’s snow may provide a temporary boost to major reservoirs, but will not provide enough water to fix the Southwest’s supply-demand imbalance.

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As Colorado River Shrinks, Water Evaporation Becomes Critical to California’s Future Supplies

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Much of the Colorado River’s water is diverted from reservoirs and transported in canals to the farmlands and cities of the desert Southwest. But some of the water also ends up going elsewhere — vanishing into thin air.

Water lost to evaporation has become a central point of contention in the disagreement between California and six other states over how to divide reductions in water use.

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In Times of Scarcity, California’s Best New Source of Water? Reuse.

/in , , /by /Water & the Westby Caroline M. Reinhart

As California has struggled with drought, Governor Gavin Newsom’s fundamental solution: find more water by diversifying the state’s public water supply. Because of the proximity of the Pacific Ocean, one of the most frequently mentioned sources is seawater desalination. A few communities are trying it, despite environmental concerns.

But another potential source gets less public attention, even though water providers are showing increasing interest thanks to its early successes: reuse.

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Still No Agreement Between Western States, Including CA, on How to Reduce Colorado River Water Use

/in , , /by /ABC 7 by Rob McMillan

With the Colorado River in crisis, there is still no agreement over which states and regions should have their water allocations cut back and how soon those cuts should go into effect.

Seven states in the western United States take water from the Colorado River, and although six of them have agreed on a framework, the lone holdout is the largest user of Colorado River water in the county: California.

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Lake Mead Water Levels: Could California Speed Up Recovery?

/in , , /by /Newsweekby Anna Skinner

As Lake Mead and Lake Powell levels inch closer to dead pool, states in the lower Colorado River basin are proposing more solutions that could lend to the reservoirs’ recoveries.

Required water cuts have already been implemented and increased in severity this year for Arizona and Nevada.

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