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EXPLAINER: How Cities in the West Have Water Amid Drought

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Suman Naishadham

As drought and climate change tighten their grip on the American West, the sight of fountains, swimming pools, gardens and golf courses in cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Boise, and Albuquerque can be jarring at first glance.

Western water experts, however, say they aren’t necessarily cause for concern. Over the past three decades, major Western cities — particularly in California and Nevada — have diversified their water sources, boosted local supplies through infrastructure investments and conservation, and use water more efficiently.

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California Drought: Water Wasters Could Face Fines of Up to $10,000 in Santa Clara County Under New Rules

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

Residents in Santa Clara County could face fines of up to $500 — and in extreme cases, $10,000 — for wasting water, under new drought rules approved Tuesday afternoon that are among the toughest of any urban area in California.

Citing the worsening drought, dwindling local water supplies and residents’ failure to hit conservation targets, the board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, a government agency based in San Jose that serves as the wholesale water provider to 2 million residents, voted unanimously to set up an enforcement program to warn, and then fine, property owners who are violating outdoor watering rules.

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La Niña Lives! — And That’s Bad News

/in , , /by /Discover Magazineby Tom Yulsman

For two winters in a row, La Niña has steered desperately needed rain and snow storms away from the U.S. Southwest, exacerbating a decades-long drought that has shriveled reservoirs and spurred horrific wildfires.

Now, hopes that the climate pattern would relent and allow moisture to rebound next winter have suffered a serious blow.

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Californians Could See Mandatory Water Cuts Amid Drought

/in , , /by /APby Kathleen Ronayne Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

California Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened Monday to impose mandatory water restrictions if residents don’t use less on their own as a drought drags on and the hotter summer months approach.

Newsom raised that possibility in a meeting with representatives from major water agencies, including those that supply Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area. The Democratic governor has avoided issuing sweeping, mandatory cuts in water use and instead favored giving local water agencies power to set rules for water use in the cities and towns they supply.

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Newsom Urges Aggressive Water Conservation and Warns of Statewide Restrictions

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times by Ian James Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Gov. Gavin Newsom met with leaders of the state’s largest urban water suppliers Monday and implored them to step up efforts to get people to reduce water use as California’s drought continues to worsen. He warned that if conservation efforts don’t improve this summer, the state could be forced to impose mandatory water restrictions throughout the state.

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Newsom Urges Aggressive Action as Historic Drought Looms Over Summer

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Natalie Hanson Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Leaders from California’s largest urban water suppliers and associations met with Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday to discuss aggressive actions to combat drought.

Per Newsom’s direction, the state’s Water Resources Control Board may vote on a statewide ban on watering “nonfunctional turf” in a meeting Tuesday.

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SoCal Needs to Keep Vital Trees Alive Despite Unprecedented Watering Restrictions

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Jaimie Ding

The lowly sidewalk tree often stands invisible. We rest in its shade, bask in the scent of springtime flowers, and we don’t notice it until it’s gone.

But the tree works hard. It captures and filters stormwater runoff and helps replenish groundwater. It cleans our air and cools our neighborhoods. It improves our mental health. It saves lives.

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Lake Powell, Producing Energy to Millions, Majorly Threatened by Drought Conditions

/in , , /by /FOX 10by Steve Nielsen

The water crisis in Arizona affects all of us. From our tap water to our crops, even our electricity.

The supply is running short, so FOX 10’s Steve Nielsen headed to Lake Powell to investigate our ongoing water crisis and uncover what’s being done to safeguard our most important resource in the desert.

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Opinion: California’s Water Shortage Requires Updates in Technology, Law — and Mindset

/in , /by /Los Angeles Times

Californians responded to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for voluntary water conservation earlier this year by using more, not less. On Monday, Newsom said mandatory cutbacks could be coming.

Already, residents face sharp new outdoor water restrictions June 1, and serious doubts over whether those limits will be enough to cope with a historic water shortage.

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Opinion: New Melones Modeling & Megadroughts: Setting Stage for State’s Water Armageddon

/in , /by /Manteca Bulletinby Dennis Wyatt

New Melones Reservoir is the proverbial canary in the mine when it comes to where state water policy wedded with the return of megadroughts is taking California.

Using historical hydrology data on the Stanislaus River basin between 1922 and 2019:

*Based on current regulatory rules New Melones Reservoir would fall below 250,000 acre feet of storage in 3 out of the 98 years.

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