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Heat Wave This Week Will Intensify Fire Danger for Bay Area, Northern California

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Jakob Rogers

A pre-Memorial Day heat wave will prime the Bay Area for another dry fire season, roasting the region’s landscape with some of the hottest weather so far in 2022 and pushing temperatures in some cities close to 100 degrees.

A month ahead of the official start of summer, high temperatures could climb 5 to 20 degrees above normal on Tuesday and Wednesday for much of the Bay Area — a pre-Memorial Day blast of hot weather that prompted a heat advisory for the entire Central Valley and a red flag warning for a broad swath of Northern California stretching from Vallejo to Redding.

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‘Everyone Loses’: Sacramento Valley Struggles to Survive Unprecedented Water Cuts

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Rachel Becker

Standing on the grassy plateau where water is piped onto his property, Josh Davy wished his feet were wet and his irrigation ditch full.

Three years ago, when he sank everything he had into 66 acres of irrigated pasture in Shasta County, Davy thought he’d drought-proofed his cattle operation.

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California Water Officials Urge Conservation Amid Dim Outlook for Improvement in Drought Conditions

/in , , /by /ABC 7by Sid Garcia

Outdoor watering restrictions area set to take effect in Los Angeles at the end of the month, and the prospect of an improvement in drought conditions appears dim.

Just how bad is the drought? According to state figures, the first three months of the year were the driest in the state’s recorded history. California is currently in the third year of a drought.

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Saving Water and Generating Power in California: Can One Project Achieve Both?

/in , , /by /ABC 7by Phillip Palmer

California needs more water and renewable energy, and Solar AquaGrid CEO Jordan Harris is trying to help.

“We need some bold solutions and big solutions,” he said.

A big idea is starting with a small stretch of canals in the Turlock Irrigation District, located just south of Modesto.

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Companies Face Billions in Damages as PFAS Lawsuits Flood Courts

/in , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Andrew Wallender

For years, plaintiffs’ lawyers suing over health and environmental damage from so called forever chemicals, known collectively as PFAS, focused on one set of deep pockets—E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.

But over the past two years, there’s been a seismic shift in the legal landscape as awareness of PFAS has expanded.

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California Is About to Begin the Nation’s Largest Dam Removal Project. Here’s What It Means for Wildlife

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

After decades of negotiation, the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history is expected to begin in California’s far north next year.

The first of four aging dams on the Klamath River, the 250-mile waterway that originates in southern Oregon’s towering Cascades and empties along the rugged Northern California coast, is on track to come down in fall 2023. Two others nearby and one across the state line will follow.

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Opinion: Extended drought leads to increased wildfire threat now and in the future

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens

The resort at Mammoth Mountain just announced it will extend the skiing season into June because of storms in April and May.

A week earlier and 350 miles south, tinder-dry conditions fueled a wildfire that ripped through Laguna Niguel, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate and destroying 20 homes.

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Tucson Votes to Give Up Some of its CAP water to Help Save Lake Mead

/in , , /by /KOLD News 13by Bud Foster

The Tucson City Council voted unanimously to give back about a third of its Central Arizona Project water allocation to help an ailing Lake Mead.

The lake, hit hard by a prolonged drought, is at 31% capacity and dropping. It provides water for 20 million people in Arizona, California and Nevada as well as large swaths of farmland.

“I feel that the city of Tucson is in a position where we can add water back to the lake, specifically Lake Mead,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero before the vote.

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The West, Reliant on Hydro, May Miss It During Heat Waves

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Benjamin Storrow Mentioned: `

When California suffers a heat wave, it leans heavily on hydropower from the Pacific Northwest to keep the lights on.

But that hydropower may not always be available when it’s most needed, as climate change is shifting the ground on which the West’s dams sit. Higher temperatures means snowmelt occurs earlier in the year and leaves less water available for power generation during the depths of summer.

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To Pre-Rinse or Not to Pre-Rinse? How to Use Your Dishwasher During the Drought

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ada Tseng

The science is in. Dishwashers save water — especially if you run them only when you have a full load.

Experts will also tell you that you don’t even need to pre-rinse the crusty, sticky residue off your dishes before depositing them in the dishwasher. Just scrape the solid food off.

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