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The Colorado River Needs a Big Moisture Boost. Runoff Forecasts Suggest It Won’t Come From Spring Snowmelt

/in , , /by /CPR Newsby Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Spring snowmelt likely won’t deliver the big water supply bump the drought-stricken Colorado River and its reservoirs need, data from the latest federal river forecast shows.

The May to July season is a crucial time for the river, which is replenished by snowmelt running off the mountains on the Western Slope, and the system is in need of a major moisture boost amid a 20-year drought fueled by climate change.

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“Water Cops” Likely This Summer as Santa Clara County Misses Drought Goal by Large Margin

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

If you waste water in Santa Clara County, water cops could soon be on the way

Since last summer, Santa Clara County residents have been asked to cut water use by 15% from 2019 levels to conserve as the state’s drought worsens. But they continue to miss that target — and by a growing amount.

In March, the county’s 2 million residents not only failed to conserve any water, but they increased use by 30% compared to March 2019, according to newly released data.

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California Desert Water Agencies Win $100 Million in U.S. Funding for Aging Dams, Canals

/in , /by /Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

Southern California desert water districts with aging or failing infrastructure won big federal funding Monday, with more than $100 million allocated for major dam and irrigation canal upgrades that will benefit the Coachella Valley and Imperial County.

The projects are part of $240 million awarded from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds by the U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday.

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Opinion: California Crises Abound, but They Won’t Be Debated

/in , /by /CalMattersby Dan Walters

California voters will receive their mail ballots for the June 7 primary election this week and most will be surprised to learn that there are 25 candidates seeking to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom.

One of them will place second to Newsom in the primary ballot and, thanks to California’s top-two election system, appear on the November ballot as Newsom’s official challenger.

Most likely that dubious honor will go to Republican state Sen. Brian Dahle, since he’s the only one of the 25 to be known outside their small circles of friends and supporters. Unless he makes some monumental blunder, Democrat Newsom will coast to re-election in November.

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California Prepares for Energy Shortfalls in Hot, Dry Summer

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Kathleen Ronayne

California likely will have an energy shortfall equivalent to what it takes to power about 1.3 million homes when use is at its peak during the hot and dry summer months, state officials said Friday.

Threats from drought, extreme heat and wildfires, plus supply chain and regulatory issues hampering the solar industry will create challenges for energy reliability this summer, the officials said. They represented the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s energy grid.

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Facing a New Climate Reality, Southern California Lawns Could Wither

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Joshua Partlow

From behind the wheel of his work van, Fernando Gonzalez took in the immaculate front yard amid the arid and affluent hills north of Los Angeles. The red and white rosebushes. The loquat and pear trees. The expanse of lush green grass and the two peacocks lounging beneath the portico.

The stately residence had been consuming about 40,000 gallons of water a month, and had already received a warning and a fine for overuse. Amid the historic drought now entering its third painful summer, Gonzalez’s employer, the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, has demanded this home and millions of others cut irrigation by 35 percent as of June 1.

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It’s Not Even Summer, and California’s Two Largest Reservoirs Are at ‘Critically Low’ Levels

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Rosanna Xia

At a point in the year when California’s water storage should be at its highest, the state’s two largest reservoirs have already dropped to critically low levels — a sobering outlook for the hotter and drier months ahead.

Shasta Lake, which rises more than 1,000 feet above sea level when filled to the brim, is at less than half of where it usually should be in early May — the driest it has been at this time of year since record-keeping first began in 1976. Lake Oroville, the largest reservoir in the State Water Project, a roughly 700-mile lifeline that pumps and ferries water all the way to Southern California, is currently at 55% of total capacity.

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Opinion: Huntington Beach Desalination Plant is a Crucial Tool in California’s Climate Change Arsenal

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Mark Donovan

On May 12, the California Coastal Commission is expected to consider final approval of the Huntington Beach desalination plant. Poseidon Water has weaved through the state’s complex and evolving regulatory landscape for nearly two decades in pursuit of that development permit.

Signing off on this project would demonstrate that seawater desalination — a proven water resource technology relied upon around the world to combat the effects of climate change and drought — has a future in California.

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Marin Water Board Rescinds Emergency Declaration for New Watering Rules

/in , , /by /CBS Bay Area

The Marin Water Board of Directors rescinded the county’s water shortage emergency declaration and updated its water use rules this week, adopting new requirements for outdoor irrigation and swimming pools.

A water emergency in Marin County was declared in the fall of 2021 after reserves reached critically low levels. According to the water board, the county’s reservoirs are way up and are currently at 90 percent capacity due to record rainfall that arrived in October and December of last year.

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Water Districts Targeting Wasteful Residents as Historically Bad Drought Continues

/in , , /by /CBSLA

Californians continue to get hit with water conservation restrictions while in the midst of one of the worst droughts in state history. Now, some water districts are taking another step towards limiting waste from residents who have incurred multiple violations in recent months.

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