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As Drought Worsens, Officials say Mandatory Water Cuts Likely Coming for Urban Californians

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

With the drought showing no signs of abating, California officials announced Wednesday they plan to deliver almost no water from the State Water Project to begin next year — and suggested that mandatory cutbacks in urban usage could come if conditions stay dry.

Karla Nemeth, director of the Department of Water Resources, said the various cities and farm-irrigation districts that belong to the State Water Project — the elaborate state-run network of reservoirs and canals — are getting “essentially a zero allocation” to start 2022.

 

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State Water Board To Vote On Mandatory Statewide Water Restrictions

/in , , /by /Bay City News Foundation / SF Gateby Kiley Russell

California water regulators have proposed new emergency drought regulations that would prohibit a wide range of wasteful water behaviors for the entire state.

On Tuesday, the State Water Resources Control Board released a draft of the regulations that would prohibit “excessive” irrigation, ban the use of potable water for street cleaning and forbid landscape irrigation within 48 hours of a rain storm, among other things.

The new mandatory rules would be enforced by local water agencies and people found to be wasting water could face fines, according to a statement from the Water Board, which will vote on the proposal sometime in January for the entire state.

 

 

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Shasta Dam Still at 25% Capacity After Second-Driest Summer

/in , , /by /KRCR TV by Kassandra Gutierrez

Despite the wet start to this year’s rain season, Shasta Dam remains at only 25% capacity.

“So three-quarters of the lake is empty; we need some really significant winter storms back-to-back-to-back to help fill this lake,” said Don Bader, the area manager at Shasta Dam.

Bader says they would like to have the dam typically around 60% full during this time of year. He says the dam depends mostly on rainfall.

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California Prepares for More Water Restrictions as Drought Worsens

/in , , /by /The Wall Street Journalby Jim Carlton

Californians may face new restrictions, including fines for improperly washing their cars, as the state prepares to virtually eliminate the water it supplies to local communities as it grapples with an unrelenting drought.

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Opinion: This Proposed Ballot Measure Would Make You Pay for the Ag Industry’s Water Inefficiency

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Michael Hiltzik

Whoever coined the phrase “Whisky is for drinking, water is for fighting” didn’t have things quite right.

In California, water is for scamming. The newest example is a majestically cynical ploy being foisted on taxpayers by some of the state’s premier water hogs, in the guise of a proposed ballot measure titled the “Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022” — or, as its promoters call it, the More Water Now initiative.

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Arizona, California, Nevada Agree to New Colorado River Agreement to Conserve More Water

/in , , /by /The Center Squareby Cole Lauterbach

Arizona’s water authorities are close to entering into a new pact with officials from Nevada and California they hope will restore water levels at Lake Mead and stave off future rationing requirements.

A Tier 1 Colorado River water shortage begins in 2022, triggering a mandatory 512,000 acre-foot reduction to Arizona. The emergency stems from the Lake Mead reservoir reaching water levels not seen since its construction. The designation doesn’t affect Arizona residents, rather the state’s agriculture industry that represents the majority of water usage.

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State Allocates $39.2 Million for Friant Kern Canal Repairs

/in , , /by /Porterville Reporterby Charles Whisnand

On Monday, the State Department of Water Resources allocated $39.2 million to the repairs of the Friant-Kern Canal.

The $39.2 million is part of $100 million that was included in this year’s state budget for the repairs of four of the state’s major water resources: the California Aqueduct, the San Luis Canal, the Delta-Mendota Canal and the Friant-Kern Canal. A total of $37 million was allocated to both the California Aqueduct and San Luis Canal and $23.8 million was allocated to the Delta-Mendota Canal.

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Camarillo’s Next Wave of Water Unveiled With Long-Awaited Desalter Facility

/in , , /by /Ventura County Starby Brian J. Varela

Camarillo’s long-awaited desalter plant will soon begin treating previously unusable groundwater to convert into drinkable water for residents and businesses.

The city unveiled the $66.3 million North Pleasant Valley Groundwater Desalter, located at 2727 Somis Road, at a ribbon cutting before a crowd of about 100 people on Tuesday.

Camarillo’s long-awaited desalter plant will soon begin treating previously unusable groundwater to convert into drinkable water for residents and businesses.

The city unveiled the $66.3 million North Pleasant Valley Groundwater Desalter, located at 2727 Somis Road, at a ribbon cutting before a crowd of about 100 people on Tuesday.

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More Than 400 Toxic Sites in California Are At Risk Of Flooding From Sea Level Rise

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

When Lucas Zucker talks about sea level rise in California, his first thoughts aren’t about waves crashing onto fancy homes in Orange County, nor the state’s most iconic beaches shrinking year after year.

What worries him most are the three power plants looming over the Oxnard coast, and the toxic waste site that has languished there for decades. There are also two naval bases, unknown military dumps and a smog-spewing port. Just one flood could unleash a flow of industrial chemicals and overwhelm his working-class, mostly Latino community.

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Snowpack in California’s Sierra Nevada Could Disappear in Just 25 Years

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Kurtis Alexander

As the climate continues to warm, more and more of the snow falling on California’s mountains will be replaced by rain. Already in recent decades, the snow season has shrunk by a month, according to one estimate, while snow levels have moved upward by 1,200 feet, according to another.

Scientists and water managers say that at some point California’s snowpack could simply disappear. This would leave the state without the crucial spring and summer melt-off that fills rivers and streams, nourishes plants and animals, and provides a huge chunk of the water supply. It would also be devastating for the ski industry.

 

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