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Drought Haves, Have-Not’s Test How to Share Water in the West

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Gillian Flaccus and Brittany Peterson

Phil Fine stands in a parched field and watches a harvester gnaw through his carrot seed crop, spitting clouds of dust in its wake. Cracked dirt lines empty irrigation canals, and dust devils and tumbleweeds punctuate a landscape in shades of brown.

Across an invisible line separating Fine’s irrigation district from the next, it’s another world. Automated sprinklers hiss as they douse crops, cattle munch on green grass and water bubbles through verdant farmland.

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Every Drop Counts in the Current California Drought

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1by Leah Freeman

California is in a drought, with almost half of the state in exceptional drought, the worst level of drought intensity.

With a situation this significant, many areas of the state are being asked to cut down on water usage. Water is one of Earth’s most valuable resources, and we can’t live without it, which is why every drop counts right now.

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Water Transfers Helped Farmers Survive This Year. Now, All Eyes Are on the Coming Water Year

/in , , /by /SJV Waterby Jesse Vad

Water transfers, trades and sales doubled this year as drought left San Joaquin Valley farmers scrambling for supplies.

“This has been kind of an exceptional year for transfers,” said Sam Boland-Brien, program manager at the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights. Boland-Brien said he’s seen about twice the amount of transfers this year compared to an average water year.

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Who Is to Blame for California’s Drought?

/in , , /by /UC Davis Magazineby Cody Kitaura

Social media users are playing the blame game when it comes to California’s drought. Read enough comments online and you’ll see many similar responses blaming the state government for its management of water: California should have more water storage. California dumps water into the ocean. Northern California sends too much water to Southern California.

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Amador County Water Officials Ask Customers to Cut Usage by 20%

/in , , /by /Fox40by Gurajpal Sangha, Jonathan Taraya

At first glance at the north fork of the Mokelumne River, the water supply looks healthy for Amador County, but some waterways like Sutter Creek sit dry.

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Climate Change Isn’t Coming in the Future, It’s Already Here. This Is How It’s Impacting Your Everyday Life.

/in , /by /The Colorado Sunby Michael Booth

When Virginia Iglesias goes climbing in Eldorado Canyon or skis the Gore Range, she tries to block out all the big data she collects as a researcher for the University of Colorado’s Earth Lab climate change section. But it’s hard to ignore.

The wildfire smoke and ozone choking her climbing friends and obscuring the views of the Flatirons.

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In Response to Western Drought, a Flood of Legislation

/in , , /by /Roll Callby Joseph Morton

Las Vegas visitors can still snap selfies with the mermaids swimming among tropical fish in the Silverton Casino’s massive aquarium and gaze at the colorful dancing water displays of the iconic Bellagio fountains — for now.

But southern Nevada and much of the American West are struggling to cope with a worsening drought that has strained municipal water supplies, agricultural operations and wildlife populations.

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Mount Shasta is Nearly Snowless, a Rare Event That is Helping Melt the Mountain’s Glaciers

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Ian Livingston, Kasha Patel and Hannah Dormido

Deep in the northern California wilderness, nestled among rolling hills and magnificent pines, the Mount Shasta volcano towers above the landscape as a lone sentinel beckoning to those around it. Rising to 14,179 feet, Shasta is one of the tallest mountains in the Lower 48. Given its height, snow cover is common year-round, especially after a snowy season or two. It is home to some of the largest glaciers in California and includes at least seven glaciers, some named after Native Americans in the 1800s. This year is testing the theory that snow and ice will always be found on Shasta.

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A 20-Year Megadrought Threatens Hydropower in the West

/in , /by /Colorado Public Radioby Michael Elizabeth Sakas

A 20-year megadrought in the West is threatening hydropower for millions of people, so the federal government is taking emergency action. It’s sending water from other reservoirs to Lake Powell to help keep the power turbines there spinning.

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Marin County Supes to Vote On Extending Drought Emergency Declaration

/in , , /by /CBS SF Bay Area

As an ongoing water shortage that’s hurting ranchers and dairies in the North Bay, the Marin County Board of Supervisors will consider extending a local emergency declaration of drought conditions at its meeting Tuesday.

Much of the state is facing parched conditions after two consecutive dry years and Marin County is no exception. The county’s two largest water suppliers, the Marin Municipal Water District and the North Marin Water District, have declared water shortage emergencies and put mandatory conservation measures in place.

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