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It Isn’t Your Imagination. This Summer in California Is the Hottest Ever Recorded

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

Drought. Wildfires. And, for the country as a whole, temperatures worse than the Dust Bowl.

In a further bit of evidence of the reality of climate change, California has just experienced its hottest summer on record, according to data released this week by the federal government.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the average temperature in California reached 77.3 degrees from June to August. That topped the previous record of 76.5 degrees in summer 2017.

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California OKs New Spending on Drought, Wildfire Prevention

/in , , /by /Associated Pressby Adam Beam

California lawmakers on Thursday voted to spend more than $2 billion to prevent wildfires and address a severe drought, closing the book — for now — on a $262.5 billion operating budget that began the year with a record deficit because of the pandemic and ended with a record surplus in spite of it.

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Opinion: Depleted by Drought, Lakes Powell and Mead Were Doomed from the Beginning

/in , , /by /Washington Postby Becky Bolinger

For the first time, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued a water shortage for Lake Mead starting in 2022. Located between southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona, Lake Mead provides water and generates electricity for the more than 20 million people in the lower Colorado River Basin.

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California’s Sustainable Farms, Models for Agriculture in Warming World, Need Help Surviving It

/in , , /by /KQEDby Liza Gross

The bustle of birds and insect pollinators is the first thing you notice at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, about 100 miles northeast of San Francisco in the Capay Valley, where Judith Redmond and her partners started farming four decades ago.

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California’s Vital Canals are Crumbling. A Plan to Fix Them Just Died in the Legislature

/in , , /by /Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

The major arteries of California’s water-delivery system are crumbling, but a proposal in the state Legislature to spend $785 million fixing them is dead for the year.

The legislation, SB 559 was pulled off the table this week by its chief author, state Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), after an Assembly committee stripped the funding and made other changes to the legislation. Hurtado’s decision turns SB 559 into a two-year bill that could be revived next year.

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California Groundwater Pumping Project Can Proceed, for Now

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Maya Earls

Environmental groups failed to justify blocking the federal government from funding groundwater pumping in the Sacramento River Valley pending a preliminary injunction hearing, a federal court in California ruled.

There’s no evidence that pumping will immediately occur without injunctive relief, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

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Biden’s Interior Secretary Backs West Side Reservoir, More California Water Storage

/in , , /by /The Modesto Beeby John Holland

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland talked about dealing with drought, including a reservoir planned near Patterson, in a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday.

She was joined by Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, who has urged increased federal spending on such efforts.

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California’s Thirst For Water May Accelerate Global Warming

/in , , /by /KPBSby Erik Anderson

A new study finds the push to secure more water in California may hurt the state’s ability to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals.

The nonpartisan group Next 10 and the Pacific Institute, a think tank focusing on water issues, found the state’s drive for drinkable water may exacerbate the conditions that are warming the global climate.

The warming climate is increasing the frequency and length of droughts in Southern California which heightens the urgency to develop new water sources.

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Amid California Drought, Santa Clara County’s Water Conservation Isn’t Going Well

/in , , /by /SF Gateby Amy Graff

One of the largest water districts in the San Francisco Bay Area is falling dramatically short of water conservation goals amid extreme drought conditions across California.

Santa Clara Valley Water declared a water shortage emergency in June with its reservoirs reaching historically low levels, requiring customers to reduce water use by 15% compared with 2019 levels. In July, the district fell short of the goal with residents only reducing water use levels by 6% compared to 2019 levels, according to newly available data first shared by the San Jose Mercury News.

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Drought: Marin Water Utility Weighs New Fees for Excessive Use

/in , , /by /Marin Independent Journalby Will Houston

The Marin Municipal Water District is considering whether to charge new penalties for high water users during the drought.

The proposal discussed by the district’s board this week would set varying caps on water use during the “summer” and “winter” billing periods. Ratepayers would be charged a fee for every 748 gallons used above that cap.

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