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How One of California’s Largest Reservoirs Permanently Lost Room for 36 Billion Gallons of Water

/in , /by /SFGATEby Stephen Council

California got a particularly rainy winter, but state officials have uncovered another reason why Lake Oroville overflowed with water this spring. The massive reservoir, the state’s second largest behind Lake Shasta, has slowly but surely shrunk.

New research from the California Department of Water Resources shows that the lake, used for millions of Californians’ drinking water and irrigating hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, isn’t quite the size it once was. The agency released its findings June 26, writing that in the 56 years since Lake Oroville was filled, rock and silt settling on the reservoir floor have cut its capacity by almost 113,000 acre-feet, or more than 36 billion gallons.

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California Burns as Heat Wave Spreads Across Western U.S.

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey, Jireh Deng and James Rainey

As California braces for a dangerous, prolonged heat wave that’s expected to last through next week, firefighters across the state are battling several new wildfires, some serious enough to force evacuations.

The most dangerous fire was burning in Oroville, where crews on Wednesday were fighting the Thompson fire under an excessive-heat warning, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 109 degrees and wind gusts up to 30 mph.

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‘Exceptionally Dangerous’ Heat Wave Could Broil California for Several Days

/in , /by /Fox Weatherby Scott Sistek

An intense and potentially record-setting ridge of high pressure is building across California and the West, threatening days and perhaps more than a week of a dangerous, life-threatening heat wave.

The worst of the heat will be centered in California’s Central Valley, where as many as 10 days or more of 110-degree heat looms. But just about all of California, stretching into western Oregon and western Nevada, will swelter for an extended period.

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Extended California Heat Wave Brings Extreme Health, Fire Risk; Power Shutoffs Likely

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey

Authorities are warning of extreme health and wildfire risks across California this week, as the longest heat wave of the year is set to kick off Tuesday, bringing triple-digit temperatures, with little overnight cooling, to the vast majority of the state.

“This is really just a long-duration heat event that will provide little to no overnight [temperature] relief,” said Antoinette Serrato, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Hanford, Calif. The heat wave is expected to bring dangerous temperatures through the Fourth of July holiday and into early next week in many areas, particularly across Northern California, the Central Valley and southwestern deserts, she said.

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Canned Water Made Using Solar-powered ‘Hydropanels’ to Hit US Stores Soon

/in , /by /Interesting Engineeringby Ameya Paleja

Bottled water extracted from the air using sunlight as a power source will soon be available for purchase in US stores. The sustainable solution, dubbed SKY WTR, is a product of Source, a Scottsdale, Arizona, based company.

Bottled water is a  US$350 billion industry that relies on harvesting water from under the ground. Estimates suggest that in the past three decades, 2,150 gigatons of groundwater have been pumped out from Earth.

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Two Congressmen Request Review after Times Report on Central Valley Water Heist

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Jessica Garrison

Two members of Congress have asked the Government Accountability Office to review how vulnerable the Bureau of Reclamation is to water theft following a Los Angeles Times report on an audacious and long-running heist from a federal canal in the Central Valley.

The facts related in the story “raise serious concerns about how widespread water theft is and what Reclamation can do to prevent water theft in the future,” Reps. Jarred Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) wrote in their letter requesting the review.

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California’s $10B Climate Bond Breaks Through Political Gridlock

/in , /by /KQEDby Ezra David Romero

Days before the final deadline, California lawmakers have settled on language for a $10 billion climate bond that will be presented to voters for approval in November.

The primary focus of the bond is “to respond to challenges wrought by climate change by investing in natural and built infrastructure,” according to an overview of the bond. It also includes some funding for programs cut from the state’s budget. At least 40% of the bond must help vulnerable and disadvantaged communities with a median household income of less than 80% of the area average or less than 80% of statewide median household income.

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A Look at How Far Away Some of Southern California’s Water Needs to Travel

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Kurt Snibbe

Southern California relies on most of its water coming from a long way away. Here’s a look at several of the aqueducts that keep our taps flowing year-round. California receives 75% of its rain and snow in the watersheds north of Sacramento. However, 80% of water demand comes from the southern two-thirds of the state.

About 25% of the water used in Southern California comes from the Colorado River. Another 30% originates in the northern Sierra. The remaining 45% comes from a mix of what are considered local supplies, which include Los Angeles’ Eastern Sierra deliveries as well as recycling, desalination and groundwater supplies.

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REPORT SUMMARY: The Magnitude of California’s Water Challenges

/in , /by /Maven's Notebook

California is on the brink of a water crisis, with projections showing a potential decrease in water availability by 4.6 to 9 million acre-feet yearly.  Despite conservation efforts, scarcity is inevitable, according to a new report titled “The Magnitude of California’s Water Challenges.”

Commissioned by the California Municipal Utilities Association and written by Jay Lund at UC Davis, Josue Medellín-Azuara at UC Merced, and Alvar Escriva-Bou with UCLA, the report outlines the state’s water management issues and predicts future water losses.  These estimates aim to guide public policy and investment choices in addressing California’s pressing water concerns.

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California’s Water Innovation: Technologies Driving Sustainability in the Golden State

/in , /by /San Diego Community Newspaper Group

Water is critical to California’s economic development, supporting environmental preservation as well as extensive agricultural, industrial, and recreational activities. The high demand for water, particularly in the hot summer months when prolonged droughts and water shortages are common, is fueling growing conflict between different user groups and regions over water availability.

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