Water Use in the West Can Hurt…or Help…the Energy Sector, Report Says
A team of researchers have developed a framework to evaluate complex connections between water and energy, and options for adaptations in response to an evolving climate.
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U.S. Flood Damage Rose 30% in 30 years, a Sign of Warming
Increased precipitation resulting partially from climate change has caused an additional $2.5 billion a year in U.S. flood damage, according to a new study that pinpoints the effect of changing weather on the cost of natural disasters.
Update to Proposed Expansion of Pacheco Reservoir Includes Changes to Dam Spillway and Increased Costs
In 2017, Valley Water moved forward with plans to expand Pacheco Reservoir in South Santa Clara County. As part of a partnership with the San Benito County Water District and Pacheco Pass Water District, the project would increase the reservoir’s capacity from 5,500 to up to 140,000 acre-feet, enough water to supply up to 1.4 million residents for a year.
ETGSA Approves $22,000 Contribution to WBSJV
On Thursday afternoon, the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s Authority Board of Directors hosted a meeting over Zoom, and as part of the agenda the ETGSA approved a contribution to Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley to identify water supplies in the amount of $22,000.
WBSJV has been working to identify the water supplies that might be available to achieve water sustainability in the San Joaquin Valley, including the Tule Subbasin. The ETGSA represents irrigation districts and farmers in southern Tulare County and is part of the Tule Subbasin.
Dry Weather Pattern Comes On Heels of One of the Driest, Warmest Falls On Record
December through February is historically when some of the biggest weather systems arrive in Northern California with big rain and snow totals. While March can also be a big snow month, the window of opportunity for big rain and snow totals starts to narrow.
Now, long range outlooks are calling for a week and half long stretch of unseasonably dry and warm weather.
Here’s How Newsom’s Proposing to Spend $4.1 Billion on the Climate and Environment
The $227 billion budget proposed on Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom includes $4.1 billion in spending on a suite of environmental initiatives meant to fight climate change, gird California against devastating wildfires, reduce smog, and bolster the adoption of clean vehicles on the state’s roads.
Climate Change is Hitting the Colorado River ‘Incredibly Fast and Incredibly Hard’
Beside a river that winds through a mountain valley, the charred trunks of pine trees lie toppled on the blackened ground, covered in a thin layer of fresh snow.
Weeks after flames ripped through this alpine forest, a smoky odor still lingers in the air.
The fire, called the East Troublesome, burned later into the fall than what once was normal. It cut across Rocky Mountain National Park, racing up and over the Continental Divide.
California’s Water Wars Serve As a ‘Bellwether’ for Colorado River Negotiations
After three decades of water wars in Southern California, policy experts hope a new era in collaborative management will offer inspiration for the ongoing and complex negotiations over Colorado River allocations amid a historic and deepening drought.
“Those lessons need to catapult us forward,” said Patricia Mulroy, former head of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, during the fall meeting for the Association of California Water Agencies in December. “These states, these constituencies, these communities cannot afford for these discussions to crater. Failure is not an option.”
Drought is the Sleeper Weather Story You’ll Hear More About in 2021
Drought is an insidious climate threat — by the time it has a hold of a region, impacts on ecosystems and water supplies can be locked in. It may not grab extreme weather headlines like the disrupted polar vortex or record hurricane season, but drought during 2020 and heading into 2021 is a looming story likely to grow in importance.
Desert Pipeline Tests Colorado River’s Future
West of Lake Powell, along the Utah-Arizona border, lies a sparsely populated territory of high desert, deeply scored canyons and barren mesas. Here, Utah officials want to build a 140-mile-long pipeline to bring precious Colorado River water west to the thriving town of St. George, in the state’s far southwestern corner.
