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Opinion: California Must Change Course to Avoid Water Shortages

/in , , /by /Redlands Daily Factsby Daniel Kolkey

Californians have recently endured increasingly aggressive wildfires, rolling power outages, and smoke-filled air for days.  Unless the state government changes course, we can add water shortages to this list.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, California has already suffered three droughts during this century – 2001-2002, 2007-2009, and 2012-2016.  To address this reality, the state has enacted legislation to require urban water agencies, under penalty of $1,000 fines per day, to increasingly reduce average water use by residents and businesses, without requiring any significant steps to increase water capture and storage during wet years.

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Drought Conditions Could Impact Power Generation in the West

/in , , /by /PV Magazineby David Wagman

Ongoing drought and low snowpack mean that hydro production at two big dams could be impacted, affecting the West’s power supply in 2021.

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Opinion: San Francisco – Save the River You Drink From

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kate Poole and John McManus

San Francisco rightly prides itself on being an environmental leader. Given this deep commitment to protecting the environment, the city’s water agency — the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission — should be a leader in smart, sustainable water policy. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. But Mayor London Breed now has a once-in-a-decade chance to turn the SFPUC in a new direction by appointing a progressive, visionary new general manager who reflects the city’s values.

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Biggest Storm of the Year is About to Hit Northern California. When to Expect the Worst of It

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Michael McGough

Clear out the gutters. Plan some extra time for the morning commute Wednesday. And don’t even think about heading up the hill for a few days. The biggest storm of the season is barreling down on Northern California. The Sacramento region could see up to 3 inches of rain this week – perhaps doubling the amount of rain we’ve received for the entire winter season – as an extreme storm arrives Tuesday afternoon. The cold, wet system will bring dangerous winds to the region, localized flooding and up to 80 inches of snow – yes, that’s nearly 7 feet – to the summits on Interstate 80 and Highway 50.

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Record Low Lake Powell and Bad 2021 Drought Forecast Sets Stage For Water Cuts

/in , , /by /The Colorado Sunby Jason Blevins

The dry 2020 and the lack of snow this season has water managers in seven states preparing for the first time for cutbacks outlined in drought contingency plans drafted two years ago. A sobering forecast released this week by the Bureau of Reclamation shows the federally owned Lake Mead and Lake Powell — the nation’s two largest reservoirs and critical storage for Colorado River water and its 40 million users — dipping near-record-low levels.

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DuPont, 3M Win Dismissal of California PFAS Lawsuit

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Peter Hayes

3M Co. and E.I. DuPont de Nemours Inc. shook off a California water utility’s claims that they contaminated the state water supply with PFAS after the Central District of California found the utility failed to establish jurisdiction.

Golden State Water Co. alleges that the companies “directed and instructed” intermediaries and end users of their products to dispose of them in a way they should have known may cause contamination.

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Environmental Turnaround — 8 Issues That Will Pivot in California’s Favor Under Biden

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

As wildfires, heat waves, water scarcity and threats to wildlife intensify in the West, California’s effort to confront these environmental crises now has support in Washington, a stark change from the past four years.

Even as former President Donald Trump spent his final days in office on the sidelines, lamenting his election loss, his administration continued to roll back environmental conservation and gut climate regulations.

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Radhika Fox Appointed to Lead EPA’s Office of Water

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Management

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the selection of US Water Alliance CEO Radhika Fox as the Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water. Fox was a Day One Presidential Appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration. She will serve as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Water.

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After Snow in Malibu, US Braces for Series of Wintry Storms in Coming Days

/in , /by /USA Todayby John Bacon

Days after a weather system brought snow conditions along stretches of the nation from Malibu, California, eastward for 1,500 miles, a new series of storms could lead to a wintry mess for much of the nation.

A storm tracking from the southern Plains to the Northeast will bring areas of heavy snow and ice from Kansas into the Great Lakes region Monday into Wednesday, the National Weather Service warned. Snow totals exceeding one foot are possible across parts of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa.

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EID Approves Permanent Water Contract to Draw From Folsom Reservoir

/in , /by /Mountain Democratby Jesse Saich

At a special meeting Jan. 11 the El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors unanimously voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the conversion of the district’s existing long-term Central Valley Project water contract to one that runs in perpetuity. For six decades the district has held a long-term water service contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the diversion of up to 7,550 acre-feet annually of CVP water from Folsom reservoir.

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