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See how Sparse the Sierra Nevada Snowpack Looks Compared to Last Year

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

Two NASA satellite images released late Monday by the National Weather Service office in Sacramento starkly illustrate how much less snow is covering the Sierra Nevada this week compared to the same time a year ago.

The images, taken from roughly 438 miles above Earth, show California’s Sierra Nevada range. In the first, from Feb. 18, 2019, the region is blanketed with snow. On that day, the snowpack, which is the source of about one-third of the state’s annual water supply, was at 147% of its historical statewide average for that date.

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New California Law Creates Pathway to Water Industry Jobs for Military Veterans

/in , , /by /Association of California Water Agencies (Sacramento)by Will Holbert Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Legislation co-sponsored by the San Diego County Water Authority and the Otay Water District is intended to make it easier for military veterans to launch careers in the water industry.

After Lt. Jose Martinez retired from the U.S. Navy in 2007, he went from serving his country underwater to serving reliable, high quality water to a community. 

His experience aboard a nuclear submarine and on the management staff of Otay Water District shares a few commonalities. Both involve highly complex systems, which often operate away of the public eye, either underwater or underground. 

“People turn on the tap and out comes water,” said Martinez, General Manager for ACWA-member Otay Water District. “It seems rather simple, but it’s really complex. It’s fascinating to me.”

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California Attorney General Becerra Says EPA’s Proposed Standards for Lead in Drinking Water Fails the Test Americans Expect

/in , /by /Sierra Sun Times

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, leading a 10-state coalition, on Wednesday filed comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed amendments to nationwide standards for controlling and remediating lead in drinking water, also known as the Lead and Copper Rule. The EPA’s proposed revisions represent the first major amendments in a generation to the Lead and Copper Rule, which was first promulgated in 1991. Although some of the proposed revisions strengthen the 1991 rule, others weaken existing requirements and fail to adequately protect the public from lead in drinking water.

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Washington Lawmakers Open Groundwater Fight Against Bottled Water Companies

/in , , /by /The Columbian by Alex Brown

Washington state, land of sprawling rainforests and glacier-fed rivers, might soon become the first in the nation to ban water bottling companies from tapping spring-fed sources.

The proposal is one of several efforts at the state and local level to fend off the fast-growing bottled water industry and protect local groundwater. Local activists throughout the country say bottling companies are taking their water virtually for free, depleting springs and aquifers, then packaging it in plastic bottles and shipping it elsewhere for sale.

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How is Climate Change Affecting Winter in My Region?

/in , , /by /Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Peach

Winters are getting warmer and shorter. Here’s the impact in your area.

“Dear Sara,

I would like to read your prediction of the effects of climate change on the traditional four weather seasons.”

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New Data Show Nearly 10% of California is in Moderate Drought

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Paul Duginski

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday shows that 9.5% of California is considered to be in moderate drought. The abnormally dry area, which includes the drought area, has expanded from about 34% to 46%.

The dry area on the new map has spread southward to include most of Los Angeles County, much of Kern and San Luis Obispo counties and all of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

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Rockies Snowpack Good, but Dryness Could Threaten Colorado River Flow

/in , , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Blake Apgar

The snowpack in the Rocky Mountains is currently 14 percent above average for this time of year, but last year’s dry summer could reduce runoff to the Colorado River.

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New Online Interactive Tool Helps Californians Prepare for Future Drought

/in , , /by /KSBW 8 (Salinas, Calif.)by Alani Letang

This rain-year has brought an alarmingly dry winter in California so far, according to climate change experts.

Now, there’s a new tool to help Californians navigate your water supply. It’s an online toll that allows a person to see the groundwater levels in their area. The tool then gives a representation of what could be at risk or impacted if a drought hits.

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California Analysts Urge Lawmakers: Reject Gov. Newsom’s $1 Billion Climate Loan Proposal

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Rachel Becker

Nonpartisan policy analysts took aim Thursday at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to use $1 billion in state funds to seed innovative climate change efforts, questioning the state’s ability to even identify the right projects.

The Climate Catalyst Loan Fund, which Newsom called for in his $222.2 budget proposal for next year, would offer low-interest loans to public and private projects that would otherwise struggle to attract venture capital money or bank loans — particularly those intended to combat climate impacts of recycling, transportation, agriculture, and forestry sectors.

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Creating ‘Forever Chemicals’: A Guide to PFAS Companies (2)

/in , /by /Bloomberg Environment (Arlington, Va.)by Sylvia Carignan

The billion-dollar companies that made and used chemicals now popping up in water supplies around the country are switching to newer alternatives, but they haven’t escaped liabilities for historic environmental contamination.

The chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, have become ubiquitous in everyday consumer goods as well as in specialized industrial applications. For some of the companies, including 3M Co. and the Chemours Co., liabilities from their PFAS operations have negatively affected the value of their stock.

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