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Latest Survey of California Snow Pack Measures Below Normal

/in , , /by /AP

The last seasonal survey of snow in the Sierra Nevada confirms that California had a dry winter that will leave much-needed runoff levels below normal, authorities said Thursday.

The snow was only 1 ½ inches deep at the traditional manual measuring site at Phillips Station in the range east of Sacramento, and the water contained in it was equivalent to just a half-inch, which is 3 percent of the May average for the location, according to the state Department of Water Resources.

Sierra snow melt typically provides about 30% of the state’s water supply.

More broadly, 130 electronic snow sensors scattered throughout the Sierras indicated that California’s snow pack water equivalent is 37 percent of the May average.

Readings for April also were well below average.

“March and April storms brought needed snow to the Sierras, with the snow pack reaching its peak on April 9, however those gains were not nearly enough to offset a very dry January and February” and the last two weeks of higher temperatures have rapidly reduced the snow pack, said Sean de Guzman, chief of the department’s Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecast Section.

The snow measurements help in predicting runoff into reservoirs that will help meet California’s water demand in the summer and fall, the water agency said.

At the moment, reservoirs are in good shape, with the six largest close to or even above their historical averages. Lake Shasta, California’s largest surface reservoir, is currently more than 80% full, authorities said.

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Poop May Tell Us When the Coronavirus Lockdown Will End

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Roxanna Xia

Every day, millions of Americans could be flushing critical coronavirus data down the toilet.

With the nation growing ever more weary of sweeping stay-at-home orders and a worsening economy, some scientists say our poop could be the key to determining when a community might consider easing health restrictions.

From Stanford to the University of Arizona, from Australia to Paris, teams of researchers have been ramping up wastewater analyses to track the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Initial studies show that sewage monitoring, or “wastewater-based-epidemiology,” could not only tell us how much the virus might actually be spreading in a community — but also when the virus has finally gone away.

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Opinion: California and Federal Government Need to Resolve Differences on Water Supply Issues

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Mike Wade

Re “California water war re-ignited”; Dan Walters, April 20, 2020, CalMatters

Dan Walters’ column does a good job describing a potential water battle that all Californians should want to avoid.

The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered uncertain many things we used to take for granted. When can we next go to a restaurant, plan a vacation or go to a baseball game? We can’t afford to add to that list, “will there be food at the grocery store?” Our food supply has been one of the few things we’ve been able to count on in recent months and we need that to continue.

Coronavirus Causes Delay in EPA’s Rule for Managing Wastewater

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Amena Saiyid

The EPA has been too busy responding to the deadly coronavirus to work on its long-awaited proposal to manage huge volumes of pathogen-infested sewage and stormwater during heavy rains, the agency’s top wastewater official said Wednesday.

“We think we have a potential path forward,” said Andrew Sawyers, director of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wastewater Management, said in a webinar on water priorities for the year.

But “with Covid-19, there are a lot of things under consideration,” he said, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus.

“We will provide additional information on timing and potentially when we can move this forward,” Sawyers said about the wastewater rule.

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Lawmakers Push for Inclusion of ‘Forever Chemical’ Regulation in Future Stimulus Bill

/in , , /by /The Hillby Rachel Frazin

A group of more than 80 members of Congress is pushing for the inclusion of provisions to regulate a class of cancer-linked chemicals in future stimulus legislation dealing with infrastructure.

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Environmental Groups Sue EPA Over Clean Water Act Rollback

/in , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Mark Olalde

A recent flurry of litigation from around the state and across the country could have huge ramifications in California on the protection and distribution of scarce water resources.

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California Water Wars Heat Up With Suits From State Contractors

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Emily C. Dooley

Water contractors in California are suing the state over its new permit that authorizes water deliveries, the result of a conflict with the Trump administration’s policies.

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Sewage Monitoring Could Provide Covid-19 Early Warning

/in , , /by /WWTby Denise Chevin

Wastewater in sewage systems could provide a quicker and earlier indication of the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the Covid-19 virus, claim scientists working with Northumbrian Water and global partners.

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Grand Compromise on California Water Wars in Disarray. Newsom Faces Multiple Lawsuits this Week

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

From the moment he took office, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wanted to bring peace to California’s water wars. But now, more than a year later, most of the warring factions are united against his plan for governing the Delta.

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Ranchers Sue Trump Administration, Arguing Water Rollback is Federal Overreach

/in , /by /The Hillby Rebecca Beitsch

A group of ranchers sued the Trump administration Monday over a rollback to an Obama-era water rule they argue is still too strict.

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