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Desperate For New Water Supplies, SLO County Bets On Cloud-Seeding Program

/in , /by /The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)by Monica Vaughan

It was the summer of 2015, and San Luis Obispo County was in the fourth year of severe drought with no rain in sight. Half-empty reservoirs were declining, the water table was noticeably dropping, farmers had fallowed fields. Water managers responsible for city and agricultural supplies frantically looked for possible emergency water sources if conditions got worse. Brian Talley, third-generation farmer and president of Talley Fields and Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande, made the tough call to plant fewer crops in the fields around Huasna Road after the wells used to irrigate the farm and vineyard “became very unproductive.”

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Judge Weighs Newark’s Response to Lead in Its Water (4)

/in , /by /Bloomberg Environment (New York City, N.Y.)by John Herzfeld and David Schultz

Environmental and community advocates are calling for a federal judge to order the city of Newark to speed its response to lead contamination of drinking water. They are asking Judge Esther Salas of U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey to make the city expand and improve its distribution of bottled water and tap filters, as well as expedite a plan to replace lead pipes. Salas pressed the lawyer for Newark, Eric L. Klein of Beveridge & Diamond PC, on the adequacy of the city’s response, amid Aug. 15 arguments on the request for expanded water…

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First-Ever Mandatory Water Cutbacks Will Kick In Next Year Along The Colorado River

/in , , /by /The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Ariz.)by Ian James

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will be required to take less water from the Colorado River for the first time next year under a set of agreements that aim to keep enough water in Lake Mead to reduce the risk of a crash. The federal Bureau of Reclamation activated the mandatory reductions in water deliveries on Thursday when it released projections showing that as of Jan. 1, the level of Lake Mead will sit just below a threshold that triggers the cuts. Arizona and Nevada agreed to leave a portion of their water allotments in the reservoir under a landmark deal with California called the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan, which the states’ representatives signed at Hoover Dam in May.

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New Sprinklers Will Soon Be More Expensive In California. Here’s Why

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Andrew Sheeler

Californians, your yard sprinklers are about to get a little bit more expensive. The good news is, your water bill is about to get cheaper. California on Wednesday officially adopted new regulations which are estimated to save more than 400 million gallons of water per day within 10 years, enough to supply San Diego, the second largest city in the state, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Beginning in 2020, spray sprinklers will be required to be sold with a component that restricts the water flow to as close as possible to 30 pounds per square inch (PSI), the manufacturer-recommended level.

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New CA Lawn Sprinkler Standards = Huge Water & Energy Savings

/in , /by /NRDCby Ed Osann

California officials today adopted one of the most important and consequential water-saving measures ever implemented by any state, establishing an efficiency standard for new spray sprinklers that will reduce irrigation system misting and overspray that is common around urban landscapes. It’s a huge step given that nearly half of all of California’s drinking water is used outdoors, primarily for landscape irrigation.

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UCLA To Lead $10 Million California Conservation Project

/in , , /by /University Of California by Stuart Wolpert

UCLA scientists are leading a $10 million project to help California officials make ecologically wise decisions as the state continues to confront the effects of climate change.

The California Conservation Genomics Project, which is funded by the state, will involve conservation biologists, geneticists, ecologists and climate scientists from all 10 University of California campuses, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, the UC Natural Reserve System and California State University campuses, as well as officials from state and federal regulatory agencies and nongovernment agencies, such as The Nature Conservancy. It is intended to run through 2022 or 2023.

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New Mapping Reveals Lost West Coast Estuary Habitat

/in , /by /Phys.Org

An unprecedented survey has revealed the loss of about 85 percent of historical tidal wetlands in California, Oregon, and Washington. The report, published today in PLOS ONE, also highlights forgotten estuary acreage that might now be targeted for restoration.

Where West Coast rivers reach the sea, estuaries serve as critical nurseries for juvenile salmon and steelhead as they make the transition from freshwater to the ocean.

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NID Program Looks To Protect Local Reservoirs From Invasive Aquatic Mussels

/in , /by /YubaNetby Susan Lauer

With boating season in high gear, efforts continue to protect local reservoirs from aquatic invasive species. Nevada Irrigation District (NID) is working to keep quagga and zebra mussels out of its reservoirs through boater education and a self-inspection program, as well as quarterly monitoring at Scotts Flat, Rollins and Combie reservoirs. No quagga or zebra mussels have been detected, according NID Hydrographer Ashley Vander Meer.

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Technology Offers Options To Farmers

/in , , /by /AgAlert (Sacramento, Calif.)by Kevin Hecteman

Amid employee shortages, groundwater issues and other challenges, farmers in Monterey County and elsewhere are looking to the tech sector to help them bring their crops to market.

Parker Jones is one of those seeking to help farmers do more with less. Two months ago, he launched a custom-farming operation, Hermanos Automated Services, renting out a weeding machine that largely replaces hand labor in lettuce fields. It’s made by British-based Garford Farm Machinery.

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Excessive Heat Warning Issued As Sacramento Valley Temperatures Trend Toward 110

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Michael McGough

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning throughout most of interior Northern California for the rest of the week, as the Central Valley is expected to swelter in the mid-to-high triple digits.

The heat warning is in place 11 a.m. Wednesday through 10 p.m. Friday. During that time, highs across Sacramento Valley cities including Redding, Chico, Yuba City, Oroville, Stockton, Modesto and Lakeport are expected to range from about 100 to 110 degrees.

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