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California Cold: Record-Breaking Chilly And Wet Weather Settles In, Along With A Hefty Snowpack

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Mike Branom

Any Californian who has simply had it with May’s gray, soggy chill had to hate the Memorial Day weekend. Rending asunder holiday plans of grilling at the park, or maybe some beach time, the final days of the month continued a statewide stretch of unseasonably cold, wet weather. On Sunday and Monday, precipitation fell and temperatures dropped, establishing daily records across the southern two-thirds of the state, from Modesto to Death Valley (0.04 inches of rain Monday).

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OPINION: Changes In Climate Continue To Make Surveying Watersheds Tricky. ‘But We Can Change That’

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Frank Gehrke

In April 2015, I escorted then-Gov. Jerry Brown to Echo Summit, where we ceremoniously plunged a metal pole onto the dry, bare earth that typically would have been covered by snow but wasn’t that year. That spring, we were in the depths of a record-setting drought. If you’re among the many Californians who remember the photo of that survey, you’ll probably recognize me. I’m the one wearing a ball cap with “DWR” plastered on the front. Until my retirement last December, I’d been measuring snow in California for nearly 40 years.

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Thirsty Silicon Valley Water Agency Might Buy A Central Valley Farm. Why Agriculture Is Worried

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

Once again, a big thirsty metropolis is looking at buying Central Valley farmland with an eye toward boosting its water supplies. And once again, neighboring farmers are nervous about it. Silicon Valley’s main water agency, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, confirmed Wednesday that it’s considering buying a 5,200-acre Merced County ranch. The district would build a groundwater storage bank beneath the ranch as a buffer during drought conditions.

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An 800-Acre Reservoir Could Be Coming To Stanislaus County, But What Are The Risks?

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby Ken Carlson

A federal bill promising $14 million in funding for water storage projects for the Central Valley and Northern California served to place more attention on a proposed reservoir in Stanislaus County. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, got the millions included in a massive energy and water infrastructure bill in the House of Representatives. It includes $6 million for the Sites Reservoir near Colusa favored by agribusiness, $4.1 million for the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program, $2.1 million for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion in Contra Costa County, and $1.5 million for Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir near Patterson

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Rights To Water Stored By Willamette Dams Up for Grabs; Cities, Farmers, Fish compete

/in , /by /Statesman Journalby William Poehler and Tracy Loew,

Billions of gallons of water have been hidden behind the Willamette River Basin’s 13 dams since they were constructed starting in the 1930s. For 30 years, powerful interests including cities, farmers and industry have been slugging it out for access to that water, which has yet to be designated for a use. Fisheries and environmental groups also want a say in how the water is distributed from the dams, operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.

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Drone View Of Proposed Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby Joan L Lee

The area west of Patterson Calif. along Del Puerto Canyon Road is pictured on Wednesday afternoon May 29, 2019. A proposal for an 800 acre reservoir that would include a lake in the scenic canyon in the foothills west of Patterson is underway.

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Liability Law Could Burn Water Districts

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Dan Morain

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is in bankruptcy largely because of wildfire costs. Now, water districts are seeking protection against California’s fire-related liability law, believing their financial stability is at risk even if their actions and operations had nothing to do with causing a fire.

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Seeking More Water, Silicon Valley Eyes Central Valley Farmland

/in , /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Paul Rogers

The largest water agency in Silicon Valley has been secretly negotiating to purchase a sprawling cattle ranch in Merced County that sits atop billions of gallons of groundwater, a move that could create a promising new water source — or spark a political battle between the Bay Area and Central Valley farmers. The Santa Clara Valley Water District, based in San Jose, is in talks with the owners of the 4-S Ranch, a 5,257-acre property located about 15 miles northeast of Los Banos, for what would be a multi-million-dollar deal to create a huge underground water reserve.

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OPINION: Energy Storage Can Keep The Lights On, Cut Carbon Emissions

/in , /by /Capitol Weekly (Sacramento)by Jim McIntosh

Most of us won’t forget those rolling blackouts that took place across California in early 2000.  I remember them well, since I was the one who had to manage the power grid and turn off the lights more than a dozen times. Since then, energy engineers and operators like myself have made a life’s work out of keeping the lights on as California works to reduce carbon emissions and add more renewable energy into the power grid to meet California’s clean energy goals. The challenge is this: California remains dependent on natural gas plants and imported power from other states to meet demand in the evening when the sun goes down and solar energy isn’t available.

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Federal Bill Includes $14 Million To Boost Water Storage For Central Valley, Nor Cal

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby Ken Carlson

A congressional bill includes almost $14 million in funding for water projects in the Central Valley and Northern California. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, said he was successful in working the funding into an Energy and Water Development appropriations bill that includes spending for infrastructure across the nation. According to a Harder press release, the bill has $4.1 million for the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program, which supplies highly treated wastewater from Modesto and Turlock to farmland in western Stanislaus County. The Del Puerto Water District near Patterson stands to receive $1.5 million for development of a Del Puerto Canyon reservoir capable of storing 85,000 acre-feet of water.

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