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California Heat Waves Could Be Predicted 2 Weeks In Advance, New UC Davis Research Shows

Want to know when the next hot spell is coming? It might help to look at the weather forecasts — a few thousand miles away. Summer heat waves in California’s Central Valley are almost always preceded by heavy rainfall over the tropical Indian and Pacific oceans, scientists at UC Davis and in South Korea determined in a recently published research effort. Researchers identified 24 heat waves that took place in California’s Central Valley during summer months from 1979 to 2010, and compared those heat waves to a weather pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) that brings heavy rain to the tropical Indian and Pacific oceans.

The End Of California’s Drought Could Mean Fewer Cases Of West Nile Virus

Researchers say the end of California’s drought could offer a surprising benefit: reduced transmission of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus. Drought is the most important weather-related factor that affects the rate of West Nile infection, scientists say. Mosquito eggs need water to hatch, but dry conditions tend to spur greater transmission of the virus.

California Is Slated For An Epic Whitewater Season

When state surveyors measured the Sierra snowpack on April 2, they found 106.5 inches of snow, with an equivalent of 51 inches of water — meaning that if the area were hit with some sort of cosmic laser beam and everything turned to liquid in a flash, that’s how much water would be left behind. Compared to average measurements for this time of year, those readings represent 200% of normal levels.

California Water Service Files Application To Decrease Lucerne Customer Bills

California Water Service filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission on Monday that will result in bill decreases for the utility’s Lucerne customers. The filing implements various ratemaking mechanisms that company officials said will ensure customer bills continue to reflect the true cost to provide water service. For the typical residential Lucerne customer who uses 2,992 gallons, or 4 ccf, of water per month, the monthly bill will decrease by $5.63. Because Lucerne customers are billed for water service every two months, they would see a decrease of $11.26 on the bimonthly bill, the company said.

Malibu – City Of Malibu Named “Recycled Water Agency Of The Year” For Civic Center Water Treatment Facility News1 Day Agono Comment

The WateReuse Association, California chapter named the City of Malibu the 2019 “Recycled Water Agency of the Year” for its Civic Center Water Treatment Facility (CCWTF), which was completed and started processing wastewater into clean, recycled water for irrigation in October, 2018. “The City of Malibu and its people have always defined themselves as innovators of environmental protections and programs,” said Mayor Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner. “Our new water treatment facility puts us ahead of the curve of smart, environmentally sound water management practices while combating the realities of climate change and drought here in California.”

The Central Valley Is Sinking As Farmers Drill For Water. But It Can Be Saved, Study Says

A team of Stanford University researchers believe they have identified the best way to replenish the shrinking aquifers beneath California’s Central Valley. The groundwater beneath the Central Valley has been steadily depleting, particularly as the state’s $50 billion agricultural industry relied on it during a series of droughts. Each year, more water exits the aquifer than goes into it. The study from Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences, published in the journal Water Resources Research, found that unless action is taken, the ground in that region will sink more than 13 feet over the next 20 years.

America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2019

Water scarcity due to global warming could displace 700 million people worldwide by 2030. In the same time frame, 54 million lives globally could be impacted by river floods. In the United States, our climate has warmed by 1.8 degrees in the past century. It’s time to get real about what this means: Forest fires are growing more destructive, cities are struggling to do more with less water, fish and wildlife are struggling to survive and storms are triggering more life-threatening floods.

Napa County Passes Contentious Water And Tree Protection Provision

After close to a year of non-stop debate about how to protect agriculture and support commerce, the Napa County Board of Supervisors (BOS) passed the final ordinance on Water Quality and Tree Protection last Tuesday April 9th. It was adopted by a vote of 5-0, with provisions for it to take effect in 30 days. Brad Wagenknecht, a supervisor at the Napa Valley BOS, shares in a recent interview that, “the Board has worked on this for such a long time.” He adds that, as a result, “I think you will be able to recognize the Napa Valley in 50 years.”

What State Has The Greatest Percentage Of Beginning Farmers?

The 2017 Census of Agriculture was released April 11. Here’s a few findings from the report. Alaska ranks first in the percent of producers who are beginning farmers, followed by Georgia and Maine. Beginning farmers have 10 or fewer years of farming experience. In 2017, 27% of all U.S. producers classified as beginning farmers. Their average age was 46.3, and their farms were smaller than average in both acres and sales. The average age of all U.S. producers in 2017 was 57.5 years, up 1.2 years from 2012, when the last Census was conducted. This continues a long-term trend. Producers had been on their current farm an average of 21.3 years. On average, producers are older in southern states and younger in Midwestern states.

David Bernhardt Confirmed As Interior Secretary Despite Ethics Concerns

David Bernhardt, President Trump’s pick to the lead the Interior Department, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday amid persistent ethical concerns and doubts about his independence from the energy and water industry groups he long represented as a lobbyist. Senators voted 56-41 in favor of Bernhardt’s confirmation. Several Democrats crossed party lines to support the nominee, including Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, also voted for confirmation.