It seemed like the sort of thing any drought-wary Californian could support. The state’s water cops were poised last month to pass a set of rules prohibiting what most everyone agrees are wasteful water uses –like letting water from a hose without a nozzle flow into a storm drain. But no change in California water policy ever comes easily. The State Water Resources Control Board’s proposal to impose permanent conservation rules – such as prohibiting hosing down driveways, watering lawns less than two days after it rains and washing a car without attaching a shut-off nozzle to the hose – ran into a cascade of opposition.

As snow and rain taper down Wednesday evening, Northern California will see another round of storms Thursday night into Friday. More rain and snow will return to the Valley and Sierra Thursday and Friday. Lingering showers are expected Saturday in the Valley, but the day will also see sunshine and long dry periods. The next wave of wet weather is expected next week.

The biggest lake in California is shrinking. The Salton Sea occupies a hot, desert basin a short drive from the Mexico border and it’s been evaporating for years. From the air the lake is pear-shaped, bordered by an intense concentration of farms growing winter vegetables on its south end, and date palms, citrus and brussels sprouts to the north. It’s sustained by the Colorado River water that passes through these farms as irrigation before flowing into the 350 square mile lake. The fact the lake is disappearing isn’t a shock.

Pounding rains, heavy snow: It’s shaping up as another wintry week in Northern California. A significant storm poured into the region Tuesday, the first stage of an extended wet period that’s expected to continue through Friday and possibly into the weekend. “It’s a pretty good, wet five or six days or so,” said Mike Kochasic of the National Weather Service in Sacramento. After brief overnight drizzles, the rains started falling in earnest early Tuesday. Temperatures were warm at first, and motorists heading over the Sierra Nevada found themselves dealing with raindrops instead of snow.

In May 2017, San Diego city officials made an important announcement regarding the future of the city’s water supply. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the city planned to blend treated sewer water with the regular drinking water supply. Fast forward to 2018 and the project is moving right along. On March 6, the State Water Board announced the approval of new regulations. These detail the use and quality of recycled sewer water that will later blend with surface water reservoirs.