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Wildfires burned millions of acres of land across the western United States over the past several months, leaving many areas at risk of flooding and mudslides during winter. As of Nov. 6, wildfires have burned over 8.8 million acres across the United States, more than 2 million acres above normal, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.  Some of the most devastating fires scorched Northern California in early October, leaving behind large burn scars, or areas of scorched earth with little vegetation remaining.

The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted the final draft stipulated order on Tuesday that includes conditions benefiting the Salton Sea restoration. The Board’s action revised State Water Board Order WRO 2002-0013, which was approved in 2002 authorizing the largest agricultural to urban water transfer in the United States.

During California’s five-year drought, the row of ponds in the desert north of the Palm Springs often lay empty and dry. But this year, the ponds have been filled to the brim with a record amount of water from the Colorado River.  The Coachella Valley’s water utilities are using the influx of imported water to chip away at the long-term problem of groundwater overdraft. For months, water has been flowing into the ponds at the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility and seeping into the sandy soil to replenish the desert aquifer.

You’ll want to hold onto your hat if you’re headed to the Sierra this week. A storm system moving over the mountain range shared by California and Nevada will bring a light dusting of snow, and more conspicuously high winds on ridge tops Wednesday through Thursday, with isolated gusts up to 100 miles per hour possible.  “The wind is the most dramatic part of this storm system,” says Chris Johnston, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Reno. “In the case of this storm, we are talking about what we call strong downslope winds.”

Reps. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, and Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, Monday introduced to a bill that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct an additional environmental review of the Oroville Dam. The congressmen would like to see a review done before the commission approves the relicensing of the dam under state Department of Water Resources’ management. Garamendi is advocating for another environmental review since the Oroville Dam has undergone major structural changes in the aftermath of February’s crisis, sending over 180,000 downstream residents fleeing from their homes, he stated in a press release.