California farmers have a sympathetic president in the White House and have enjoyed one of the wettest winters on record. But those in a giant swath of the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country, are due to get only two-thirds of their water allotment this year from the federal government.
The majestic beauty of California’s Sierra Nevada never fails to impress. But the mountain range, which stretches hundreds of miles, is much more than a stunning vista. It’s a linchpin that helps make living in an arid state possible. That’s because one of California’s most important water supplies is melted snow. Each spring and summer, the Sierra sends runoff down its slopes that recharges rivers and reservoirs, allowing crops to be irrigated and drinking glasses to be filled.
The good news is that not a drop of Kern River water is going into the California Aqueduct to fill Southern California taps. Yet. But water managers are keeping an eagle eye on the snowpack and the weather hoping there are no sudden moves from either in the near future. A warm rain or rapid run-up in temps could bring a huge slug of water down and overwhelm ongoing efforts to squirrel it away, said Kern River Watermaster Dana Munn. “It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s such a big water year and we’ve managed to push water into all these places.”
In the nearly 50 years since the Oroville Dam was completed, construction methods have changed. Chico State University construction management professor Chris Souder consulted on the Folsom Dam auxiliary spillway project which began construction in 2008 and is on pace to be completed in October. He also got a tour March 1 of the work going on at the Oroville Dam through the engineering contractor Syblon Reid out of Folsom. Souder said he wanted to take his college students to show them what their future careers might entail, but the Department of Water Resources wouldn’t allow it.
The majestic beauty of California’s Sierra Nevada never fails to impress. But the mountain range, which stretches hundreds of miles, is much more than a stunning vista. It’s a linchpin that helps make living in an arid state possible. That’s because one of California’s most important water supplies is melted snow. Each spring and summer, the Sierra sends runoff down its slopes that recharges rivers and reservoirs, allowing crops to be irrigated and drinking glasses to be filled.
An increase in temperatures has the ability to reduce the flow of water in the Colorado River by 20 to 30 percent by mid-century, according to new research done by Colorado State University and the University of Arizona. The research done by Bradley Udall, a senior water and climate scientist for CSU, and UA professor Jonathan Overpeck, found that loss of water is driven by higher temperatures arising from an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
The first wet storm of the spring is moving into the Sierra where record snowfall already has reservoirs releasing water early to guard against potential flooding in northern Nevada well into the summer. The National Weather Service says 4 to 8 inches of snow is possible Tuesday on the highest mountain passes, including the Mount Rose Highway southwest of Reno and Donner Pass on Interstate 80, west of Truckee, California.
The rain this winter has improved the City’s water supply situation, allowing us to avoid the peak demand shortage that had been projected for summer 2017. With this updated water supply news, the Santa Barbara City Council lifted the mandatory lawn watering ban on March 21st and reduced the Citywide conservation target from 40 percent to 30 percent while encouraging residents and businesses to continue conservation, including minimized lawn watering. All other drought water use regulations remain in effect, including but not limited to, watering times, irrigation runoff and overspray, and more. Information on drought regulations may be found by visiting www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Drought.
California will be soaked with more rain and heavy mountain snow after a more than two-week respite from one of the wettest winters on record in the Golden State. A pattern change in the upper atmosphere this week will bring a return to conditions that have been more familiar this winter, compared to the weather so far in March. An upper-level ridge of high pressure that was responsible for the mainly dry and warm conditions in the West has now moved east.
Heavy rain in California could lead to emptier salad plates this year. Two months of precipitation this winter have threatened almond, celery, strawberry and other crops in the Salinas Valley, the latest in a string of increasingly erratic weather events to hurt farmers. Farmers say the record rains could damage and delay some crops, leading to shortages and higher prices. The Salinas Valley produces most of the leafy greens for the U.S. during this stretch of the season until cooler areas supplement supply, and some grocers say the winter conditions have forced them to brace for disruptions in supply.
