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The deluge that hit California this month may have eased some people’s concerns about the drought. But it also raised a new question: Is the state doing enough to capture all that excess stormwater for later use? According to Annalisa Kihara, chief planner at the State Water Board’s Strategy to Optimize Resource Management of Storm Water unit (STORMS), the strategies for capturing and conserving rainwater are abundant, and numerous projects are underway.

The Sacramento Weir opened its gates Jan. 10 to reduce water levels in the Sacramento River, but now those gates may begin closing as early as Monday. Thirty-five of the 48 gates are open. The weir acts as a bridge between West Sacramento and Interstate 5 on Old River Road. Most bridges are over water, but this one is blocked with 1,824 wooden planks — each six feet long, one foot wide and four inches thick.

The third and most powerful in a series of storms pounded Southern California on Sunday, dropping nearly 4 inches of rain south of Los Angeles, flooding freeways and raising concerns about damaging mudslides. Commuters could expect a messy drive to work Monday in several areas, with rainfall expected to ease slightly but not taper off until Tuesday. Flash flood watches and warnings were in effect for swaths of greater Los Angeles and across Southern California where multiple roads were closed Sunday or blocked by fallen trees.

 

Storm after storm has pummeled California over the past few weeks as a series of so-called atmospheric rivers has come ashore. Given the massive amounts of rain and snow that have fallen, people want to know if California’s five-year-long intensive drought is finally over. The answer, of course, depends on what people mean by “drought” and “over,” and it depends on who you ask. There isn’t—and never has been—agreement about the meaning of either word. Drought is defined and used in many ways: There are meteorological, hydrological, agricultural, and socioeconomic droughts.

Ventura could begin actively exploring connecting to state water if the City Council approves setting aside money for a comprehensive study evaluating what it would take. The council on Monday will consider spending up to $653,000 to have an outside consultant prepare a report that looks at the cost, design, capacity, environmental impacts and other issues that go with connecting to state water. The city in 1971 entered into an agreement with the Casitas Municipal Water District and the state Department of Water Resources to get state water, according to the city’s staff report.