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Quagga Mussels Found In State Water Project

/in /by /Lake County Record-Bee (Lakeport)

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife declared Pyramid Lake in Southern California infested with quagga mussels. The announcement came after indications of the invasive species were discovered in a Los Angeles tunnel. The finding marks the first time quagga mussels have been found in the State Water Project. Thus far education and enforcement efforts have kept the mussel from critical lakes, including Clear Lake. The quagga mussel is a small, non-native freshwater mollusk that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) had successfully prevented from infesting the State Water Project (SWP) since the species was first discovered in California in 2007.

 

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The Drought-Busting Bill Congress Just Passed Might Screw the Endangered Species Act

/in /by /Wired (Boone, IA) by Marley Walker

This summer. Donald Trump visited the Central Valley and promised voters he would prioritize agricultural development in California. In his speech, the president-elect blamed the environmental laws protecting a “certain three-inch fish“—the Delta smelt—for the prolonged drought. He promised, if elected, to place the needs of farmers over fish. But it looks like his promise is coming ahead of schedule. On Saturday, Congress passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, a huge bill that protects safe drinking water, provides upgrades to infrastructure like ports, and provides $558 million dollars in drought relief for California.

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After a Short Break, Northern California in for Rainy Week

/in /by /KQEDby Dan Brekke

Enjoy your dry Monday, but don’t get too used to the non-rainy weather we’re experiencing across the Bay Area. Forecasters far and wide and their mathematical models expect the coming week to range from wet to inundated, depending on where you live.

The latest thinking from National Weather Service forecasters is that the next round of rain will begin across most of the region, from the coastal hills of Sonoma to the Santa Cruz Mountains, by sometime Tuesday afternoon.

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Wet weather rapidly filling Folsom Lake

/in /by /ABC10 (Sacramento)

The latest series of winter storms is having an impact in California, and it’s starting to show. Bureau of Reclamation officials report as of December 1, Folsom Lake has risen 19 feet. Luis Moore, a Bureau of Reclamation spokesman, said while the amount of water is good, this time of year is also known as being a flood season. With so much water collecting at the lake, Moore notes water management will be important to maintain a safe amount of space within the lake.

 

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Warm Winter Storms Melting Sierra Snowpack

/in /by /CBS Sacramentoby Drew Bollea

Warm storms at high altitude are washing away snow in the Sierras and the runoff is filling up reservoirs throughout the northern part of California. The heavy rains are also impacting the slopes. “It’s slippery and hard to stop,” said one snowboarder at Boreal Mountain.

State workers at the Department of Water Resources are also taking notice.

“So you’re getting rains in areas that you should be getting snow,” said David Rizzardo, the Snow Survey Chief with the Department of Water Resources.

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8 billion gallons of water fill Tahoe in 2 days

/in /by /Lake Tahoe News

Lake Tahoe could reach its natural rim by the end of the week.

The storms that blew through Dec. 9-10 brought 8,690,131,707 gallons of water to the lake. That is 26,669 acre-feet.

The natural is rim is 6,223 feet. As of Dec. 11, the lake level was at 6,222.97 feet. The last time the lake was at its natural rim was in mid-September.

The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a winter weather advisory for the basin from 10am Tuesday to 4am Wednesday. A couple of inches of snow may fall at lake level, with a foot possible above 8,000 feet.

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Regional drought preparation in the pipeline

/in /by /KEYT (Santa Barbra)by Tracy Lehr

Some state water officials are on a drought listening tour. On Monday, they listened to local water agency representatives and elected leaders during an afternoon meeting at Santa Barbara County’s office of emergency services.

Instead of competing for water their goal is to work together as a region to get state and federal funding for water projects. State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson said people in the county need to be “rowing in the same direction.”

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OPINION:Editorial: This water deal may be California’s best

/in /by /Redding Record Searchlight

California’s water fate is now tied to America’s. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and California Republicans have worked for years to find agreement on a major piece of federal legislation that would address a host of water-related issues critical to the state. Common ground has been so elusive some were declaring the whole thing hopeless earlier this year.

But in a bit of horse trading with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, and other Republicans in Congress, the California measures were attached to a much larger Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act — basically hitching up to a much more powerful engine.

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VIDEO: Rivers Swell After Weekend Storms, Sending More Debris And Lifting Boats Higher

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby Ed Fletcher

A rapidly rising Sacramento River washes trees and junk down river. The Sacramento Yacht Club is preparing for the rise.

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California drought: Project to retrofit one of Bay Area’s largest dams doubles in cost, faces long delays

/in /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

Reflecting problems at other aging reservoirs, a $200 million project to drain and repair one of the Bay Area’s largest dams to reduce the risk of it collapsing in a major earthquake will double in cost and be delayed by at least two more years.

Managers at the Santa Clara Valley Water District, based in San Jose, had hoped to start construction in early 2018 on the seismic upgrade work at Anderson Dam, a 240-foot-high earthen dam that sits east of Highway 101 between San Jose and Morgan Hill.

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