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An Epic 31 Atmospheric River Storms Transformed California. The Mystery Remains: Why?

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey

As winter approached, few anticipated what was about to hit California.

Mired in a serious drought, the state was suddenly battered by an onslaught of 31 atmospheric river storms in a matter of months. While the number alone isn’t exceptional, the location, intensity and duration of these storms had a transforming effect on California’s climate. Record snowfall. Deadly flooding. The end of many drought restrictions.

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California’s Water Battles Continue Despite Record Rain and Snow

/in , , /by /KPVIby Dan Walters

On Monday, California water officials slogged through deep snow 7,000 feet above sea level, west of Lake Tahoe, to affirm what everyone already knew: A series of Pacific storms has generated record-level amounts of precipitation, filling reservoirs, inundating low-lying towns and fields and threatening more disastrous flooding as the Sierra snowpack melts.

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Environment Report: Snowy Winter Cools Contention on Colorado River

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer

A few months ago drought had so choked the Colorado River – San Diego’s main water resource – that the federal government was ready to enforce significant major water restrictions on the seven states that drink from it.

But it has snowed and rained so much since January, tempers have cooled as the drought has been more or less quenched, at least for now.

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California Sees Record Snowpack Levels, Boost in Water Supply

/in , , /by /Fox Weather

Molly White, Water Operations Manager for the State Water Project at the California Department of Water Resources, said atmospheric river storms have to led to near-record snowpack in many parts of the Sierra Nevada and reservoir storage is above average for this time of year.

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Drought Restrictions Ending Across Bay Area

/in , , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

First came a dozen soaking atmospheric river storms. Then a huge Sierra Nevada snowpack, which on Monday was 248% of normal. Now comes drought relief.

Water agencies across the Bay Area are moving to roll back mandatory drought rules and surcharges as reservoirs have filled this winter and drought conditions have washed away.

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California Ag Chief’s Plan for Future Includes ‘With Innovation, Small Farms Can Be Viable’

/in , , /by /The Fresno Beeby Jim Guy

California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross is putting forward a five-fold plan intended to guide the direction of farming in the the state in the next decade.

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Opinion: Is the San Diego-Imperial Model Part of the Solution for Colorado River Woes?

/in , , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

In a sense, the record string of storms that hit California created two lakes — one real and one hypothetical.

The deluges re-established Tulare Lake, once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River that was drained long ago for agriculture and municipal water demands.

Meanwhile, the state’s record snowpack, according to the Los Angeles Times, holds enough water to fill the depleted Lake Mead on the Colorado River. Of course, that’s not where the runoff goes.

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Drought-Ravaged Colorado River Gets Relief From Snow. But Long-Term Water Crisis Remains

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Four months ago, the outlook for the Colorado River was so dire that federal projections showed imminent risks of reservoirs dropping to dangerously low levels.

But after this winter’s major storms, the river’s depleted reservoirs are set to rise substantially with runoff from the largest snowpack in the watershed since 1997.

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Record Snowpack Conditions in California, Parts of Southwest

/in , , /by /Natural Resources Conservation Serviceby NRCS/Water News Network

After a three-year drought in California and throughout the Southwest, many states throughout the West are measuring record snowpack conditions at NRCS SNOTEL stations and snow courses. Utah especially has seen a benchmark year for snowfall levels throughout the state.

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IID Awarded $9.5 Million in Federal Funds for Upstream Reservoir Storage Project

/in , , /by /The Desert Reviewby Staff Reporter
 The U.S. Department of the Interior notified the Imperial Irrigation District Friday, April 6, that the District has been awarded $9.5 million in grant funding for fiscal year 2023 for its Upstream Reservoir Storage Project, according to a recent IID press release.
The District will use the federal funds for the new operational storage reservoir which will be located upstream of IID’s water delivery system near the All-American and East Highline Canals, according to the release. Its primary purpose is to maximize IID’s water management efficiency within the Imperial Valley.
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