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Atmospheric River Storm This Week Will Bring Heavy Rain, Raise Flood Concerns With Huge Sierra Nevada Snowpack

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

The winter of 2023 isn’t finished yet. Not by a long shot.

An atmospheric river storm is likely to hit Northern California late Thursday into Friday, meteorologists and climate scientists said Monday, bringing high chances of heavy rain in the Bay Area, 1 to 3 feet of new snow at higher elevations in the Sierra, and an increased risk of flooding as the warm rain hits the state’s massive snowpack.

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Water Districts Aim to Go Greener by Cutting Out Ornamental Grass

/in , , /by /SFGATEby Olivia Wynkoop

Though recent snow and rainfall have certainly improved drought conditions, California water officials still want to make every drop of water count.

That means cutting out the watering of decorative grass — also known as non-functional turf — frequently landscaped at traffic medians or office parking lots.

Decorative grass is becoming a bigger problem for Western water agencies to address as policymakers look to cut back its water usage in statewide bans, proposed legislation and local ordinances.

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State, Federal Officials Laud Pure Water Monterey Expansion

/in , , /by /Monterey Heraldby Dennis L. Taylor

Standing on a concrete pad that will support a major new water supply for the Monterey Peninsula, state and federal officials on Monday struck celebratory tones in describing government partnerships that will help usher in an expansion of the Pure Water Monterey project.

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Do Kids Really Need Grass? This Magical L.A. Garden Will Make You Rethink Turf

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Lisa Boone

As 5-year-old Stella Penn and her sister, Maxine, 3, enthusiastically play hide-and-seek in the backyard of their Eagle Rock home, the girls are accompanied by a merry band of lizards, butterflies and birds drawn to the yard’s low-water California natives, abundant fruit trees and the fragrance of Cleveland sage and Champaca trees.

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California’s Snowpack Shows Huge Gains from Recent Storms

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The snow water equivalent of California’s snowpack is 190% of average for March 3, 2023. After three years of drought, the bountiful winter is good news, but a drier future demands more conservation and innovative solutions for water supply in the Southwestern U.S.

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Landscape Makeover Contest Open For 2023 Entries

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The 2023 regional WaterSmart Landscape Makeover competition is open. The annual contest seeks the best in landscaping makeover projects from 12 participating San Diego County water agencies. Showcasing residential water-saving landscaping projects highlights water conservation efforts, as a hotter, drier climate is forecast for the region.

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Winter Storms Have Greatly Improved Drought Conditions in San Diego County and Across California

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby John Carroll and Mike Damron Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Just three months ago, almost all of California was in drought, including at extreme and exceptional levels — the highest levels possible. Warnings went out from state water officials to expect only a fraction of requested water allocations.

Then came the storms, one after the other. Nine atmospheric rivers pummeled California between late December and mid-January, and we’ve had plenty of precipitation since then.

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California Could Get Hit With New Atmospheric River This Week, and Consequences Could Be Concerning

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Jessica Flores

Northern California could be in for a new atmospheric river storm by the end of the week, potentially blasting the Bay Area with substantial rain, and the Sierra with even more heavy snow, but likely not as fierce as the wet storms that wreaked damage across the region at the start of the year, forecasters say.

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Opinion: Review-Journal’s Feb. 15 Editorial on Federal Intervention to Solve Colorado River Crisis Contains Many Inaccuracies

/in , , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Henry Martinez

The Review-Journal’s Feb. 15 editorial promoting federal intervention to solve the Colorado River crisis contains many inaccuracies.

Let’s start with the inference that a six-state proposal is an actual “accord,” lacking only California’s acquiescence. It is not. A “consensus” solution based primarily on reducing the entitlements of water users not involved in the discussions, or in concurrence with the final proposal — and namely the most senior water right priority tribes, lower Colorado River agricultural water users, California contractors and Mexico — is not consensus or an implementable solution to the crisis.

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The Search for Solutions to Colorado’s Water Crisis

/in , , /by /5280by Nicholas Hunt

In January, the same series of storms that left Denver’s streets covered in deep drifts also pushed Colorado’s snowpack north of 120 percent of its average for that point in the year. If your gauge was the number of ski runs open, it was great news. If your gauge was the state’s water supply, it was likely barely enough to maintain the status quo.

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