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Tucson Votes to Give Up Some of its CAP water to Help Save Lake Mead

/in , , /by /KOLD News 13by Bud Foster

The Tucson City Council voted unanimously to give back about a third of its Central Arizona Project water allocation to help an ailing Lake Mead.

The lake, hit hard by a prolonged drought, is at 31% capacity and dropping. It provides water for 20 million people in Arizona, California and Nevada as well as large swaths of farmland.

“I feel that the city of Tucson is in a position where we can add water back to the lake, specifically Lake Mead,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero before the vote.

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The West, Reliant on Hydro, May Miss It During Heat Waves

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Benjamin Storrow Mentioned: `

When California suffers a heat wave, it leans heavily on hydropower from the Pacific Northwest to keep the lights on.

But that hydropower may not always be available when it’s most needed, as climate change is shifting the ground on which the West’s dams sit. Higher temperatures means snowmelt occurs earlier in the year and leaves less water available for power generation during the depths of summer.

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To Pre-Rinse or Not to Pre-Rinse? How to Use Your Dishwasher During the Drought

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ada Tseng

The science is in. Dishwashers save water — especially if you run them only when you have a full load.

Experts will also tell you that you don’t even need to pre-rinse the crusty, sticky residue off your dishes before depositing them in the dishwasher. Just scrape the solid food off.

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High Winds, Heat Boost Fire Threat as California Faces Long Season

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Diana Leonard

Fire danger is on the rise in California, as warm, dry and windy weather heralds a potentially long and difficult season. For several consecutive years, increasingly extreme, climate-change fueled wildfires have devastated parts of the state.

The area of greatest concern late this week is in Northern California, where strong northerly winds will combine with dry vegetation in the Sacramento Valley, after temperatures soared to 100 degrees on Wednesday afternoon.

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Newsom Pushes Water Commission to Accelerate Sites Reservoir

/in , , /by /Agri Pulseby Brad Hooker

As the drought deepens and an election nears, Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking extra steps to increase pressure—and responsibility—on the Water Commission for the Sites Reservoir Project proposal. During a Senate budget subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said the governor has tasked him with ensuring the commission “isn’t slowing down the progress of getting those [Proposition 1] projects online.”

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Amid Severe Drought, Former Interior Secretary Calls for Revamping Colorado River Pact

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

One hundred years after a landmark agreement divided the waters of the Colorado River among Western states, the pact is now showing its age as a hotter and drier climate has shrunk the river.

The flow of the Colorado has declined nearly 20% since 2000. Reservoirs have dropped to record low levels.

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IID Board Initiates Process to Develop, Implement Revised Plan to Manage Water Supply

/in , , /by /The Desert Review

In light of the current conditions affecting the Colorado River Basin, the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors has initiated an accelerated process to develop a plan to manage its annual water supply by apportioning it among all categories of water users.

Referred to as the revised Equitable Distribution Plan, the intent is for the plan to be effective by July 1, 2022 and retroactive to January 1 of this year. The revised plan is being developed by the district in consultation with the board’s Colorado River committee.

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Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Board Approves 1-Day-Per-Week Irrigation Restrictions

/in , , /by /CBS Los Angeles

The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Board unanimously approved a drought resolution Wednesday that will limit residents outdoor irrigation to one day a week, with the restrictions taking effect June 1.

Last week, LVMWD held a virtual town hall with more than 1,300 people who shared their concerns and feedback with the district’s board of directors.

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Opinion: Anti-Growth Commission Spikes Desal

/in , , /by /The Press-Enterprise

By rejecting the plan for a desalination plant in Orange County last week, the California Coastal Commission surrendered to environmental interests fundamentally committed to a world of restrictions rather than abundance. Rather than embrace innovation and technology, the commission has chosen to place the interests of a few activists over the interests of Californians.

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Severe Drought Could Pose Problems for U.S. Power Grid This Summer – NERC

/in , , /by /Reuters

The organization responsible for North American electric reliability warned energy shortfalls were possible this summer in California, Texas and the U.S. Midwest where extreme heat from a severe drought could cause power plants to fail.

In 2021, numerous extreme weather events stressed the U.S. power grid, including the February freeze in Texas that knocked out power to millions after freezing natural gas pipes, and record heat, drought and wildfires in the West.

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