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Western Slope Snowpack Rises Above Average but Forecast for Eastern Plains Remains “Bleak”

/in , , /by /The Denver Postby Conrad Swanson

Snowfall in western Colorado elevated some snowpack levels to above-average conditions but that snowy weather must continue for it to recharge the parched soil, diminishing streams and low reservoir levels, climate data shows.

While the Western Slope is in much better shape than it was in early December, Becky Bolinger, a climatologist with Colorado State University, said the eastern portion of the state hasn’t been so fortunate. There, wildfire risk persists and crops and livestock could suffer from the lack of moisture, she said.

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Opinion: Bonds Will Help Poseidon Cut Ratepayer Water Bills

/in , , /by /The Orange County Registerby Scott Maloni

I appreciate the Register’s longtime support for the Huntington Beach desalination plant, which can finally start construction if permitted by the California Coastal Commission this coming March. The facility will serve 400,000 Southern Californians and protect public safety and the economy against California’s perpetual drought cycle. “Our support for the project is clear and consistent,” you wrote in your Dec. 23 editorial. Thank you.

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Folsom Dam to Start Releasing Water After Recent Rain, Snowfall

/in , , /by /KCRAby Mark Finan

After more than a year of well-below average water levels at Folsom Lake, the Bureau of Reclamation will start making releases from that reservoir early Tuesday morning.

The releases are necessary because the water level is now near the maximum allowed at this time of year for flood protection. Inflows in the last few weeks have driven the lake up to a near 425 feet, which is as high as the Bureau of Reclamation would like to have it at this time of year.

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More Rain and Snow for Southern California Ahead of New Year’s Eve

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

A cold, wet holiday season will continue this week with two winter storms hitting Southern California and Northern California grappling with heavy accumulations of snow and rockslides that have closed off the Tahoe area. The first Southern California storm arrived in the Los Angeles region Monday afternoon, with a second storm expected Tuesday night that could linger into Friday morning.

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Drought and Water Supply: A Year in Review

/in , , /by /Imperial-San Diego Currentsby Darren Simon Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Drought and water supply in the Southwest U.S. dominated the water news in 2021, from the Colorado River Basin to California.

COVID-19 continued its grasp on all aspects of life in 2021. Even in the face of the pandemic, the work of providing water as an essential service continued for every agency with the responsibility of making sure their constituents have the water they need to sustain their communities, farms and businesses.

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Opinion: California Shouldn’t Have a One-Size-Fits-All Drought Response. It’s Unfair to San Diego County.

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

With California mired in a 2-year-old drought and with available water supplies dwindling in much of the Golden State, Gov. Gavin Newsom in July asked all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent. Five months later, disappointed at the indifferent response from millions of residents, Newsom’s administration is ready to try to force compliance.

Within weeks, the State Water Resources Control Board is expected to impose temporary bans on some outdoor uses of water — including watering lawns within 48 hours of local rainfall, hosing off driveways and filling decorative fountains. Violators would face fines of up to $500 a day.

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Western US To Close 2021 With Record Cold and Piling Snow

/in , , /by /Accuweatherby Brandon Buckingham

The onslaught of storms that have marched into the western United States has undoubtedly created headaches for travelers and residents at times, but it has also proven to be very beneficial in building up an expansive snowpack across most mountain ranges in the region. Looking ahead to the final week of 2021, the cold and unsettled weather regime is expected to continue.

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Paper Records and Steel Vaults: Can California Water Rights Enter the Digital Age?

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ari Plachta

From an unremarkable office in Sacramento, Matthew Jay can pinpoint any moment in California history when somebody was granted the right to transfer water from any particular lake, river, stream or creek.

An analyst with the California State Water Resources Control Board, he is a custodian of millions of pieces of paper. Some are over a hundred years old and are crammed into towering filing cabinets and vaults. The room is so heavy that its floor needed to be reinforced.

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Major Storm Dumps Snow, Closes Mountain Routes in California

/in , , /by /AP News

A major Christmas weekend storm caused whiteout conditions and closed key highways amid blowing snow in mountains of Northern California and Nevada, with forecasters warning that travel in the Sierra Nevada could be difficult for several days.

Authorities near Reno said three people were injured in a 20-car pileup on Interstate 395, where drivers described limited visibility on Sunday. Further west, a 70-mile (112-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 80 was shut until at least Monday from Colfax, California, through the Lake Tahoe region to the Nevada state line.

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Otay Water District Celebrates 65 Years of Service to Southeast Communities

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Sixty-five years ago in 1955, six South Bay community leaders met at Christie’s Restaurant in Chula Vista to discuss ways to import water into the southern part of San Diego County. The shared vision of a plumber, civil engineer, an attorney, a newspaper publisher, and two regional landowners created the framework and found seed funding for what became the Otay Water District.

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