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Here’s How California’s Drought is Impacting Bay Area Reservoirs

/in , , /by /NBC Bay Areaby Robert Handa

California is running out of water. That’s the harsh assessment by experts who say 90% of the state is dealing with drought conditions with the threat of mandatory statewide water restrictions looming.

The most glaring indications of the drought in the Bay Area are the local reservoirs. The reservoirs during the last drought were relatively full and offered a temporary buffer to a major water shortage. That is not the case this time around.

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Marin Water Exploring Desalination to Tackle Severe Drought

/in , , /by /KRON 4 San Franciscoby Noelle Bellow

Reservoirs continue to dry up in Marin County and everyone agrees that conservation efforts are ‘not’ where they need to be. Now, the Marin Municipal Water District is looking at some expensive options to tackle the severe drought. “We’re facing historic drought conditions,” Emma Detwiler said.

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Valley Water Hopes Plan to Expand Wastewater Purification Can Lead Santa Clara County Out of Drought

/in , , /by /ABC 7 News Bay Areaby Dustin Dorsey

Could wastewater be the solution to our drought problems? Valley Water thinks so and they are doubling down on it by expanding their North San Jose advanced water purification center and planning on building a new plant in Los Atos to produce millions of gallons of purified drinking water. In the heart of Silicon Valley, Valley Water is technology to lead the county out of the drought.

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Cal Water Expands Water-Saving Programs for Customers Amid Growing Drought Emergency

/in , , /by /Kern Valley Sun

As the drought intensifies, local water utility California Water Service is helping customers save water every day through expanded water conservation programs and educational resources.

These programs and resources include newly launched lawn-to-garden and spray-to-drip rebates, which offer incentives for Cal Water customers to make their landscaping and irrigation systems as efficient as possible.

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US Projections on Drought-Hit Colorado River Grow More Dire

/in , , /by /AP News

The U.S. government released projections Wednesday that indicate an even more troubling outlook for a river that serves 40 million people in the American West.

The Bureau of Reclamation recently declared the first-ever shortage on the Colorado River, which means Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will get less water than normal next year. By 2025, there’s a 66% chance Lake Mead, a barometer for how much river water some states get, will reach a level where California would be in its second phase of cuts. The nation’s most populated state has the most senior rights to river water.

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State Allocates $50M to Fund Water Conservation Projects in Agricultural Centered Areas

/in , , /by /Bakersfield Nowby Elizabeth Christian

Today local lawmakers toured the Kern Water Bank to see drought impact firsthand.

$50 million from the state budget is going to fund Assembly Bill 252, which calls for land repurposing all to focus on the drought and getting water flow back to where it matters.

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Smart Landscape Irrigation Tips Save Water

/in , , /by /Water News Network

During drought, it’s imore important than ever to conserve water used for irrigation. When you follow just a few smart landscaping irrigation tips, you can get the most from every drop of water applied to your landscaping.

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Golden State Water Declares Mandatory Water Conservation

/in , , /by /The Desert Review by Kayla Kirby

Golden State Water Company issued notice to its customers, including Calipatria residents, of its water shortage contingency and staged mandatory water conservation and rationing program, where the already-disadvantage community would not only be expected to conserve water, but also pay fines for water-use violations.

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted to send a letter Tuesday, Sept. 21, requesting a variance for Calipatria Customer Service Area of the Golden State Water Company’s mandatory water conservation and rationing program for the Apple Valley, Barstow, Calipatria, Morongo Valley, and Wrightwood service areas.

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Opinion: Yes, Southern California, We Have a Water Shortage Emergency Too

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Times Editorial Board

So Southern Californians didn’t decrease their water usage in July, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for a voluntary 15% cutback?

Well, of course not. The dusty lake beds, the dry spigots, the serious water-use cutback orders and the most frightening wildfires (so far, anyway) have been in Northern California, and that’s where Newsom focused his most dire warnings. He declared a drought emergency in Mendocino and Sonoma counties in April, expanded it to 41 counties in May, and then to 50 counties in July — but not Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, Riverside or San Bernardino counties. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California warned of unprecedented shortages in Lake Mead and has launched an advertising campaign calling for increased conservation. But the MWD is the victim of its own success, in that it has done a superb job over the decades supplying enough water so that residents generally don’t think about shortages.

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Water District Directors Critical of LAFCO Report

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

Ramona Municipal Water District directors at their Sept. 14 meeting were critical of a report that recommends a different form of governance for Ramona, but did consider whether the plan could bring tax benefits.

During a presentation by the Local Agency Formation Commission, analyst Priscilla Allen shared highlights of the LACFO report that makes 14 recommendations, chief among them to reorganize the water district into a Community Services District — an intermediary step that would give unincorporated Ramona more local control and a potential segue into incorporation.

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