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Prado Dam Rated A ‘High Urgency’ Risk After Spillway Problems Discovered

/in , /by /The Press-Enterprise (Riverside)by David Downey

Federal officials are working urgently to strengthen the spillway at Prado Dam near Corona to prevent it from failing in a major flood, which could imperil hundreds of thousands of people living downstream in Orange County. After a May inspection determined the dam’s spillway could perform poorly in a major flood, the dam’s risk rating was changed from “moderate urgency” to “high urgency.” Dena O’Dell, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman, said Thursday, May 16, that the agency is taking immediate measures to reduce the risk that the spillway will fail. And she said the agency was preparing to launch a project in 2021 to bolster the spillway and raise it 20 feet.

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The Not-So-Crystal Clean History Of San Francisco’s Drinking Water

/in , /by /KQED News (Sacramento)by Rachael Myrow

To the west of Interstate 280 along the Peninsula south of San Francisco, there’s a long stretch of beautiful greenery. The hills are carpeted with trees, a thick bank of coastal fog hugs the ridge line, and nestled in the middle sit two crystal clear lakes. It all looks so pristine, untouched even. But it’s entirely man made. When Jackie Nuñez moved to San Mateo from Santa Barbara, she couldn’t help but notice the Crystal Springs reservoirs.

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$3 Million Earmarked For Three California Coastal Habitats By U.S. Department of the Interior

/in , /by /California Water News Daily

Three California coastal wetlands habitats will each be receiving $1 million for restoration projects according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced last week that 11 coastal states will be sharing in a total of $20 million for 22 projects in 11 coastal states to protect, restore or enhance more than 7,000 acres of coastal wetlands and adjacent upland habitats under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.

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Water Authority Supports Bill To Spur Pumped Storage Projects

/in , /by /Water News Network

A bill that the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors voted to support in March is scheduled for a hearing Thursday in the state Senate Appropriations Committee. The proposed state legislation promotes the development of pumped hydroelectric storage projects to help meet state energy and climate goals. Senate Bill 772 by Sen. Steven Bradford of Gardena promotes the development of pumped hydroelectric storage projects to help meet state energy and climate goals.

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OPINION: Legislature Should Support More Water Projects, Not Work To Defeat Them

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Bill Manis

All of us remember California’s recent five-year drought when residents were encouraged to cut back their water use, let their lawns go brown, and use barrels to collect precious rainwater. Now, well-funded, politically-connected interest groups are trying to block a new source of clean drinking water for Southern California. According to a recent report by the State Water Resources Control Board, more than one million Californians don’t have access to safe, reliable drinking water.

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Owens Valley Groundwater Basin Goes Low

/in , /by /Sierra Wave Mediaby Deb Murphy

California’s Department of Water Resources came out with its latest prioritization of state groundwater basins and, tentatively, the Owens Valley basin is now low. Over the short life of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Owens Valley has gone from medium to high and now low priority. That prioritization would have had an impact three years ago.

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Opinion: Key Conflicts Roil California’s Ever Evolving Waterscape

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Dan Walters

As 2018 was winding down, one of California’s leading newspapers suggested, via a front-page, banner-headlined article, that the drought that had plagued the state for much of this decade may be returning. Just weeks later, that same newspaper was reporting that record-level midwinter storms were choking mountain passes with snow, rapidly filling reservoirs and causing serious local flooding. Neither was incorrect at the time, but their juxtaposition underscores the unpredictable nature of California’s water supply.

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Shasta Dam Expansion: California, Conservation Groups Sue Water District Over Plan

/in , /by /KQED News (Sacramento)by Craig Miller

The battle over Shasta Dam is escalating. This week, California’s attorney general and several fishing and conservation groups filed separate lawsuits to stop a controversial project to elevate the dam and expand the state’s largest reservoir, near Redding. “This project is unlawful,” wrote Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a statement announcing the state’s lawsuit. “

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One Less Tax. California Lawmakers Move To Reject Gavin Newsom’s Water Fee

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Hannah Wiley

A Senate budget subcommittee rejected Gov. Gavin Newsom’s water tax plan on Wednesday, instead recommending finding $150 million elsewhere to finance a safe and affordable drinking water fund. Newsom proposed the tax in his January budget to help communities clean contaminated water systems. His May budget revise also included a fee to address the statewide problem that affects one million Californians.

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California Is Already Drenched. Now Three ‘Atmospheric Rivers’ May Unload Two Months’ Worth Of Rain.

/in , /by /The Washington Post by Mike Branom

Californians proudly regard themselves as early adopters and trendsetters. So, of course, they’ll be the first to experience an aberrant weather pattern that is expected in the continental United States over the coming days. A jet stream sagging into the mid latitudes is forecast to drive into the Golden State some unseasonably late precipitation and a lot of it starting Wednesday and continuing into the weekend.

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