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OPINION: Drop By Data-Driven Drop, Conservation is The New Front In California’s Water Wars

If you thought California’s water wars were bitter, just wait until you see our water data wars. Digital tools have expanded the ability of governments, companies and nonprofits to measure the uses of California water in detail, and thus build more water-efficient products, boost water conservation, and replace expensive and inefficient infrastructure. But the abundance of water data effectively makes every piece of land and every drop of water in California the subject of measurement – and conflict. The data also exposes the fragmentation and deficiencies of California’s system of water management.

Snowstorm Expected to Hit Sierra This Weekend; Winter Watering Rules Take Effect in Sacramento

The first fall storm of 2017 is expected to dump up to 2 1/2 feet of snow across the Sierra region over the weekend. The National Weather Service in Sacramento is predicting 24 to 30 inches of snow in Lassen Park and 12 to 18 inches in Donner, Carson, Ebbets, Tioga and Sonora passes. Several inches are also expected in the Shasta National Forest.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer Says Bipartisan Efforts Only Solution to State’s Housing, Water and Workforce Needs

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer on Thursday held up his city as an example of what can be accomplished when elected leaders put aside politics and focus on the housing, workforce and water needs facing their region. “It shouldn’t matter if you’re Republican, Democrat or independent — what’s the right thing we need to be doing for our city? What’s the right thing we need to be doing for our state, for our economy?” Faulconer said at the opening session of the California Economic Summit.

Construction Of Center For Water Studies Set To Begin At Cuyamaca College

Cuyamaca College is set to begin construction on a Center for Water Studies aimed at training the next generation of industry professionals to manage and operate California’s complex water and wastewater system. A groundbreaking ceremony for the first component of the project – the Field Operations Skills Yard – is scheduled Nov. 9. When completed, the yard will include a fully operational, above-ground water distribution and an underground wastewater collection system that students will utilize for hands-on learning.

Helix Water District Makes Changes in Partnership with Conservation Garden

After considering cutting ties with The Water Conservation Garden, the Helix Water District Board has agreed to keep supporting the venue in Rancho San Diego for the next five years but at a declining rate. Earlier this year, Helix board member Dan McMillan questioned the need for the district to continue to fund the xeriscape demonstration garden on the Cuyamaca College campus, citing budgetary concerns and accountability to ratepayers.

OPINION: California’s Water Problem? Demand Keeps Rising And Supply Stays The Same

Last week I attended a town hall meeting in Fresno where the topic was new dams and, more importantly, water in general. The five-member panel included two California assemblymen and one state senator, all from the San Joaquin Valley. The politicians were all on their game with answers and non-answers depending upon the questions.

BLOG: NASA Estimates the Global Reach of Atmospheric Rivers

A recent study by NASA and several partners has estimated, for the first time, the global impact of atmospheric rivers on floods and droughts, as well as the number of people affected by these atmospheric phenomena. Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow, short-lived jets of air that transport water vapor across significant portions of Earth’s mid-latitude oceans, onto the continents and into Earth’s polar regions.

Water Agency Meets Key Oroville Deadline, But Faces Skepticism About Its Future Role

The California Department of Water Resources announced Wednesday it has completed the first phase of its massive reconstruction of Oroville Dam’s shattered main spillway — just in time for the first significant rainfall of the season. The agency also announced that in the wake of the spillway’s failure last February — and several reports that found the concrete chute appeared to have been poorly designed, built and maintained — it will conduct a “comprehensive needs assessment” for the dam and its reservoir.

Satellite Data Shows Silicon Valley Aquifers Bounced Back From Drought

California’s five-year drought taxed the state’s water supplies like never before, especially its groundwater. Many areas of the state saw huge drops in aquifer water levels, with resulting surface subsidence and even damage to infrastructure such as roads and canals. As a result, water agencies and scientists began looking for ways to monitor groundwater more closely. One that emerged uses sensors mounted on Earth-orbiting satellites.

SF Announces $700M to Expand Sewer Infrastructure, Effort to Boost Flood Prevention

Additionally, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission said it has earmarked some $700 million to invest in expanding sewer infrastructure over the next 15 years. Ahead of rain expected this weekend, various department heads gathered at Chan Kajaal Park, located near one of The City’s most flood-prone intersections at 17th and Folsom streets, to announce a new strategy that focuses on working with residents and business owners around flood prevention.