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New Report: California Drought Is Over In Roughly Half The State, Feds Say

/in /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Paul Rogers

Hammered with record rainstorms and blizzards, nearly half of California is no longer in a drought, and the rest saw dramatic improvement over the past week, federal scientists reported Thursday. Overall, 49 percent of the state is now drought free, the highest level since April 2013, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

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Kern County Officially Improves The Drought From Exceptional To Extreme Category

/in /by /23ABC (Bakersfield)by Elaina Rusk

For the first time in years, Kern County has seen an official improvement in our drought ranking.As of this morning’s Drought Monitor report, the driest portion of Kern County is now in the D3 Extreme category, an improvement from the D4 Exceptional (and worst) ranking! As for the south San Joaquin valley, you can see we are in the D2 category, or Severe Drought ranking.

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How A ‘Rain Shadow’ Left This Reservoir Parched Even After All Those Storms

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Joseph Serna

It’s rained so much across California that the state’s biggest reservoirs are filled to levels not seen in years. At least six of the state’s major reservoirs are now holding more than 100% of their historic average, and massive Lake Shasta is so replete with water that dam operators opened spillway channels for the first time in six years this month.   But then there’s thirsty Lake Cachuma. The Santa Barbara County reservoir this week was filled to just 13% of its historical average and 9% of its capacity.

 

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In A Major Improvement, Nearly Half Of California Is No Longer In A Drought

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Matt Stevens

Continued rain and snow across California has lifted nearly half of the state out of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday. Just over 51% of California remains in “moderate” to “extreme” drought, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported. By comparison, more than 95% of the state was listed as being in some form of drought a year ago.

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San Diego County Water Authority Declares End To Drought In California

/in /by /KUSI News Quoted: Mark Muir and Maureen Stapleton

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors Thursday declared an end to drought conditions in the region, citing heavy local rainfall and snow in western mountain areas. According to the Water Authority, precipitation at San Diego’s official reporting station at Lindbergh Field is 172 percent of average at this time. Statewide snow-water content is 193 percent of average, while the snowpack in the Colorado River Basin — where San Diego obtains some of its water — is also well above normal, the SDCWA reported.

 

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San Diego Water Officials Declare Drought Over

/in /by /KPBSby Erik Anderson Quoted: Dana Friehauf

The San Diego County Water Authority voted Thursday to officially declare the region’s drought over. Authority officials, who voted 25-0 with eight abstentions, said the heavy snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, local rain and wet weather along the Colorado River basin have combined to end the drought. “We are not in a shortage,” said the Water Authority’s Dana Friehauf. “We are not in a supply shortage situation.” The agency is telling its business and residential customers that there is plenty of available water and the drought emergency is over.

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Water Authority Declares End Of Drought In San Diego

/in /by /Fox5 San Diego Quoted: Mark Muir and Maureen Stapleton

The San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors has declared an end to drought conditions in the region. According to the Water Authority, precipitation at San Diego’s official reporting station at Lindbergh Field is 172 percent of average at this time. Statewide snow-water content is 193 percent of average, while the snowpack in the Colorado River Basin — where San Diego obtains some of its water — is also well above normal, the SDCWA reported.

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San Diego Water Officials Declare Drought Over, Plead With State Regulators To Lift Regulations

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith Quoted: Dana Friehauf

Water officials in San Diego County announced Thursday that the region’s drought has ended. The San Diego County Water Authority, the region’s water wholesaler, made the announcement in an ongoing effort to convince regulators in Sacramento to lift emergency drought regulations on urban water districts throughout the state. “I think it sends an important message to residents and businesses that we have not been experiencing drought conditions here in San Diego County,” said Dana Friehauf, water resources manager with the authority. “We’re requesting the governor and state water board rescind the state emergency regulations.

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Drought Is Over (Says Local Water Authority)

/in /by /San Diego Readerby Don Bauder Quoted: Mark Muir

The San Diego County Water Authority’s board of directors today (January 26) declared that the drought is over. The board urged governor Jerry Brown and the State Water Resources Control Board to rescind statewide emergency water-use regulations for areas of the state no longer in drought conditions, such as San Diego. Heavy local rainfall, record-setting precipitation in the Northern Sierra, and a very good snowpack in the upper Colorado River basin convinced the county water authority board to call an end to the drought.

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Drought Retreats From Nearly Half Of California

/in /by /Mail Tribune (Medford, Ore.)by John Antczak Quoted: Mark Muir

Drought conditions have retreated from nearly half of California after January’s onslaught of storms, the U.S. Drought Monitor said Thursday, and one large water wholesaler urged state regulators to lift restrictions on areas with adequate supplies. The board of directors of the San Diego County Water Authority voted to declare an end to drought conditions in its region and to call on Gov. Jerry Brown and the State Water Resources Control Board to rescind statewide emergency water-use regulation.

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