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California Water Managers Want Emergency Drought Rules To End

/in /by /KPBSby Maureen Cavanaugh Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority and other water managers across California are calling for regulators to end emergency drought rules. “It’s clear here in San Diego County that we are not in a drought emergency. We have adequate supplies to meet demand this year and actually for the next three years if it’s dry,” said Dana Friehauf, the water authority’s water resources manager. Friehauf added that despite this, water users in the county still need to use water wisely, but we need to move to more long-term changes, such as upgrading to a low-water garden.

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Gov. Brown Declares State Of Emergency After Storms Cause Flooding, Erosion, Highway Damage

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hailey Branson-Potts and Matt Hamilton

After another round of heavy rains soaked parts of California, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency late Monday for several counties dealing with an estimated tens of million dollars in damage from flooding, erosion, and mud flows. The governor’s order cited the destruction to roads and highways from the so-called atmospheric river that has pummeled Southern California, the Central Coast, the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area since early January. A second emergency declaration was also issued for a spate of Northern California counties battered by rainstorms.

 

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Ventura Moves To Join State Water

/in /by /Ventura County Starby Arlene Martinez

Since 1971, the city of Ventura has been paying to help maintain the water system that delivers imported state water. On Monday night, Ventura took a step toward obtaining some of that product after the City Council voted 7-0 to authorize a comprehensive study that considers design, water flow, the environmental impacts and costs. The up to $653,000 is being partially offset by payments from the Calleguas Municipal Water District and the United Water Conservation District, which along with the Casitas Municipal Water District hope to be part of the regional effort.

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Widespread Flooding, Mudslides, Evacuations As Biggest Storm In Years Batters California

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Matt Hamilton, Frank Shyong, Adam Elmahrek and Howard Blume

The third in a series of powerful winter storms unleashed a deluge in Southern California on Sunday, flooding numerous roads and freeways, setting new rainfall records and stranding some in dangerously rising waters. Forecasters had predicted this storm would be the strongest and several years, and it didn’t disappoint. While earlier storms produced periods of heavy showers, this one delivered several hours of sustained pounding rain, with damaging results.

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Southern California Pounded by Intense Storm and Flooding

/in /by /AP News

The third and most powerful in a series of storms pounded Southern California on Sunday, dropping nearly 4 inches of rain south of Los Angeles, flooding freeways and raising concerns about damaging mudslides. Commuters could expect a messy drive to work Monday in several areas, with rainfall expected to ease slightly but not taper off until Tuesday. Flash flood watches and warnings were in effect for swaths of greater Los Angeles and across Southern California where multiple roads were closed Sunday or blocked by fallen trees.

 

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OPINION: SF Needs To Plan For Drier Future

/in /by /San Francisco Chronicle

California’s five-year drought has brought new urgency to balancing our water use — and, even in wet years, water issues always hover close to the political boiling point. Thus the state’s proposal that San Francisco significantly reduce water imports from the Sierra has the water world bubbling. Cutbacks will require political will, creative thinking and sacrifice. Yet the Bay Area must commit to do more to prepare for a drier future.

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OPINION: A Wet Year Won’t Beat California’s Never-Ending Drought

/in /by /Wired (Boone, IA)by Peter Gleick

Storm after storm has pummeled California over the past few weeks as a series of so-called atmospheric rivers has come ashore. Given the massive amounts of rain and snow that have fallen, people want to know if California’s five-year-long intensive drought is finally over. The answer, of course, depends on what people mean by “drought” and “over,” and it depends on who you ask. There isn’t—and never has been—agreement about the meaning of either word. Drought is defined and used in many ways: There are meteorological, hydrological, agricultural, and socioeconomic droughts.

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Month’s Rains Swamp Most Years’ January Figures

/in /by /SFGate (San Francisco)by Evan Sernoffsky

What has felt like an especially wet January in California isn’t an effect of people becoming accustomed to the past half decade of drought. It really has been an exceptionally soaking month. San Francisco is experiencing the seventh-wettest January on record to date, according to the National Weather Service, and it’s nipping at the heels of January 1982, when a historic El Niño caused major flooding in California. “The storms have been one after the other,” said Anna Schneider, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Monterey office.

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So Far, So Good In Burn Areas

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Adam Elmahrek

In the Duarte burn area, many residents decided to stay in their homes home, despite mandatory evacuation orders. Rudy Fuentes, an elementary school teacher, said he stayed behind to protect his home in case things really got out of hand, though he said, “I hope it doesn’t come to that.” His driveway was covered in about two inches of mud from Friday’s rains and mudflow, and he tied plywood across the driveway to protect it. He’s also got sandbags and, on Friday, and he and his son dug a couple of trenches.

 

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Ventura To Explore State Water Connection

/in /by /Ventura County Starby Arlene Martinez

Ventura could begin actively exploring connecting to state water if the City Council approves setting aside money for a comprehensive study evaluating what it would take. The council on Monday will consider spending up to $653,000 to have an outside consultant prepare a report that looks at the cost, design, capacity, environmental impacts and other issues that go with connecting to state water. The city in 1971 entered into an agreement with the Casitas Municipal Water District and the state Department of Water Resources to get state water, according to the city’s staff report.

 

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