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California Grapples With Pivot From Drought Rules To Long-Term Water Strategy

/in /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Ian James

With storms drenching much of California and snow blanketing the Sierra Nevada, the state’s top water regulators are grappling with how to shift from conservation rules devised during more than five years of drought to a long-term strategy for using water more sustainably. The State Water Resources Control Board plans to decide in February whether to extend the current drought regulations, which require local water districts to report on monthly water use and include measures such as prohibiting outdoor watering for 48 hours after rainstorms.

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California Drought Continues To Shrink, Federal Government Says

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

With major reservoirs nearly full, the Sierra Nevada snowpack well above average and flood warnings in place for some rivers, federal scientists reported Thursday a continued weakening of California’s drought. Overall, 44 percent of the state remains in severe drought conditions or worse, down from 49 percent a week ago, 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. The improved area, roughly 5.1 million acres, is mostly in the central Sierra Nevada, which has been hit with major snowstorms in recent weeks.

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California’s Water Outlook Is Brighter, But….

/in /by /Valley Road Runner (Valley Center)by Marie Waldron

Though it’s still early, this year’s storms have brought increased precipitation, including heavy snowfall in the Sierras. Our real problem isn’t lack of rain, it’s a lack of water storage capacity. Despite voter approval of the $7.1 billion water bond in 2014, including $2.7 billion earmarked for new dams and reservoirs, few projects are currently under way. This week I toured the $4.4 billion Sites Reservoir project north of Sacramento, which is an exception. The Sites project has been studied for decades and engineering studies are underway.

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Calif.’s State Water Project Increases Allocation To 60 Percent

/in /by /Capital Press (Salem, Ore.)by Tim Hearden

Amid what’s shaping up to be one of California’s wettest winters on record, the State Water Project on Jan. 18 upped its anticipated deliveries to at least 60 percent of requested supplies. The boost from 45 percent is the Department of Water Resources’ second allocation increase in less than a month, and it comes as many of its gauges in the Central Valley have recorded twice the normal rainfall for this time of year.

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Then & Now | Lake Oroville One Year Later

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Brian van der Brug

Many lakes and reservoirs have been slowly rising since October as Northern California saw increases in rain and snow. But January has been particularly wet thanks to “atmospheric river” storms. Lake Oroville, Lake Shasta and other reservoirs in Northern California are key pieces of the state’s water system, which moves the resource from the Sierra Nevada to cities and farmlands.

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California Has The Snow. It Just Needs To Keep It Frozen

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Rong-Gong Lin II

With another round of winter storms hitting California this week, the question isn’t just how much rain and snow they will dump, but how cold they will be. The coldness of storms can make the difference between one that adds to the fast-rising snowpack — an essential source of water for the state — and one that also leaves a wet mess. Northern California was pulled out of a five-year drought by a series of storms over the last few weeks that deposited huge amounts of snow over hundreds of miles of the state’s greatest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada.

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2017 Is Pivotal Year For Water

/in /by /Our City San Diego

Prolific rain and snow storms in Northern California during recent weeks offer hope that the state’s six-year drought will finally end in 2017. Even if that’s the case, the year ahead will be filled with major water-related issues that will impact the region’s residential and commercial water users. For starters, the state is expected to release emergency water-use regulations this month.

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Citrus Industry Encouraged By California’s Wet Weather

/in /by /89.3 KPCC (Pasadena)by Mike Roe

A series of three storms, the first arriving late Wednesday, is expected to drench Southern California — but one group that’s welcomed California’s recent wet weather is citrus growers. The drought has had a big impact on the state’s citrus industry, but now Bob Blakely with California Citrus Mutual, an advocacy group for the state’s citrus growers, says that this year’s wet weather has been a big positive.

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In South State, Lingering Drought Worries Farmers

/in /by /AgAlert (Sacramento)by Kevin Hecteman

Sometimes, it takes a dry sense of humor to deal with a years-long drought—especially when you’ve watched a wave of storms hammer Northern California and realize your end of the state is missing out. “Better rain dances” is what Ken Doty said he’d need to alleviate the parched conditions at his Goleta orchards, where he grows avocados and citrus. “We are getting some rain,” Doty said. “We’re tracking right on the average annual year-to-date figures, but we have not had anywhere near enough to recover from the drought.” Some farmers say they sense a meteorological imbalance.

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California To Keep Modest Water-Conservation Rules For Now

/in /by /The Orange County Registerby Paul Rogers

Amid drenching rains and heavy snowfall this winter, California is moving to ease up a little on its statewide water conservation rules – although not drop them entirely. On Tuesday, the staff of the State Water Resources Control Board recommended that the less-stringent rules the agency put in place last summer should continue at least through May, when they can be re-evaluated after the winter rainy season is over.

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