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New Rainfall Pulls Orange County Out Of Worst Drought Conditions

/in /by /Orange County Breezeby Shelley Henderson

Even before another rain storm brings more water between now and the Rose Parade, residents of Orange County can shout“Hurray!” for the County rising to the level of merely “extreme drought” from “exceptional drought.” Here is the official California Drought Map as of today, Thursday, Dec. 28, 2016: Last week’s map showed northwest Orange County still trapped in exceptional drought. A portion of south County preceded the remainder of the County in leaving the worst drought category.

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California To Receive Nearly $22 Million In Conservation Partnership Funding

/in /by /Imperial Valley News

The USDA has  announced that 88 high-impact projects across the U.S. will receive nearly a quarter billion dollars in federal funding as part of the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). In addition, partners have proposed to contribute up to an additional $500 million to improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. Four projects in California have been named as recipients. The USDA investment here will reach nearly $22 million, with matching funds exceeding $50 million.

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Southern California To Get More Rain And Snow

/in /by /The Associated Press (As published by KTVN - Reno, Nev.)

Southern California’s trend of rainy weather is expected to resume this week after several dry and unusually warm days. The National Weather Service says a few disturbances will move through Friday and Saturday, bringing rain and mountain snow. The second system arriving Saturday will be very cold and snow levels may affect travel through mountain passes. Just as the recent strong El Nino ocean-warming phenomenon failed to bring rain to Southern California, the ocean-cooling known as La Nina hasn’t lived up to expectations of drier than normal weather.

 

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L.A.’s Wettest Month In Years Will Continue Through To New Year’s Eve

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Nicole Santa Cruz

Los Angeles County could see between a quarter-inch and half-inch of rain Friday as the first of two anticipated storm systems passes through the region this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. The rainfall will add to what is already the wettest month recorded in downtown Los Angeles since December 2010, said David Sweet, a weather service meteorologist. So far this month, the area has seen 4 inches of rain, nearly double the historical average for December. On Friday, there’s an 80% chance of rain forecast at 4 a.m., with a possibility of showers returning Friday night, Sweet said.

 

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Rush Is On To Seal Colorado River Deal

/in /by /Havasu News (Lake Havasu City, Ariz.)by Sandra Dibble

With the prospect of reduced Colorado River deliveries as early as 2018, U.S. and Mexican negotiators have been in a race against the clock to forge an agreement that involves sharing any future shortages — and are hoping for a signing before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Water managers on both sides of the border say the accord will be crucial in spelling out how the U.S. and Mexico would take cuts when a shortage is declared on the river, a lifeline for some 40 million people in both countries.

 

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Water Rates Going Up 6.6% For Residential, 8.3% For Growers

/in /by /Valley Roadrunner (Valley Center)by David Ross Mentioned: Carlsbad Desalination Plant

Your water rates are going up after January 1. Here’s why. Valley Center Municipal Water District (VCMWD) customers in 2017 will be hit by a series of water rate and fixed charge increases after the first of the New Year that are all higher than the annual rate of inflation, but which reflect real price increases that the district must make up since deficit spending is not a viable option.

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Reliable Water Supply Not Such A Pipe Dream

/in /by /Carlsbad Chamber Of Commerce Business Journal Mentioned: Bud Lewis, San Diego County Water Authority

Many years ago, leaders in our region came together to figure out how to ensure a reliable water supply for the future. They recognized not just the importance of water to our quality of life, but how essential it is for a healthy economy.

BLOG: Tunnel Construction In 2018?

/in /by /ESanJoaquin.comby Alex Breitler

A press release last week about the release of 97,000 pages of final environmental documents for the Delta tunnels says construction will begin “as soon as 2018.” We’ve heard projections like that before. In January 2009, the Schwarzenegger administration said construction on a peripheral canal — the predecessor to the tunnels — would start in 2011. Nearly eight years later, here we are still talking.

 

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First Days Of 2017 Will Be Cold, Possibly Rainy

/in /by /San Francisco Examinerby Nuala Sawyer

Bay Area residents will experience a drop in temperatures this weekend, as a flow of air from Canada moves south into Northern California. Temperatures are expected to dip into the 30s on New Years morning, but areas closer to the water—such as San Francisco—will stay slightly warmer. Meteorologists predict morning temperatures of 45 degrees on Jan. 1. Cold weather will continue into Monday and Tuesday in San Francisco, where daily highs may not reach 50 degrees.

 

 

 

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BLOG: The Seven Key Things That Happened In California Water In 2016

/in /by /Water Deeply (New York)by Tara Lohan

This year has been a big one for water. California is still mired in drought, although less of the state is suffering than in previous years and each winter rainstorm brings a fresh bit of optimism. A large reserve of groundwater was found deep under the drought-stricken Central Valley, recycled water continues to gain in popularity, flooding to help fish and farmers is panning out and 2016 will likely wrap up as the hottest year on record. Below are seven other significant milestones that impacted California water and will help shape the year ahead.

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