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OPINION: Don’t Let Your Water-Saving Habits Dry Up

Water agencies across California are signaling that we may be able to turn the spigot back on, thanks to a decent wet winter and spring in the northern part of the state.

But the sense that the worst of the drought may be behind us is dangerous. The State Water Resources Control Board — the folks who created the statewide mandatory water restriction numbers — indicated it might be willing to lift the foot off the brake a bit when it meets Wednesday.

HEMET: Diamond Valley Lake to Reopen to Private Boats

It has been a year since Steven Latino has been able to put his fishing boat on Diamond Valley Lake.

An avid fisherman who happens to be the city engineer for Hemet, Latino said that since the lake was closed to private boats in April 2015 because of low water levels, he has made a few trips to other spots but has mostly kept his boat in the garage. But not for long. The massive drinking-water reservoir will reopen to private boats Wednesday.

Thanks El Niño, but California’s Drought is Probably Forever

Drought is a tricky thing to define. It is not just a matter of how little water falls out of the sky. If it were, you would be forgiven for believing that California’s wettish winter had ended, or even alleviated, the worst drought in state history. But no. Despite the snow in the Sierra Nevada, the water filling Lake Shasta, and the rapids in the Kern River, California is still in a state of drought. For now, maybe forever.

 

Boosted by Desalination, San Diego County Water Brings Refunding

With water from a desalination plant flowing through its pipes, the San Diego County Water Authority heads to market with a $340 million refunding.

Fleets of Turtles Swim Warming Seas

As fishermen and scientists chase tropical tuna and marlin that have drifted into San Diego’s unusually warm waters during the past two years, they’ve encountered something else they’ve never seen: flotillas of loggerhead sea turtles bobbing off the California coast.

“This is the first account we’ve seen of so many loggerhead turtles in the history of scientific record,” said Jeff Seminoff, head of the marine turtle ecology and assessment program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla.

Colorado’s State Water Plan Reflects Changing Attitudes Towards Western Water Management

The completion of the state of Colorado’s Water Plan on November 19, 2015 reflects a growing trend in western water management away from conflict and towards collaborative discussion. Increasingly, western water managers are opting to pursue more creative, coordinated solutions to complex water issues, built on broad-based stakeholder participation.

Drought Harming Water Quality in Inland San Diego County

An annual study finds high bacteria levels and low oxygen levels in creeks and streams of inland San Diego County, and concludes water quality is suffering amid the ongoing drought. The Los Angeles Times says the 2015 San Diego Coastkeeper report released this week ranked the inland water quality as fair to poor – with no watershed earning good or excellent status.

The county’s northern watersheds received fair ratings. Most central and southern watersheds received marks of marginal, while the Tijuana area was rated poor. Coastkeeper used data from 360 samples taken at various sites throughout the year.

California Rice Farmers Optimistic After Wet Winter, Spring

A major money maker in California is making a comeback after recent rains. When it comes to California rice, 97 percent of it is grown in the Sacramento region. But California’s drought left a lot of rice fields barren. Now, Central Valley rice farmers are looking up as they reap the benefits of recent storms. Even though much of the state is still reeling from a historic drought, this year’s wet weather is making the rice harvest season more promising.

Severe And Extreme Drought Eases In California

The U.S. Drought Monitor released May 12 shows some minor improvement in California drought conditions and the removal of the short-term drought designation.

But the seasonal outlook shows drought persisting through the dry season as California’s drought continues for a fifth consecutive year. “Based upon recent conditions and discussions that started last week, areas of D2 (severe) and D3 (extreme) were improved over southern Nevada and southern California,” according to weekly report. “For all of the West, the indicator type was changed to “L” (long-term drought) as the areas of short-term impacts have improved enough to remove that designation.

Sierra Snowmelt Peaking Earlier

The Sierra snowpack is melting quickly, sending water flowing into nearby rivers and reservoirs. This is the normal cycle for snowmelt but research by the California Department of Water Resources found now it’s happening sooner in the season. This means there’s a larger gap between peak runoff and peak demand.

Snow in the Sierra is a great resource for water during the dry late spring and summer months. With a nice, steady snowmelt reservoirs get replenished as water is released to ease the dry conditions. Problems arise though when the peak runoff is well ahead of peak demand.