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Drought Tip: Build up That Personal Water Bank

/in /by /ChicoER

Many water users had hoped that February would be the final month for water budgets. However, the use of water budgets continues. The next review will be April 1 when the state looks again at the amount of snow in the mountains.

Customers of California Water Service in Chico and Oroville may notice they have a box on their bill that states: “water bank.” When a customer does not use the full amount of water allowed each month under the current water budgets, the extra water goes into a “water bank.” Customers may want to use those units of water later this year, when the weather is extremely hot.

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Federal Government Ups Salton Sea Spending

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

The federal government plans to spend $3 million this year constructing a new wetland along the Alamo River in order to rehabilitate habitats and help clean up some of the polluted water flowing into the Salton Sea.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced the new funding as part of a larger spending plan for about $166 million, which will be used for purposes ranging from drought-related projects to rural water infrastructure.

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When It Comes To Saving Water, Southern Californians Are Tapped Out — Or Are They?

/in /by /The Los Angeles Times by By Taylor Goldenstein

After months of responding to calls to save water, Southern Californians say they’ve hit a wall.

Nearly 9 in 10 respondents say they strongly or somewhat agree that “I’ve already cut back on water use at my home as much as I can” and “There’s not much more I can do to save water,” according to a recent survey commissioned by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

A majority also said they are willing to decrease their consumption.

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Farmers Say they’re getting a Bad Rap over Water

/in /by /Visalia Times-Delta by By David Castellon

Despite better a winter that is shaping up to be wetter than average in some parts of California, experts say it’s far from enough to put much of a dent in the four years of drought that preceded it.

As such, the controversy on how to allocate water and what restrictions to put on communities, farms and other businesses is unlikely to get a reprieve any time soon.

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Study: California Drought Means Less Hydropower, More CO2 Pollution

/in /by /KPBSby By Ed Joyce

Despite better a winter that is shaping up to be wetter than average in some parts of California, experts say it’s far from enough to put much of a dent in the four years of drought that preceded it.

As such, the controversy on how to allocate water and what restrictions to put on communities, farms and other businesses is unlikely to get a reprieve any time soon.

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Southern California Endures Record-Breaking Heat for a Third Day

/in /by /The Los Angeles Timesby By Veronica Rocha

It happened again: For the third day in a row Wednesday, Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California endured record-breaking temperatures.

Although the calendar says February, residents of L.A., Camarillo and Oxnard all sweated through summer-like conditions as temperatures climbed well into the 80s by noontime, according to the National Weather Service

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Dianne Feinstein Tries Yet Again With California Water Bill

/in /by /The Fresno Beeby By Michael Doyle

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday relaunched a big California water bill, in what might be cast as the triumph of hope over experience.

Unveiling her third proposal in the past two years for ways to divide California’s water supply among many competing interests, Feinstein packaged her latest 184-page measure as a reasonable compromise that draws the best from past Capitol Hill efforts.

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OPINION: Too Much Rain is Going to Waste

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby By Kevin McCarthy

After months of hopeful predictions, El Niño is delivering our state much-needed snow and rain. But with Mother Nature doing her small part to ease the drought, the big question remains:
What will we do to capture excess rain and snow now for use in future times of drought?

We know it makes no sense to waste water, especially as Valley residents endure this terrible drought. Sadly, federal and state regulators are letting this precious moment slip by, letting water flow out to the Pacific Ocean.

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Former Water District CEO Discusses Desalination

/in /by /Los Altos Town Crierby By Marlene Cowan Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The need to find new water sources is critical, according to Stan Williams, vice president of project development for Poseidon Water in Carlsbad.

“Global water consumption is doubling every 20 years, and all accessible fresh-water resources are already allocated,” Williams told the Rotary Club of Los Altos Jan. 28.

Williams, who moved to the private sector after 13 years as CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, mentioned desalination of seawater as a solution to the state’s pressing water needs.

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Lake Tahoe Weather: Warm, Dry Spell Not a Cause for Snowpack Concern Yet

/in /by /Sierra Sun (Lake Tahoe)by By Sebastian Foltz

While temperatures around the Tahoe Basin are forecast to reach close to 15 degrees above average this week — with no precipitation expected — meteorologists and water resource officials say it’s not yet a cause for concern when it comes to the snowpack.

“February is climatologically our best month for accumulation,” Reno National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Norman said, adding, however, “it’s not uncommon to have a dry spell.”

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