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How Will La Jolla Fare in the Next El Niño? Infrastructure, Sea Lions and More May Be Impacted by Storms

With the sun finally emerging recently after a cool, wet winter and early spring, the storms that may lie ahead next winter aren’t what most people want to think about. But meteorologists are forecasting that an El Niño year is probably coming, bringing more storms, and La Jolla and other coastal communities may need to brace for impact.

Even After a Wet Winter, California is Preparing for the Next Drought

Mountains are capped with record snowpack, rolling hills are covered in a rainbow of wildflowers, reservoirs are filled to the brim, and rivers are rushing with snowmelt.

A vast majority of California is finally out of drought this month, after a punishing multiyear period of severe aridity that forced statewide water cuts and fueled existential fear over the future of the water supply.

California’s Atmopsheric River Storms Ranked as a Billion-Dollar Disaster by NOAA

So far, in 2023, seven different weather and climate-related disasters have cost the United States at least $1 billion.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data dating back to 1980, that is the second-highest number of events on record for the first four months of a year.

Shasta, Lake Oroville Rise to the Top

California when it rains: water cooler talk.

Both Lake Oroville and Lake Shasta reported near-full capacity Monday with plenty of snow in the northern mountains anticipated to melt.

Graphs Show Rise in Lake Mead’s Water Levels

Lake Mead’s levels have risen as planned, after a large amount of water was released from the Glen Canyon Dam.

The Glen Canyon Dam forms Lake Powell, the huge Colorado River reservoir that lies between Arizona and Utah.

What We Know About the Bill That Could Limit Las Vegas Water Use

A sweeping water conservation bill that would give Las Vegas Valley water managers the unprecedented ability to limit how much water single-family residential homes in Southern Nevada could use continues to make its way through the state Legislature.

Vallecitos WD Employee Ed Pedrazzi Recognized for Leadership

Vallecitos Water District Operations and Maintenance Manager Ed Pedrazzi is the ACWA 2023 “Excellence in Water Leadership” award winner. Pedrazzi received his career honor at the Association of California Water Agencies annual conference on May 9.

The award recognizes individuals who have “made a remarkable and visible contribution to the enhancement, protection, or development of water resources in California,” according to ACWA.

Scientists Take Flight to Map California’s Vast Snowpack and Measure Flooding Threats

Flying thousands of feet above the Sierra Nevada in a plane equipped with specialized imaging devices, Elizabeth Carey has been scanning the mountains with lasers to precisely map the snow.

The snow blanketing the Sierra lies so deep that the mountain range looks surprisingly swollen and “puffy,” said Carey, who leads the flights as part of a state-funded program.

El Niño Is Coming in Strong, NOAA Says

El Niño almost here, the global shift is likely to stick around until this winter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this week. After an unusual three-year La Niña, all signs are pointing to changes in weather patterns for 2023.

 

Marin Municipal Water District Defends Plan for Huge Rate Hike

The Marin Municipal Water District is poised to adopt one of its largest rate hikes in decades on Tuesday — a move that will increase water costs for customers by about 20% — but staff costs are not the driver, utility officials said.