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Winter Storms Have Greatly Improved Drought Conditions in San Diego County and Across California

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby John Carroll and Mike Damron Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Just three months ago, almost all of California was in drought, including at extreme and exceptional levels — the highest levels possible. Warnings went out from state water officials to expect only a fraction of requested water allocations.

Then came the storms, one after the other. Nine atmospheric rivers pummeled California between late December and mid-January, and we’ve had plenty of precipitation since then.

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California Could Get Hit With New Atmospheric River This Week, and Consequences Could Be Concerning

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Jessica Flores

Northern California could be in for a new atmospheric river storm by the end of the week, potentially blasting the Bay Area with substantial rain, and the Sierra with even more heavy snow, but likely not as fierce as the wet storms that wreaked damage across the region at the start of the year, forecasters say.

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Opinion: Review-Journal’s Feb. 15 Editorial on Federal Intervention to Solve Colorado River Crisis Contains Many Inaccuracies

/in , , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Henry Martinez

The Review-Journal’s Feb. 15 editorial promoting federal intervention to solve the Colorado River crisis contains many inaccuracies.

Let’s start with the inference that a six-state proposal is an actual “accord,” lacking only California’s acquiescence. It is not. A “consensus” solution based primarily on reducing the entitlements of water users not involved in the discussions, or in concurrence with the final proposal — and namely the most senior water right priority tribes, lower Colorado River agricultural water users, California contractors and Mexico — is not consensus or an implementable solution to the crisis.

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The Search for Solutions to Colorado’s Water Crisis

/in , , /by /5280by Nicholas Hunt

In January, the same series of storms that left Denver’s streets covered in deep drifts also pushed Colorado’s snowpack north of 120 percent of its average for that point in the year. If your gauge was the number of ski runs open, it was great news. If your gauge was the state’s water supply, it was likely barely enough to maintain the status quo.

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Lake Mead Keeps Shrinking as States Struggle to Find Colorado River Cuts

/in , , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Colton Lochhead

Getting states to agree to use less water is hard. Doing so in a matter of months is near impossible.

The last time the Colorado River Basin agreed to a set of reductions to address drought conditions and dropping levels at Lake Mead was in 2019. Those reductions took five years to iron out and amounted to a fraction of what the federal government now says needs to be cut in order to keep the system from crashing.

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In Dry West, Farmers Balk at Idling Land to Save Water

/in , /by /AP Newsby Suman Naishadham

Tom Brundy, an alfalfa grower in California’s Imperial Valley, thinks farmers reliant on the shrinking Colorado River can do more to save water and use it more efficiently. That’s why he’s installed water sensors and monitors to prevent waste on nearly two-thirds of his 3,000 acres.

But one practice that’s off-limits for Brundy is fallowing — leaving fields unplanted to spare the water that would otherwise irrigate crops. It would save plenty of water, Brundy said, but threatens both farmers and rural communities economically.

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San Diego County’s Drought Level Falls to Lowest Point in 2 Years

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

The heavy winter rains have lowered San Diego County’s drought ranking to the lowest level in nearly two years, and more precipitation might be coming in mid-March.

The U.S. Drought Monitor now lists the region as being “abnormally dry.” The county had been in a “moderate drought” since May 2021. Prior to that, greater San Diego experienced about 18 months of no drought conditions.

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‘A Foundation of Racism’: California’s Antiquated Water Rights System Faces New Scrutiny

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

It’s an arcane system of water law that dates back to the birth of California — an era when 49ers used sluice boxes and water cannons to scour gold from Sierra Nevada foothills and when the state government promoted the extermination of Native people to make way for white settlers.

Today, this antiquated system of water rights still governs the use of the state’s supplies, but it is now drawing scrutiny like never before.

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Imperial Beach Mayor Will Represent San Diego Coast in State Commission

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Tammy Murga

Paloma Aguirre will represent San Diego County on the California Coastal Commission with a focus on equitable access to the coast.

The Imperial Beach mayor will serve the remainder of former Commissioner Steve Padilla’s term, which expires May 2025. Padilla, a former Chula Vista council member, is now serving in the Legislature.

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California’s Storms Aren’t Letting Up. Here’s What the First Half of March Looks Like

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Claire Hao

Storm-lashed California may not get much relief soon: The cold and rain could be here to stay for at least the next two weeks, according to weather experts.

The weather outlook for Northern California for March 8 through March 14 leans toward colder and rainier (or snowier) conditions than usual, per an outlook issued Tuesday from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center — though mid-range forecasts are notoriously finicky.

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