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Calif. Reservoir Levels Show Signs of Improvement After Recent Winter Storms

/in , , /by /ABC 7 by Zach Fuentes

All of this rain in California has had positive impacts on some of the state’s main reservoirs. Though officials say reservoir levels have seen major improvements, we’re not out of the drought yet.

“California, statewide is at 131% of average precipitation,” said Jeanine Jones, interstate resources manager for the California Department of Water Resources, “What that means is that a lot of our reservoirs have had the opportunity to improve significantly, compared to last year or the year before. Most of our reservoirs are fairly close to full.”

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LA is Capturing More Rain, but Increasingly Extreme Storms Present a Challenge

/in , /by /LAistby Erin Stone

It seems like we’re always in a drought in Southern California, so when it rains, the question becomes: Where did all that precious water go?

Well, not all of it ends up in the ocean. According to Art Castro, watershed manager at the L.A. Department of Water and Power, in the last four days alone, the city of L.A. captured enough water to fill about 8,900 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

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Colorado Conflicted About Cutting Its Water Use

/in , /by /Lake Powell Chronicleby Dave Marston

Not everyone is a fan, including Andy Mueller, director of the Colorado River District. He doesn’t like programs that pay farmers to stop farming. Mueller also didn’t ask for the Inflation Reduction Act’s $125 million to pay the farmers he represents. Mueller’s organization exists to keep Western Colorado’s rural water away from growing cities across the Rockies.

State Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, who chairs the Committee for Agriculture and Natural Resources, has a more nuanced view.

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Opinion: Solving the Worsening Drought in the Western States Will Require All of Us Working Together

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein

For Californians, drought has been a constant and inescapable fact of life for decades. Worsening drought in the Western United States is just one of the many life-threatening impacts of the climate crisis. And as drying conditions bring water reservoirs along the Colorado River to dangerously low levels, the impact of extended drought conditions is now threatening 40 million Americans’ access to water — unless we can come up with a plan to protect it.

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First Aqueduct Maintenance Shutdown Feb. 27-March 8

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The final shutdown for scheduled maintenance of the San Diego County Water Authority’s First Aqueduct started today, February 27. The shutdown will run through March 8, allowing crews to reline portions of the historic aqueduct and perform regular maintenance work that ensures a safe and reliable water supply for the region.

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Opinion: Imperial Valley Takes its Colorado River Senior Water Rights Seriously

/in , , /by /Desert Sunby Stephen Benson

Drought and population growth have taken their toll on the Colorado River, pushing it to historic lows.

As we work together with our neighboring states and the federal government on a long-term solution, many eyes are focused on the Imperial Valley, because of its senior water rights. And as much as we believe in upholding the rule of law, we are equally committed to being responsible water users and doing our part to keep the river healthy enough to meet the needs of all seven states.

 

(Editor’s Note: Stephen Benson is a farmer in California’s Imperial Valley, a board member of Imperial Valley Water (IVH2O), former board member of the Imperial Irrigation District and a current board member of the Family Farm Alliance and Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association. He can be reached at  

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Here’s How Much Rain Fell in 40 San Diego County Communities in the Past Five Days

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

Here’s how much rain fell across San Diego County during the five day period ending at 1 a.m on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Although the number wasn’t huge for San Diego, the city has now received 9.57 inches of rain since the rainy season began on October 1. That’s only 0.20 inches below what the city averages from October 1 to September 30.

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Intense Winter Storm Brings a Rare Wondrous Landscape to Parts of California

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ryan Fonseca

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Monday, Feb. 27.I’m Ryan Fonseca, back from vacation.

For many Californians, a day in the snow means a hours-long trek up to the mountains. But this weekend, the winter staple made house calls in neighborhoods that haven’t seen snow in decades.

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Opinion: An Unfair Plan to Cut California’s Use of Colorado River Water

/in , /by /Los Angeles Times

The immediate question before the seven states that use rapidly vanishing Colorado River water is not how to renegotiate the century-old agreement and accompanying laws that divvy up the supply.

California and other states will have to grapple with that problem soon enough, and it won’t be easy.

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USDA Undersecretary Meets with Imperial Irrigation District

/in , , /by /KYMA, KECYby Dillon Fuhrman, Adelmi Ruiz

The Undersecretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, Robert Bonnie, privately met with the Imperial Irrigation District. The meeting started at 4:00pm Sunday and took place in El Centro.

During the meeting, Bonnie and the IID discussed the Western Water Policy and irrigation assistance to southeastern California farmers and ranchers.

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