State Puts $100M Toward Water Conservation
More money is coming down the pipeline for Nevada’s efforts to conserve water amid a historic megadrought that has put the pinch on supplies in the Southwest.
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Drought, Fire Risk to Stay High During Third La Niña Winter
Drought and wildfire risks will remain elevated in the western states while warmer than average temperatures will greet the Southwest, Gulf Coast and East Coast this winter, federal weather officials said Thursday.
Rio Grande Managers Eye Federal Cash for Western Drought
With several billion dollars in federal money secured for drought-stricken western states, managers and officials on the Rio Grande are hopeful some will reach their communities and bring attention to the challenges facing one of North America’s longest rivers.
City of Escondido Recognized as Water Saving Model
As California endures its worst drought in 1,200 years, San Diego County’s water industry has developed diversified sources and accelerated conservation practices to secure its water supply for the future. The City of Escondido’s innovative water treatment and saving methods offers a model for other drought-stricken cities.
Farmers Brace for Water Cuts to Help River
As the Colorado River water crisis deepens amid withering drought in the West, Imperial Valley growers with historic rights to water from the river are making calculations on whether to farm or fallow.
This month, the Imperial Irrigation District, which supplies Colorado River water to farmers in America’s largest growing region for winter vegetables, joined other California water agencies in offering to take a dramatic cut in the amount of water they pull from the river.
Bodies of Water All Over North America are Drying Up Due to Drought, Climate Change: Experts
Bodies of water all over North America are drying up as a result of drought and a decrease in precipitation, experts told ABC News.
Earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that the 22-year megadrought affecting the West would not only intensify but also move eastward.
Water Managers Bracing for the Worst
New Melones Reservoir — critical to Escalon farmland, as well as Manteca, Lathrop, and Tracy water supplies — was at 616,704 acre feet on Oct. 6.
That’s less than half the average 1,326,146 acre feet of water storage for the date of Oct. 5.
To put that in perspective, it is 47 percent of the average in storage for the start of a new California water year that officially started on Oct. 1.
Opinion: Arizona Must Slash Colorado River Water Use by Next Year. Here are 4 Ways to Do It
All eyes are on Arizona and the six other Colorado River basin states that recently missed the federal government’s deadline to adopt a plan that substantially cuts water usage in just one year.
The 23rd consecutive year of drought, fueled by climate change, has accelerated the basin’s water crisis. Quite simply, demand for water within basin states exceeds what the river can sustainably provide.
The Department of Water Resources Looks to Improve Runoff Forecasting as it Plans for Another Dry Year
At the September meeting of the California Water Commission, commissioners were given a briefing by the Department of Water Resources on their preparations for yet another dry year and the steps they are taking to prepare the State Water Project for climate extremes and the challenges of drought, flood, and wildfire.
Key takeaways from these presentations:
- The Department of Water Resources is planning for another dry year; given recent years, the Department is learning to expect the unexpected.
- Although conditions at Oroville are greatly improved over last this time last year, the Department is looking to have 1.6 MAF in Oroville before they will consider making some water available for export.
- The Department is working to improve its forecasting by expanding its use of aerial snow surveys which are more accurate, and developing models that are less reliant on historic data and more reliant on modeling based on characteristics.
- The 2023 State Water Project Delivery Capability Report will include climate change data and new risk-informed future projections.
As Baby Boomers Retire, The Water Workforce Faces Its Own Drought
This week marks the 50th Anniversary of the 1972 Clean Water Act, which, among other things, made it a legal requirement to clean up sewage to certain standards before dumping it into rivers or the ocean.
