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CW3E Releases Update to California Watershed Precipitation Forecasts

/in , , /by /Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)

The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the UCSD/Scripps Institution of Oceanography has updated its popular watershed precipitation forecasts as part of its interactive “Decision Support Tools” page. These forecasts focus on quantifying and illustrating the 10-day precipitation forecasts averaged for the 126 Hydrologic Unit Code 8 (HUC-8) watersheds in California from four numerical weather prediction models. These models include the deterministic and ensemble models of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System and the European Centre for Medium-Ranged Weather Forecasts model.

Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes-watershed precipitation forecast

The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the UCSD/Scripps Institution of Oceanography has updated its watershed precipitation forecasts. (Graphic: Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes)

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Construction to Begin on Pure Water Soquel Purification Plant

/in , /by /Santa Cruz Sentinelby Hannah Hagemann

Officials on Friday marked the beginning of construction on the Chanticleer Water Purification plant — the “heart” of the Pure Water Soquel project — where treated wastewater will undergo further purification before it is injected back underground.

The recycling process will provide a buffer against seawater contamination, bolster drinking water supplies and raise groundwater levels that are depleted after decades of overuse.

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Salton Sea Habitat Restoration Project Touted

/in , , /by /Holtville Tribuneby Julio Morales

An ongoing species conservation habitat project at the Salton Sea’s southwestern shore is serving as a reminder that the sea’s restoration remains a key priority for Gov. Gavin Newsom.

So, too, is a tour that dozens of state, federal and local stakeholders took of the project site where the New River enters the Salton Sea several miles west of Westmorland on Friday, Dec. 10.

Among those present was California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot, who said the tour was an acknowledgement of the ambitious Salton Sea Management Program’s progress and the overall work that remains to be done.

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Utah May Be Overusing Its Colorado River Allotment. That Could Lead to Unprecedented Cuts in Water Use

/in , , /by /Desert Newsby Kyle Dunphey

Over the last 20 years, the water flow in the Colorado River has declined by roughly 20%. But some states in the river’s basin, including Utah, haven’t adjusted to the dwindling supply.

And if it doesn’t make adjustments, Mexico and other states in the Lower Colorado River Basin could demand the Beehive State scale back its water use.

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State Tells San Joaquin Valley Agencies That Groundwater Plans Are Flawed

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

California water officials have alerted local groundwater agencies in farming areas across the San Joaquin Valley that their plans for bringing aquifers into balance don’t adequately address how continuing declines in water levels could cause many more wells to run dry. The state Department of Water Resources notified agencies in six areas of the San Joaquin Valley this week that their groundwater sustainability plans are incomplete and have deficiencies that need to be corrected.

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Vista Irrigation District Board Hold Annual Organizational Meeting

/in , /by /The Vista Press

Vista Irrigation District board of directors elected Marty Miller as its president and Paul Dorey as its vice-president for 2022 at its annual organizational meeting.

Miller, who has served on the board of directors since 2008, represents division 1, which stretches from Gopher Canyon Road to Vale Terrace Drive in Vista.  This will be the third time Miller has led the board since being elected.

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Major Winter Storm Brings Rain, Snow to Parched California

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Felicia Fonseca

A major winter storm hitting Northern California with rain and snow was expected to intensify Monday and bring travel headaches and the threat of localized flooding after an especially warm and dry fall in the U.S. West.

Light rain and snow that began falling on Sunday got heavier overnight. The multiday storm could dump more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow on the highest peaks in California and Nevada and drench other parts of the states as it pushes south and east before moving out midweek.

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Here’s What It Would Take to Fill California’s Reservoirs and End the Drought This Winter

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow

Dire warnings about communities and farms running dry next year. Headlines proclaiming a potentially dry La Niña winter. Reservoirs already so low they look like sets for post-apocalyptic movies. California seems poised for a continuation of its crippling drought next summer.

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Climate-Proofing Your Home: Upgrades to Weather a Drought

/in , , /by /Bloombergby Todd Woody

Climate-driven drought is making the once unthinkable foreseeable. Amid water shortages, your faucets could run dry, as has been a possibility in Marin County, California. Violate mandatory water restrictions and you might face steep fines or even a cutoff of service.

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A Category ‘AR 3’ Atmospheric River Is About to Hit California. Here’s What That Means

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow

The winter storm that could dump several feet of snow in the Sierra and soak the Sacramento Valley with rain is listed as a “strong” category “AR 3” system by the scientists who study the powerful storms that supply California with most of its water. In 2019, the scientists who study the storms known as “atmospheric rivers” agreed to a ranking scale similar to the “Cat” system used to describe a hurricane.

 

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