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Standing at the Cusp: The Klamath River Edges Closer to Dam Removals

/in , , /by /Public Policy Institute of Californiaby Sarah Bardeen

Few rivers have faced such a protracted battle about their future as the Klamath, which flows through Oregon and Northern California. After decades of negotiations, the decommissioning of four dams on the river is finally in sight, but hurdles remain. We spoke with Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, to learn how he’s working to get the dam removal across the finish line—and what the transformation will mean for the many communities that depend on the river.

Who will benefit from the Klamath dam removals? Who may be at risk of negative consequences? How might the dam removals impact the tribes in the basin?

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What Is an ‘Atmospheric River’? These Rivers of Wator Vapor Can Extend Thousands of Miles.

/in , , /by /USA Todayby Doyle Rice

Often in the winter, you’ll hear that “atmospheric rivers” are causing big weather problems along the West Coast. But what are they?

Made visible by clouds, these ribbons of water vapor extend thousands of miles from the tropics to the western U.S. At 250 to 375 miles wide, they provide the fuel for massive rain and snowstorms that can cause flooding along the West Coast.

In general, atmospheric rivers pick up water vapor from the warm, moist air of tropical regions and then drop the water over land in cooler regions as rain or snow.

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Multiple Water and Wastewater Industry Awards Won by City of Escondido

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The City of Escondido scored wins in three categories at the annual California Water Environment Association awards on January 29. CWEA is California’s oldest and most prominent association of water protection professionals.

The City of Escondido’s Hale Avenue Resource Recovery Facility (HARRF) won the 2022 Wastewater Plant of the Year (Medium Category). The HARRF is designed to treat up to 18 million gallons per day from the City of Escondido and the Rancho Bernardo area of the City of San Diego. The plant operates 24 hours a day, producing recycled water for the City of Escondido, along with organic materials called biosolids for beneficial reuse in Yuma, Arizona as agricultural soil amendments.

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Charts Show Where California Reservoir Levels Stand After Weeks of Dry Weather

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kellie Hwang and Yoohyun Jung

A dry January with little rainfall across much of Northern California actually didn’t hurt the state’s water storage levels, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources.

In fact, thanks to a little snowmelt, water levels were up for all reservoirs from December to January. Lake Mendocino, which has a capacity of 122,400 acre feet, saw the biggest boost from 17% of storage capacity in December to 35% in January. One acre foot is the equivalent of one acre of land covered in one foot of water. Trinity Lake, with a capacity of 2,447,650 acre feet, had the smallest increase from 29% in December to 30% in January.

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Opinion: Erratic Weather Requires New Water Policy Approach

/in , , /by /Cal Mattersby Dan Walters

What happened — or didn’t — weatherwise during the last two months starkly reminds us of the erratic nature of California’s vital water supply.

After months of severe drought, the state saw record-shattering storms in December, creating a hefty mountain snowpack while replenishing seriously depleted reservoirs. But January, historically a month of heavy precipitation, was bone-dry.

With climate change, California’s wet periods have become briefer, albeit sometimes more intense, and the dry periods have become longer, making the state’s elaborate water storage and conveyance systems less able to cope with precipitation patterns.

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Rainfall Totals Above Normal but Dry Spell Has Water Districts Preparing for Drought

/in , , /by /CBS SF BayAreaby Shawn Chitnis

The total rain collected as of February is still above normal, according to East Bay Municipal Utility District, but the recent dry spell in 2022 contrasts sharply with the wet months late last year and leaves the potential for a drought emergency uncertain.

“We’re not seeing an erasure of what occurred but it is worrisome,” said Andrea Pook, a spokesperson for East Bay MUD. “We do still need to wait and see what we get for the rest of February and into March.”

As of this week, East Bay MUD says it has 30 inches of rain, which is 108 percent of normal for this time of year. It’s also more rain that we had last year. Reservoirs are 68 percent full. These numbers are improvements from data reported by the agency in December.

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Planned Calif. Desalination Plant Faces Final Permit

/in , , /by /WaterWorld

Poseidon Water has announced its application for a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for the construction of the proposed Huntington Beach Desalination Facility will soon be considered.

The facility is in the final phase of its permitting process and the CDP is the last major discretionary permit needed to build the long-awaited seawater desalination plant. The permit will be considered by California Coastal Commission staff during its upcoming March hearing.

“Poseidon Water appreciates the thoughtful considering of our Coastal Development Permit application by Commission staff,” said Jessica Jones, Poseidon’s director of communications. “We have a lengthy 15-year history of working cooperatively with the Coastal Commission on the permitting of the proposed Facility. As California continues to grapple with climate change-induced drought we remain committed to building on the success of our Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination facility.”

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The Colorado River Basin’s Water Forecast Looked Good in January. Now Everything Has Changed.

/in , , /by /The Colorado Sunby Chris Outcalt

The past 30 days have at least temporarily erased hopes of above-average spring runoff in the Colorado River Basin, according to the February report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center.

“Very little precipitation during the last three weeks of January, especially across southern Utah and southwest Colorado,” Cody Moser, a hydrologist with the NOAA forecast center, said Monday during a web briefing to review the agency’s latest monthly water-supply report.

The National Resources Conservation Service maintains snow telemetry (SNOTEL) sites across the Colorado River Basin, which automatically report snow depth and quality. Beginning in December, NOAA produces regular reports based on the SNOTEL data, detailing how that snow might translate into streamflow come spring.

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TID Lands $20 Million Grant to See if Placing Solar Panels Atop Canals Makes Sense

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby John Holland

The Turlock Irrigation District plans to use a $20 million state grant to demonstrate solar panels atop canals.

TID would be the first water agency in the nation to try such a thing if its board votes Tuesday to accept the money.

The panels would feed electricity into transmission lines already along the canals, helping TID boost the renewable sources for its 103,000 or so power customers. The devices also would shade the water, possibly reducing evaporation losses for farmers.

The pilot project grew out of a study last year at the Merced and Santa Cruz campuses of the University of California. Researchers said installing canal panels throughout the Central Valley could get the state halfway to its goal for climate-safe power.

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Hydropower Turbine Proposal Would Cut Power Costs for Three NorCal Cities

/in , /by /CBS Sacramentoby Laura Haefeli

Three cities in Northern California may see a change in their energy bill if a proposal to buy power from a renewable energy company is approved.

“The prices have moved up here over the years,” said Grace Henderson.

Henderson has lived in Manteca for 25 years and says the place has only gotten pricier.

“Inflation is an issue right now, so all the prices are higher when you go to the gas station and the grocery store so that’s a major issue,” she said.

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