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Lake Tahoe Falls to Alarmingly Low Level – Environmental Impacts Could Result

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Gregory Thomas

This week, a historically dry period in California will come to bear at Lake Tahoe, where the water level is expected to sink below the basin’s natural rim. That’s the point at which the lake pours into its only outflow, the Truckee River.

It’s not a crisis, researchers and conservationists say, but it marks another extreme swing for Tahoe amid historic drought, wildfires and erratic weather, all intertwined with climate change and becoming more prominent aspects of the alpine environment.

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Why Southern California Fears Too Much Water Conservation

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith and Lauryn Schroeder Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

As Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs new mandatory drought restrictions, Southern California leaders fear cuts in urban water use could force already sky-high water bills ever higher.

Unlike much of Northern and Central California, the region isn’t hurting for water, yet. Top water officials insist they have enough supplies for at least one more hot summer, perhaps two.

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Precautions in Place to Protect County’s Drinking Water from Oil Spill

/in , , /by /10 News (KGTV)by Nia Watson Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) — One of San Diego County’s largest sources of locally produced drinking water is closely monitoring the impact the oil spill off the coast of Orange County could have in the area.

The Carlsbad Desalination Plant provides 10% of San Diego County’s drinking water and produces 50 million gallons of desalinated seawater a day.

The facility was developed and is managed by Poseidon Water in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority.

DESAL PLANT OIL BOOMS.jpg

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As Drought Worsens, California Farmers Are Being Paid Not to Grow Crops

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Green fields of alfalfa and cotton rolled past as Brad Robinson drove through the desert valley where his family has farmed with water from the Colorado River for three generations. Stopping the truck, he stepped onto a dry, brown field where shriveled remnants of alfalfa crunched under his boots.

The water has been temporarily shut off on a portion of Robinson’s land. In exchange, he’s receiving $909 this year for each acre of farmland left dry and unplanted. The water is instead staying in Lake Mead, near Las Vegas, to help slow the unrelenting decline of the largest reservoir in the country.

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Helix Water District Does About-Face with Shutoff Plan for Non-Paying Customers

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

Helix Water District customers who have had trouble paying their bills during the COVID-19 pandemic will be spared having their water turned off by the La Mesa-based water providers.

The five-member Helix Water District Board of Directors unanimously voted on Wednesday to delay the resumption of shutoffs for nonpayment until Jan. 1, to be consistent with Senate Bill 155, which was signed by Governor Newsom on Sept. 23. Among other things, the new law extends the moratorium on termination of water service for nonpayment until the end of the year.

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Drought Emergency: Dublin San Ramon Services District Raises Rates Amid Stage 2 Water Shortage

/in , , /by /CBS SF Bay Area

The Dublin San Ramon Services District Board of Directors has approved stage 2 water shortage rates in response to worsening drought conditions in California.

As with other local water agencies, the DSRSD already declared a state 2 water shortage emergency, mandating a 15 percent conservation in water use from customers compared to 2020.

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Southwest Conditions Historically Dry Since 2020, Report Finds

/in , , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Blake Apgar

People who live in the Southwest know it’s been especially hot and dry the past couple of years, but a new government report shows those conditions are actually historic.

Precipitation across multiple basins in six states from January 2020 through August 2021 was the lowest recorded since researchers started tracking with gauges in the late 1800s.

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Opinion: A Joint Effort to Protect the Central Valley’s Water, Ecology

/in , /by /Capitol Weeklyby Curtis Knight, Jeff Mccreary, Tim Johnson and David Guy

Like a human fingerprint, California’s Sacramento Valley is truly unique. On the leading edge of ecological and economical sustainability, it’s also an exceptional place to live, work, and raise a family.

The Sacramento Valley joins together a world-renowned mosaic of natural and human abundance: productive farmlands, teeming wildlife refuges and managed wetlands, the largest salmon runs south of the Columbia River, dynamic rural and urban communities, and life-giving rivers and creeks that support it all.

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Hydropower Decline Adds to the Strain on Power Grids in Drought

/in , /by /NBC 4

After water levels at a California dam fell to historic lows this summer, the main hydropower plant it feeds was shut down. At the Hoover Dam in Nevada — one of the country’s biggest hydropower generators — production is down by 25%. If extreme drought persists, federal officials say a dam in Arizona could stop producing electricity in coming years.

Severe drought across the West drained reservoirs this year, slashing hydropower production and further stressing the region’s power grids. And as extreme weather becomes more common with climate change, grid operators are adapting to swings in hydropower generation.

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Teams from Unified Command Test Water, Soil at San Onofre in Response to OC Oil Spill

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by City News Service Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Officials said Sunday that no oiled wildlife has been located in San Diego County from last weekend’s massive oil spill off the coast of Orange County.

Meanwhile, San Diegans can expect to see shoreline cleanup assessment teams and contracted crews in protective gear monitoring, inspecting and cleaning San Diego County beaches.

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