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Light Rains Sweeping Through San Diego County
The light rain and gusty winds that developed overnight in San Diego County will continue Thursday as a trough of low pressure sweeps through the region. As of early this morning, automated gauges collected .04 of an inch of rain at a site on the La Jolla Reservation; .02 on Mount Laguna; and .01 at Lake Cuyamaca and the Henshaw Dam, and in Descanso, De Luz, Julian and San Onofre, according to provisional data from the National Weather Service. No precipitation was reported in the deserts.
Electricity Generation Considered For Expanded San Vicente Reservoir
The recently expanded San Vicente Reservoir could become a backup source of electric power under a plan being considered by the San Diego County Water Authority and the City of San Diego. The agency and city, which owns the reservoir, are studying a 500-megawatt pumped-storage project — big enough to power a quarter million homes during periods of high electrical demand. An official request was issued Wednesday to utilities, developers and investors potentially interested in the project with response expected by Feb. 15.
MET Board Approves Financial Support For Santa Margarita Water District Project
On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California approved funding intended to offset the cost of a project for the Santa Margarita Water District. The funding comes from the district’s Local Resources Program. The project approved for funding Tuesday will receive up to $475 per acre-foot of recycled water produced, which can help bring the costs of new water projects in line with the cost of water from the State Water Project and Colorado River Aqueduct.
With Water Conservation Lagging, State Regulators Could Return To Mandates
Statewide water conservation has continued its trend of lagging behind last year’s efforts as numbers released by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) today revealed that California urban water users saved 18.8 percent of the water it used in November compared to the baseline year of 2013, a figure that has been outpaced by 2015 figures for a fourth consecutive month. November’s savings are down from the 19.6 percent mark seen in October but slightly higher than the savings seen statewide in September (18.3 percent) and August (17.7 percent).
Mammoth Mega-Storm Expected To Drop Up To 20 Feet; ‘God Help Us’
An other blizzard swept Mammoth Mountain on Wednesday, the precursor to a string of storms expected to bring up to 20 feet of fresh snow in the next 10 days, the resort says. Since Tuesday, 26 to 48 inches of fresh snow had fallen, with the deepest totals at the summit. Plows were working furiously to keep lots and streets clear. Normal resort operations could be affected as personnel struggle to deal with the snow.
Californians Saved Less Water In November Than Previous Year, Water Board Report Says
California water conservation took a slight step backward in November, officials announced Wednesday, possibly due in part to an unusually wet fall and months of successful conservation efforts. Californians used 18.8% less water this past November compared with November 2013, the benchmark year for state conservation measurements. In November 2015, residents statewide cut back usage 20.2% compared with 2013.
With Snow Piling Up In The Sierra, What Will It Take To End California’s Drought?
The resort town of Phillips high in the Sierra Nevada has long been a barometer of California’s drought. Snow measuring station 3 in the El Dorado County town was where Gov. Jerry Brown came in April 2015 to announce major drought restrictions, using the dry, snow-less landscape as a stark backdrop. On Tuesday, Frank Gehrke of the California Department of Water Resources performed the manual measurement at the same spot, this time covered in three feet of snow. It measured just 53% of the seasonal average, but officials took that as further proof California’s six-year drought was easing.
L.A. County Is Looking To Local Sources For Water. Is a South Bay Desalination Plant The Answer?
On a picturesque summer afternoon, West Basin Municipal Water District officials chose to woo regulators with a stroll by the beach in El Segundo, stopping to admire an unadulterated strip of California coastline. “It is beautiful,” said Diane Gatza, West Basin’s water resources engineer. A few hours later, environmental advocates held a town hall two miles away in Manhattan Beach.
Avalanche Warning Issued As Sierras Hit By Major Snowstorm; 4-5 Feet Expected This Week
Higher elevations of Northern California were hit by heavy snowfall overnight, prompting avalanche warnings, as the region braced for a week of intense weather. The National Weather Service said it expected four to five feet of snow in some Sierra areas and encouraged drivers to avoid mountain roads. One location, Kingsvale, got 23 inches of snow in just the last 24 hours. The Sierra Avalanche Center on Monday issued a warning for some areas hit by heavy snow. “Human triggered wind slab avalanches occurred yesterday in a variety of locations.
