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Snowpack Totals are Good News, and California May Relax Water-Savings Rules

An atypical El Niño storm system brought Northern California’s snowpack close to normal, disappointing news for state water surveyors but an improvement some officials say may justify an easing of conservation requirements.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Water Resources measured the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, east of Sacramento, and found it was 97 percent of historical averages. Statewide, the snowpack is 87 percent of average.

State Snowpack has Changed a lot in the Last Year — as have Californians’ Attitude Toward Water

One year ago Friday, Frank Gehrke hiked out to Phillips Station and stuck a tube onto a tuft of brownish-green grass. There was no snow, but Gehrke had quite an audience.

A gaggle of reporters and even Gov. Jerry Brown had assembled at the outpost 90 miles from Sacramento to watch Gehrke work and bear witness to the severity of California’s drought.What followed was a historic executive order from Brown that required a statewide 25% cut in urban water use and set in motion a fundamental rethinking about how Californians use the precious resource.

The depth of the snowpack was declared to be just below average, a huge improvement from last year, but still far from enough to declare the drought over.

In a symbolic moment in California’s slow but steady drought recovery, a state surveyor on Wednesday found several feet of snow in the same Sierra Nevada meadow that was bare and brown just a year ago.

The depth of the snowpack was declared to be just below average, a huge improvement from last year, but still far from enough to declare the drought over.

Saudi Land Purchases in Drought-Stricken California Fuel Debate Over U.S. Water Rights

Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy company will soon be unable to farm alfalfa in its own parched country to feed its 170,000 cows. So it’s turning to an unlikely place to grow the water-chugging crop — the drought-stricken American Southwest.

Almarai Co. bought land in January that roughly doubled its holdings in California’s Palo Verde Valley, an area that enjoys first dibs on water from the Colorado River. The company also acquired a large tract near Vicksburg, Arizona, becoming a powerful economic force in a region that has fewer well-pumping restrictions than other parts of the state.

Short Film Highlights Decay, Beauty at the Salton Sea

Independent filmmaker, Franck Tabouring is trying to save the Salton Sea in his own way. Tabouring has created a short film filled with thought provoking images called, “The Useless Sea.”

“You’ll be surprised but I’ve talked to many people who’ve growed up in California have lived there their entire lives, and when I mention, ‘Have you heard of the Salton Sea?” They’ve never heard of it,” said Tabouring. Tabouring personally discovered the Salton Sea while scouting desert locations for another film project.

$90 Million Doheny Beach Desalination Plant Still in Works

A desalination plant proposed near San Juan Creek could produce as much as 15 million gallons of drinking water daily and create a reliable source for South County-area reserves in the wake of an earthquake or drought, officials said.

South Coast Water District officials said plans for the $90 million plant – studied for more than a decade – are moving forward despite the fact the district would be the sole agency building it. The plant – with a 2019 opening date – would likely provide 75 percent of the district’s water needs, district general manager Andrew Brunhart said.

Assemblymember Chris Holden’s Water Efficient Landscaping Bill Passes First Policy Committee

Assemblymember Chris Holden’s Water Efficient Landscaping Bill, AB 2525, passed the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee with a 9-3 vote. AB 2525 creates the California Water Efficient Landscaping (WEL) Program that encourages Californians to upgrade their landscape and irrigation equipment for more efficient ones. It also prioritizes participation of families that qualify for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

 

Water Districts Partner to Offer Free ‘WaterSmart’ Landscape Workshop

As part of its continued efforts to promote outdoor water-use efficiency, Olivenhain Municipal Water District is hosting a free landscape workshop on Tuesday, April 5, to assist residents in saving money on their water bills while maintaining a healthy landscape.

The workshop will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive in Encinitas.

 

San Diego Wins Legal Fees in Battle with Metropolitan Water District

The San Diego County Water Authority will have $8.9 million in legal fees paid following its successful lawsuit against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California over water rates.

The Los Angeles-based MWD now owes the San Diego authority more than $243 million, including damages, costs, interest and attorneys’ fees. “We are pleased that almost all of the attorneys’ fees and court costs incurred by the water authority to defend our water ratepayers will be recovered,” said Mark Weston, chair of the authority’s board of directors.

Saving Water an Ongoing Effort at Sycuan

The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation recently completed a major reduction in overall water usage through an aggressive conservation program, said Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez.

The program includes retrofitting irrigation equipment, removing and replacing water-dependent landscaping and increasing community awareness around the importance of water conservation. The program has reduced the Tribe’s reliance on groundwater at the golf course and resort by 25 percent, Martinez said. It has also allowed it to cut water use on properties within the Padre Dam and Otay municipal water districts by an average of 22 percent, he said.