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An Epic 31 Atmospheric River Storms Transformed California. The Mystery Remains: Why?

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey

As winter approached, few anticipated what was about to hit California.

Mired in a serious drought, the state was suddenly battered by an onslaught of 31 atmospheric river storms in a matter of months. While the number alone isn’t exceptional, the location, intensity and duration of these storms had a transforming effect on California’s climate. Record snowfall. Deadly flooding. The end of many drought restrictions.

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Environment Report: Snowy Winter Cools Contention on Colorado River

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer

A few months ago drought had so choked the Colorado River – San Diego’s main water resource – that the federal government was ready to enforce significant major water restrictions on the seven states that drink from it.

But it has snowed and rained so much since January, tempers have cooled as the drought has been more or less quenched, at least for now.

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Opinion: Is the San Diego-Imperial Model Part of the Solution for Colorado River Woes?

/in , , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

In a sense, the record string of storms that hit California created two lakes — one real and one hypothetical.

The deluges re-established Tulare Lake, once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River that was drained long ago for agriculture and municipal water demands.

Meanwhile, the state’s record snowpack, according to the Los Angeles Times, holds enough water to fill the depleted Lake Mead on the Colorado River. Of course, that’s not where the runoff goes.

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IID Awarded $9.5 Million in Federal Funds for Upstream Reservoir Storage Project

/in , , /by /The Desert Reviewby Staff Reporter
 The U.S. Department of the Interior notified the Imperial Irrigation District Friday, April 6, that the District has been awarded $9.5 million in grant funding for fiscal year 2023 for its Upstream Reservoir Storage Project, according to a recent IID press release.
The District will use the federal funds for the new operational storage reservoir which will be located upstream of IID’s water delivery system near the All-American and East Highline Canals, according to the release. Its primary purpose is to maximize IID’s water management efficiency within the Imperial Valley.
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New Underground Basins Planned to Help Socal Store Water for Next Drought

/in , , /by /ABC 7 by Rob McMillan

With all the rain Southern California had this winter, local water agencies are working harder to capture and keep all that water for when the drier years return.

In San Bernardino, you might not notice the latest project because much of it will be underground.

The Santa Ana River flows from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in Orange County. While much of that water does end up in the ocean, plenty is stored in aquifers and reservoirs.

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In Heated Alpine Meeting, Sweetwater Officials Pledge to Restore Some Damage, Reopen Loveland Reservoir—but Won’t Rule Out Future Extreme Draining

/in , /by /East County Magazineby Miriam Raftery

A crowd of more than angry residents turned out at the Alpine Community Planning Group hearing on March 23, where Sweetwater Water Authority officials addressed concerns over damage at Loveland Reservoir after SWA drained it to dead pool status. Audience members and planning group members peppered SWA officials with questions in the at times contentious session.

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Feds Give Millions to Desert Water Projects, Warn a Wet Year is Not Enough

/in , , /by /Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

Water districts serving the California desert will receive nearly $18 million in federal infrastructure funds, officials announced this week, including for Imperial County’s first major reservoir and critical repairs to the aging All-American Canal.

The grants and loans come days before a likely federal announcement on possible cuts or other changes to Colorado River allocations through 2026 across seven Western states.

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Coldest Ocean Water Temperature in Decades Recorded Off San Diego County

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

The ocean temperature off Del Mar fell to 52.25 degrees this week, the lowest reading in San Diego County waters since UC San Diego began using a buoy system in the 1970s to monitor large areas of the U.S. coastline.

UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography said near-record low readings also were recorded this week at many other stations, including off Imperial Beach and Leucadia, where the temperature was 53.5 degrees on Wednesday.

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San Diego County Supervisors Delay Vote on Sewer Rate Increase

/in , /by /KPBS by City News Service

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors heard from the public Wednesday on a proposed sewer system rate increase for eight unincorporated communities, and ultimately delayed a planned vote in light of opposition.

The ordinance was originally set for approval Wednesday but was continued until early May after the county received at last 117 letters, an official said.

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Welcome to the Board: Kyle Swanson, Padre Dam Municipal Water District

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Kyle Swanson was seated on the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors on January 11, 2023, representing the Padre Dam Municipal Water District. Swanson serves on the Administrative and Finance, Legislation and Public Outreach and Water Conservation Garden JPA committees for the Water Authority.

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