Tag Archive for: California drought

Recent Storms Give Drought-Weary California Cause for Hope, but Will They Continue?

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

Winter storms that doused California with much-needed rain and snow over the last week have managed to ease some dire drought conditions, but experts warned that the state still has a long way to go to truly reverse its historic dry streak. For many, the massive storm system that soaked swaths of the West Coast with inches of rain and feet of snow was a reminder of seasons past as it snarled traffic, triggered rock slides and sparked a blizzard of “winter wonderland” posts on social media.

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Too Soon to Know How Sierra Nevada Snowfall Will Impact California’s Ongoing Drought

/in , , /by /CapRadioby Mike Hagerty

For the second weekend in a row, Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada mountains saw back-to-back storms bringing rain to the valley and snow to the hills. Despite the recent wet weather, including snow intense enough to snarl mountain travel in the Sierra this weekend, California is still grappling with a number of drier-than-usual winters and persistent drought. So how much did these storms help?

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Storm Blankets Sierra Nevada in Heavy Snow, Brings Rain Across California

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

A storm blanketed the Sierra Nevada in heavy snow and soaked much of California with rain, bringing a wet start of winter weather after three years of record drought. The storm brought 3 to 4 feet of fresh snow in parts of the Sierra Nevada over the weekend. From the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern California, between 1 inch and 4 inches of rain fell in many areas.

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Drought-Ravaged L.A. Seeks Surprising Source of Water: A Contaminated Superfund Site

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

As drought and climate change ravage California’s once-reliable supply of drinking water, officials in Los Angeles are setting their sights on a relatively new, almost untapped resource for the city’s 4 million residents: the Superfund site in their own backyard. Nearly 70% of the city’s 115 wells in the San Fernando Valley groundwater basin — the largest such basin under the purview of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power — have been sitting unused for decades after dangerous contaminants seeped into the aquifer.

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La Niña Forecast to Fade by April, Easing California Drought

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Newsby Brian K. Sullivan

The odds that the drought-enhancing La Niña will fade by the end of California’s rainy season are rising, offering some hope of an easing of parched conditions across the US West.  The Pacific Ocean has a 71% chance of returning to normal temperatures between February and April, bringing an end the La Niña weather pattern that has persisted for three years, the Climate Prediction Center said in a Thursday forecast.

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Household Water Wells Are Drying Up in Record Numbers as California Drought Worsens

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Dorany Pineda and Gabrielle Lamarr Lemee

For almost four decades, water flowed faithfully from Fred and Robin Imfeld’s private well here in rural Tehama County, a region where thirsty orchards of walnuts, almonds, plums and olives stretch across thousands of acres. But that reliable supply of household water began to sputter last year, and then ceased completely this summer amid California’s driest three-year period on record.

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Column: Don’t Waste a Good Drought Crisis

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

Last week, California announced initial allocations of just 5 percent of requested supplies from the State Water Project in the coming year. That was actually an improvement from last December, when the state called for zero allocations for 2022. The eventual allotment for this year eventually rose to 5 percent.

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California Snowpack Off to Promising Start, but Drought Concern Remains

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Diana Leonard

Winter is off to a running start in California, after a pair of December storms dropped several feet of mountain snow and soaking low-elevation rains across much of the state. Parts of the Sierra Nevada have recorded more than double the expected snowpack for the time of year, and another significant storm could be on the way this weekend.

 

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Despite Rain, Bay Area Utilities Are Cracking Down on Water Waste. One is Even Shutting Off Service

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

Just because the rainy season has arrived doesn’t mean California’s water cops are off the job. With a fourth year of drought looming, some of the Bay Area’s biggest utilities continue to crack down on excessive outdoor watering. Most are responding to heavy sprinkler use or power-washing with a courtesy note, advising customers to stop what they’re doing with the threat of a fine.

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These Imperial Valley Farmers Want to Pay More for Their Colorado River Water

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

Alex Jack says he’s not charged enough for the water he uses at his Imperial Valley farm. Because the Colorado River water shared by him and his neighboring farmers who make up the vast agricultural economy in the middle of the desert is so cheap, he says, farmers have little incentive to conserve.

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