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Sunday Storms Will Give Way to Dry Conditions, Then More Rain, Weather Service Says

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Aldo Toledo and George Kelly

The Bay Area awoke to the pitter-patter sound and pleasant smell of rain Sunday as the first significant storm system of the season moved through the area, bringing much-needed moisture to a largely dry region. Meteorologist Brooke Bingaman with the National Weather Service said that the rain system that passed through the Bay Area over the weekend will give way to dry conditions for Monday and Tuesday before an even wetter system could come through Wednesday into Thursday.

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Off the Charts: Dryness Stat Shows Why West is Burning

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Thomas Frank

On Aug. 3, researchers at the Plumas National Forest in Northern California received a startling result: Sticks and logs they gathered from the forest floor to assess wildfire risk had a moisture level of just 2%. The reading was the lowest ever recorded in 15 years of measurements at a site in the forest’s southwest corner. It also was a warning: The area was tinderbox-dry and primed to burn.

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Is Climate Change Worsening California Fires, or is it Poor Forest Management? Both, Experts Say

/in , /by /San Francisco ChronicleIs climate change worsening California fires, or is it poor forest management? Both, experts sayby J.D. Morris

Long before climate change severely parched California, priming it to burn at a record scale, federal foresters made an inventory of trees in the southern Sierra Nevada. The year was 1911, and the goal of the fledgling U.S. Forest Service was to document the amount of timber in the area. More than a century later, however, the historical data set proved invaluable to researchers with a far different purpose: assessing how much the forest, and the inherent threat of fires within it, had evolved.

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‘Ground Zero’ For Dead Trees. How California Mega-Drought Turned Creek Fire Into Inferno

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler and Phillip Reese

California’s mega-drought officially ended three years ago but may have turned the Creek Fire into a monster. By killing millions of trees in the Sierra National Forest, the historic drought that ended in 2017 left an incendiary supply of dry fuel that appears to have intensified the fire that’s ravaged more than 140,000 acres in the southern Sierra Nevada, wildfire scientists and forestry experts said Tuesday.

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As Wildfires Grow More Intense, California Water Managers Are Rewriting Emergency Playbooks

/in , , /by /Water Education Foundation (Sacramento)by Gary Pitzer and Douglas E. Beeman

It’s been a year since two devastating wildfires on opposite ends of California underscored the harsh new realities facing water districts and cities serving communities in or adjacent to the state’s fire-prone wildlands. Fire doesn’t just level homes, it can contaminate water, scorch watersheds, damage delivery systems and upend an agency’s finances.

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Water District’s Investments in Independent Power Pay Off

/in , , /by /Valley Roadrunner (Valley Center, Calif.)

The Valley Center Municipal Water District’s investments over the years in independent power sources paid off this week when parts of the district were cut off by San Diego Gas & Electric implementing its shutoff protocols, but all of VCMWD’s facilities stayed powered—although four large (70 kw to 400 Kw) portable power had to be brought in to power five pump stations. This involved placing one of the 150 KW units between two pump stations as needed.

“And with those investments, water/wastewater service was sustained throughout the District service area,” concluded VCMWD Gen. Mgr. Gary Arant.

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In Napa Valley, Winemakers Fight Climate Change on All Fronts

/in , /by /New York Timesby Eric Asimov

ST. HELENA, Calif. — Every wine region has had to deal with some manifestation of climate change, but few have had to deal with as many devastating consequences as Napa Valley.

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Water Agencies Stress Need for Disaster Plan

/in , , /by /Antelope Valley (Calif.) Pressby Allison Gatlin

LANCASTER — In case of an emergency such as an earthquake or wildfire, one key element that could be disrupted, and for an extended period, is water. As such, it is important to include planning for water needs for emergency scenarios, whether for public agencies or individuals.

To that end, area water agencies and government officials gathered Wednesday in Lancaster as the Greater Antelope Valley Water Emergency Coalition to discuss preparations and resources available in case of water disruptions in an emergency.

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Vallejo Lifts ‘Water Emergency’ After PG&E Brings In Powerful Generator

/in , , /by /KTVU FOX 2by Lisa Fernandez

VALLEJO, Calif. – The city of Vallejo lifted a mandatory water conservation notice on Monday morning after PG&E brought in a powerful generator to power the city’s water pump.

In a video message, Joanna Altman, assistant to the city manager, said residents no longer had to reduce their showers or toilet flushing and they could resume watering their outside plants if they wanted to.

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