Tag Archive for: California

California’s Heatwave Evaporates Billions of Gallons of Water from Reservoirs

/in , /by /Desert Sunby Damon Arthur and James Ward

California’s current record-breaking heat wave in July has caused hundreds of millions of gallons of water in Lake Shasta and other major reservoirs in Northern California to disappear into thin air.

During the first nine days of July, 3,392 cubic feet per second of water — or about 2.2 billion gallons — turned into vapor and floated away into the atmosphere off the man-made Lake Shasta. During just one day — July 3 — 288.8 million gallons of water alone evaporated.

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In an Era of Dam Removal, California is Building More

/in , /by /High Country Newsby Theo Whitcomb

When the largest dam removal in U.S. history began on the Klamath River this year, it seemed as if the era of dam building was over in the West. Just a month later, however, the federal government finalized $216 million dollars in funding for a controversial dam project south of the Klamath, adding to the $1 billion in direct grants already pledged to the project known as Sites Reservoir. Rights for the water are being distributed this summer.

This would be California’s first major new reservoir in half a century. The project will require building two main dams on a pair of streams that typically only run during big winter rains. Most of the water would come from much farther away, however: Filling the reservoir means piping water from the Sacramento River uphill, away from the Central Valley. If it’s built, the reservoir will inundate Antelope Valley, 14,000 acres of hilly grassland in the California Coast Range, northwest of Sacramento.

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California Adopts Sweeping Statewide Water Conservation Framework

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

After years of deliberation, California water officials have adopted landmark rules that will guide future water use and conservation in the state.

According to officials, the Making Conservation a California Way of Life framework will help save 500,000 acre-feet of water annually by 2040 — enough to supply more than 1.4 million households for a year — and apply to the state’s largest water utilities, not individuals or households.

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Over $100 Million is Going Toward Projects to Combat Drought and Climate Change — here’s What’s Being Done

/in , /by /The Cool Downby Sarah Winfrey

Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $179 million will be invested in water reuse projects across the American West. According to CleanTechnica, these projects will be centered in California and Utah, areas that often struggle with drought.

Projects receiving funding include water recycling in Los Angeles and Ventura, California, groundwater replenishment in Los Angeles, and water reuse initiatives in Washington County, Utah. These projects will help the areas have more options when it comes to their water supply and make that supply more resistant to drought.

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How One of California’s Largest Reservoirs Permanently Lost Room for 36 Billion Gallons of Water

/in , /by /SFGATEby Stephen Council

California got a particularly rainy winter, but state officials have uncovered another reason why Lake Oroville overflowed with water this spring. The massive reservoir, the state’s second largest behind Lake Shasta, has slowly but surely shrunk.

New research from the California Department of Water Resources shows that the lake, used for millions of Californians’ drinking water and irrigating hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, isn’t quite the size it once was. The agency released its findings June 26, writing that in the 56 years since Lake Oroville was filled, rock and silt settling on the reservoir floor have cut its capacity by almost 113,000 acre-feet, or more than 36 billion gallons.

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California Burns as Heat Wave Spreads Across Western U.S.

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey, Jireh Deng and James Rainey

As California braces for a dangerous, prolonged heat wave that’s expected to last through next week, firefighters across the state are battling several new wildfires, some serious enough to force evacuations.

The most dangerous fire was burning in Oroville, where crews on Wednesday were fighting the Thompson fire under an excessive-heat warning, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 109 degrees and wind gusts up to 30 mph.

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‘Exceptionally Dangerous’ Heat Wave Could Broil California for Several Days

/in , /by /Fox Weatherby Scott Sistek

An intense and potentially record-setting ridge of high pressure is building across California and the West, threatening days and perhaps more than a week of a dangerous, life-threatening heat wave.

The worst of the heat will be centered in California’s Central Valley, where as many as 10 days or more of 110-degree heat looms. But just about all of California, stretching into western Oregon and western Nevada, will swelter for an extended period.

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Extended California Heat Wave Brings Extreme Health, Fire Risk; Power Shutoffs Likely

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey

Authorities are warning of extreme health and wildfire risks across California this week, as the longest heat wave of the year is set to kick off Tuesday, bringing triple-digit temperatures, with little overnight cooling, to the vast majority of the state.

“This is really just a long-duration heat event that will provide little to no overnight [temperature] relief,” said Antoinette Serrato, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Hanford, Calif. The heat wave is expected to bring dangerous temperatures through the Fourth of July holiday and into early next week in many areas, particularly across Northern California, the Central Valley and southwestern deserts, she said.

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REPORT SUMMARY: The Magnitude of California’s Water Challenges

/in , /by /Maven's Notebook

California is on the brink of a water crisis, with projections showing a potential decrease in water availability by 4.6 to 9 million acre-feet yearly.  Despite conservation efforts, scarcity is inevitable, according to a new report titled “The Magnitude of California’s Water Challenges.”

Commissioned by the California Municipal Utilities Association and written by Jay Lund at UC Davis, Josue Medellín-Azuara at UC Merced, and Alvar Escriva-Bou with UCLA, the report outlines the state’s water management issues and predicts future water losses.  These estimates aim to guide public policy and investment choices in addressing California’s pressing water concerns.

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California’s Largest Water Agency to Consider Firing General Manager

/in , /by /Politicoby Camille Von Kaenel

The board of the agency that delivers water to nearly half of Californians will consider firing its top leader over claims of retaliation, harassment and cultivating a toxic work environment at a special meeting Thursday morning, according to an agenda and three people with knowledge.

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