Another barrage of rare storms has pummeled Southern California with rain, snow, and hail in the recent weeks, the National Weather Service said it isn’t likely California’s drought will be over soon.
San Diego’s recent rainstorms was a much-needed boost to 24 reservoirs around the county.
“We talk about often as pennies from the sky and yesterday was millions from the sky,” smiled Carlos Quintero, the General Manager for the Sweetwater Authority.
Quintero said the Sweetwater Reservoir in Spring Valley collected about 1,700 acre-feet of water on Monday alone.
Water conservation numbers are strong in the capital region, but is it enough to satisfy statewide water restrictions?
We’re getting answers on how local counties are making conservation worth it for the people who live there.
As California’s drought worsens, local water agencies have been given level two regulations with the intention of cutting water usage by twenty percent. Residents are answering the call but it still may not be enough as Gov. Gavin Newsom mulls the idea of a statewide mandate.
The outlook for California’s drought is grim.
The first five months of the year have been the driest on record. Snowpack in the mountains, at its usual April 1 peak, was the smallest it’s been in seven years. Reservoirs are hovering near historic lows for the season, including Lake Shasta, the state’s largest.
A plant that removes salt from water is now running in Menifee, giving officials another tool to reduce their reliance on imported water as California’s drought continues.
The Eastern Municipal Water District opened its third groundwater desalination plant, the Perris II Groundwater Desalination Facility, on Thursday, June 23. The plant will remove salt from underground water basins tapped by wells in Perris — nearly 5.4 million gallons of water per day, according to the water district.
Bakersfield City water managers learned from California’s last “epic” drought – don’t wait to make a deal.
In 2015, city water managers scrambled to keep taps flowing for more than 20,000 Bakersfield residents as the Kern River ran so low the city had zero water entitlement coming down the river.
As California’s drought deepens, it is worth checking in on the status of water supplies and what might be in store for the rest of the summer, and beyond.
What started with the promise of a wet water year, ended up dry, again. In January, the 8-Station Index showed precipitation totals keeping pace with the wettest year on record. Then it got dry and accumulated totals flat-lined. The final result is a below average water year, although not one of the driest years on record.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
