California had been a state for scarcely a decade and was home to fewer than 500,000 people when it was hammered in the winter of 1861-62 by the most powerful series of rainstorms in recorded history.
“This event, which was characterized by weeks-long sequences of winter storms, produced widespread catastrophic flooding across virtually all of California’s lowlands — transforming the interior Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys into a temporary but vast inland sea nearly 300 miles in length and inundating much of the now densely populated coastal plain in present-day Los Angeles and Orange counties.”
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Gayle Falkenthalhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngGayle Falkenthal2022-08-23 10:10:022022-08-23 10:16:17Opinion: California Faces Existential Threat of a Megaflood
Federal officials aren’t ready to give states along the Colorado River a new deadline for water conservation goals.
The seven states that rely on the river blew past an August 16 deadline without a plan to conserve 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water. They were given that task by officials with the Bureau of Reclamation and from within the Interior Department. The agency’s models show that amount is what is necessary to keep the river’s biggest reservoirs — lakes Mead and Powell — from reaching critical levels.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2022-08-22 10:17:242022-08-22 10:22:43No Firm New Deadline for Colorado River Basin States’ Conservation Plans
As the unprecedented drought continues to affect California and the San Diego region, homeowners can still balance the need to conserve water as efficiently as possible while preserving valuable landscaping, including trees.
Trees can be maintained while following California’s water guidelines. Trees are among the most valuable investment in San Diego County’s landscape – including your own WaterSmart landscaping. No other landscape plant offers more significant benefits to your landscape and the environment. Trees provide much-needed shade and cooling to increasingly hot neighborhoods and cities and are among the most efficient natural ways to remove harmful carbon dioxide fueling global warming.
When mature trees die due to lack of irrigation, they become a dangerous fire hazard. They are expensive to remove. Young replacement trees take many years to provide the benefits of mature trees. Taking care of your trees during drought ensures a tremendous return on this investment.
Long, deep soaks maximize irrigation use
Even when not in an acute drought, trees planted in a Mediterranean climate often need some additional water. Mimic the way Mother Nature provides water for the most effective irrigation.
Healthy tree roots reach three to four feet deep at the outer edge of a tree’s branches, where rainfall would naturally run off leaves. This area at the edge of the tree canopy is called the drip line.
Prolonged, slow soaking
When it does rain, Mother Nature’s rainfall is primarily steady, slow, and spread out. Follow this method to deliver a prolonged, slow soaking. Trees prefer infrequent deep watering. During drought, slow watering every two or three weeks for more established trees is sufficient. Avoid runoff with multiple cycles to allow water to soak deeply. Irrigate early in the morning to minimize evaporation.
Keep in mind turf competes with your trees for water. Even if you want to retain some lawn, it’s smart to remove the lawn immediately around your trees and replace it with WaterSmart landscaping.
Protecting trees from climate change
Carefully selected trees are the most valuable addition to your sustainable landscaping. Photo: Helix Water District
Drought is a reality in the San Diego region as average temperatures increase. As summer months become hotter, soils dry out. Trees must be deep watered to supply their roots and preserve their health.
San Diego forestry and landscaping professionals are working with the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies to help protect our region’s trees while also conserving water. Find more resources and learn more at drought.katestrees.org.
(Editor’s Note: The San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies offer programs, resources, and incentives to improve water-use efficiency for residential, commercial, and agricultural users. WaterSmart choices are a way of life in the region. Stay WaterSmart San Diego! For more water-use efficiency resources, go to WaterSmart.SD.org. The Helix Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Helix-Landscape-2021i-845X450.jpg450845Gayle Falkenthalhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngGayle Falkenthal2022-08-21 11:34:282022-08-21 11:35:09Make Landscape Trees a Priority During Drought
A new report shows what temperatures in the United States could look like in 30 years — and the outlook isn’t good.
The report, from the First Street Foundation, a climate-focused research organization, found that temperatures will likely rise everywhere due to climate change, though the way that is expected to play out varies in different parts of the U.S.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Chelsea Camposhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngChelsea Campos2022-08-18 10:31:102022-08-18 10:55:36California Heat Waves In 30 Years Could Be Longer, Hotter and More Frequent, Research Shows
The Golden State is doing more than just praying for rain amidst the historic drought that is battering the state and the western United States.
Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a plan that would increase California’s water supply and combat the extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. The initiative, its scope captured in the 19-page “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future” document released by Newsom’s administration, will invest $8 billion in water recycling, storage, and desalination.
The mighty Colorado River isn’t so mighty anymore. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Tuesday steps will be taken to protect the increasingly fragile source of water.
“The worsening drought crisis impacting the Colorado River Basin is driven by the effects of climate change, including extreme heat and low precipitation. In turn, severe drought conditions exacerbate wildfire risk and ecosystems disruption, increasing the stress on communities and our landscapes,” said Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2022-08-17 09:20:252022-08-17 09:21:59Two States and Mexico Ordered to Decrease Use of Colorado River Water
For the second year in a row, Arizona and Nevada will face cuts in the amount of water they can draw from the Colorado River as the West endures more drought, federal officials announced Tuesday.
Though the cuts will not result in any immediate new restrictions — like banning lawn watering or car washing — they signal that unpopular decisions about how to reduce consumption are on the horizon, including whether to prioritize growing cities or agricultural areas. Mexico will also face cuts.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2022-08-17 09:19:512022-08-17 09:22:08Western States Hit With More Cuts to Colorado River Water
The Golden State is doing more than just praying for rain amidst the historic drought that is battering the state and the western United States.
Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a plan that would increase California’s water supply and combat the extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. The initiative, its scope captured in the 19-page “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future” document released by Newsom’s administration, will invest $8 billion in water recycling, storage, and desalination.
For the second year in a row, Arizona and Nevada will face cuts in the amount of water they can draw from the Colorado River as the West endures an extreme drought, federal officials announced Tuesday. California has avoided cutbacks for now.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2022-08-17 09:14:062022-08-17 09:22:41US: Drought-Stricken States to Get Less From Colorado River
Heavy monsoon rains have helped to relieve the Southwest’s historic drought, but water officials say the deluge isn’t enough to reverse a drying trend that has depleted the region’s primary water sources.
Much of the West remains entrenched in a 23-year “historically unprecedented” drought driven by climate change, said Jonathan Deason, an environmental engineering professor at George Washington University.
“It’s going to take about three years of above-average rainfall to have substantial recovery,” he said.
