Tag Archive for: Climate Change

Opinion: Drought-Tolerant San Diego Won’t Go Thirsty in the Dry Stretch Ahead

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Quoted: San Diego County Water Authorty

San Diego takes droughts very seriously. That’s why the region is well-positioned to weather an extended dry spell with enough water.

Local officials don’t shrug at the drought conditions across the state that have triggered emergencies in a couple of northern counties. For one thing, the wildfire threat can be as dangerous here as anywhere.

San Diego may be more drought-tolerant than in the past when it comes to water, but it may never be fire-resistant.

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‘New Normal’ for U.S. Climate is Officially Hotter – and’ New and Experts See Trouble for California Experts California

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kellie Hwang

The official “new normal” for the U.S. climate is warmer than ever before — and the changes are ominous for California, experts say.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday released its new climate averages, based on the 30-year period from 1991 to 2020. The averages, known as “climate normals,” are updated every 10 years, and they show most of the known the country, including California, heating up.

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Bay Area Democrats Want to Pass Climate Change Laws. Can They Deliver?

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Tal Kopan, J.D. Morris

Now that Democrats have full control of Washington for the first time in a decade, Bay Area lawmakers want to make sure they don’t walk away empty-handed. For many of them, that means seeing green. After several years of historically severe wildfires, heat waves and recurring drought conditions, bills related to climate change are at the top of the agenda for many lawmakers with local ties.

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Marin County Water District to Consider More Drought Restrictions This Week

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Jessica Flores

After recently approving the Bay Area’s first widespread restrictions on water customers amid worsening drought conditions, officials with the Marin Municipal Water District will vote Tuesday on imposing more.

 

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California Senate Proposes to Spend $3.4 Billion on Drought

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Adam Beam

Mired in yet another drought that threatens drinking water, endangered species of fish and the state’s massive agriculture industry, Democrats in the California Senate on Thursday detailed a $3.4 billion proposal designed to gird the state for a new crisis on the heels of a deadly and disruptive pandemic.

The proposal would equal all of the state’s combined spending during the previous drought, which lasted from 2012 to 2016, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. That drought occurred after the Great Recession, when California routinely battled multibillion-dollar budget deficits and struggled to pay for state services.

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Poseidon Wins Key Permit for Desalination Plant in Huntington Beach

/in , , /by /The Orange County Register by Martin Wisckol

Poseidon Water’s controversial proposal for a desalination plant in Huntington Beach won a key permit Thursday, April 29, when the Santa Ana Regional Water Board cast a split vote approving a compromise less stringent than the environmental terms proposed at board’s April 23 hearing.

Poseidon, which has been working on the project for 22 years, now needs a permit from the state Coastal Commission before it can negotiate a final contract with the Orange County Water District to buy the water. And, in the wake of the regional board’s decision, there’s likely an additional obstacle, as opponents of the project said they plan to appeal.

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Facing a Colorado River Shortage, Arizona Prepares for the Pain of Water Cutbacks

/in , , /by /AZ Centralby Ian James

With the Colorado River’s largest reservoir just 38% full and declining toward the threshold of a first-ever shortage, Arizona water officials convened an online meeting this week to outline how the state will deal with water cutbacks, saying the reductions will be “painful” but plans are in place to lessen the blow for affected farmers next year.

Lake Mead’s decline is expected to trigger substantial reductions in water deliveries in 2022 for Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. The largest of those cuts will affect Arizona, slashing its Colorado River supplies by 512,000 acre-feet, about a fifth of its total entitlement.

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South Bay Water Officials Draw on Distant Reserves, Weigh Options as Drought Deepens

/in , , /by /KPIXby Len Ramirez

While drought conditions are upon the Bay Area, water officials in Santa Clara County plan to draw from distant reserves for now and seek to increase storage and expand water recycling in the future.

Half of the water in Santa Clara County comes from somewhere else, sometimes hundreds of miles away.

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Sierra Snow Survey Canceled Due to Impacts of Dry Weather, Water Supply Also at Risk

/in , , /by /KCRA (Sacramento)by Emily Maher

There is dry dirt where water should be at Folsom Lake. A lack of wet weather is taking a toll on the state’s water supply.

Chris Orrock is a spokesperson for the California Department of Water Resources. He said while drought-like conditions are very common for the state, this year is worse than normal, especially considering back-to-back dry winters with little snow and rain.

“In fact, this year is a critically dry year,” Orrock said.

It is so dry, in fact, that DWR canceled Thursday’s snow survey at Phillips Station because there was not enough snow on the ground. Orrock said much of the lower elevation snow is already gone and some of the higher elevation snow is beginning to melt as well.

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Helix Water District Logo Square officers for 2021

Helix Water District Board Approves Rate Adjustments Designed to Ensure System Reliability

/in , /by

Helix Water District Board of Directors approved water rates and service charges for fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23 on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. These rates and charges were based on recommendations made by an independent rate consultant.

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