How Capturing Rainfall Can Help Crisis on Colorado River
The snow melt provides most of the water that flows into the Colorado River. However, in California capturing rainfall is another option to save water to help the crisis on the Colorado River.
Tag Archive for: Colorado River
Utah Launches Statewide Turf Grass Buyback Program as it Seeks Water-Use Reformation
This year’s record snowpack has drastically reduced a drought that really began to impact Utah by the end of spring three years ago.
The U.S. Drought Monitor currently lists about 20% of the state in either a moderate or severe drought, while the rest is either “abnormally dry” or under no drought-related designation. It’s a significant turnaround from when nearly 90% of Utah was experiencing severe drought or worse in October.
But as he stood on the grounds of the Conservation Garden Park on Monday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox pointed out that an “unbelievable” winter is only “one piece of the puzzle” when it comes to thinking about long-term water solutions in the country’s second-driest state.
Utah launches turf buyback program
“In Utah … we’re either in drought or preparing for the next one,” he said. “We need to take action to ensure that we are always prepared.”
That’s why Utah is launching a new, first-of-its-kind statewide incentive program, which helps Utah residents recover some of the costs of replacing turf grass, so residents can better afford less-thirsty landscape alternatives.
San Diego Family Using Tech to Save Water
A machine called a Hydraloop can save you a ton of money by cutting your water use by almost half. It could play a big role in making our homes more environmentally friendly.
Carlsbad resident Justin Fox bought a Hydraloop this year after using extra water for his two-year-old.
As Water Crisis Persists, San Diego Looks at Treated Wastewater as a Drinking Water Source
As Arizona faces an ongoing mega-drought and a mounting water crisis, leaders are looking for ways to ensure Arizona’s water supply.
In 2023, Arizona will lose 20% of its water allotment from the Colorado River, and countless steps are have been taken by government officials in the state, with water conservation plans implemented by various cities.
IID Testifies on Colorado River Status and Impacts to State Assembly
Representatives of the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the Colorado Board of California testified on Tuesday at an informational hearing about how Southern California is preparing for climate impacts to water supplies and the river’s status.
IID Board Vice President and California’s Colorado River Commissioner JB Hamby and IID Water Department Manager Tina Shields testified before the California State Assembly’s Water, Parks, and Wildlife standing committee.
California Farmers at Odds With States Seeking Colorado River Conservation Plan
The law of the River– the Colorado River, that is – says the farmers come first. That’s how they see it in California, in the Imperial Valley, where farming is big business.
IID Testifies to State Assembly on Colorado River Status, State Impacts
Representatives of the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the Colorado River Board of California testified Tuesday, May 2, during an informational hearing before the California State Assembly’s Water, Parks and Wildlife standing committee.
According to a press release from Imperial Irrigation District, the IID Board Vice President and California’s Colorado River Commissioner JB Hamby and IID Water Department Manager Tina Shields testified at the state capitol on how Southern California is preparing for climate impacts to water supplies.
Opinion: No Choice But For Big Cuts Along The Colorado River Basin
The mighty Colorado River is endangered. Persistent massive drought, exacerbated by climate change, overuse, and ever-rising demand, has taken a heavy toll.
Water levels have dwindled and remain at a historic low in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the largest human-made reservoirs in the United States – so low in Lake Mead a year ago that it came close to hitting dead pool status, which occurs when water levels are too low to generate electricity.
Water Levels Are Going Up in the West’s Massive Reservoirs. Has the Water Crisis Been Averted?
Historic snowfall across the Rocky Mountains is helping recharge some of the country’s biggest reservoirs and provide – briefly – some much-needed breathing room for the oversubscribed Colorado River.
Forecasts say the melting snow flowing into Lake Powell via the Colorado River and its tributaries could hit 177% of average this year, a major boost at a time when lake levels had hit historic lows.
Long Beach Looks to Invest More in Groundwater as Colorado River Shrinks
With the future of the Colorado River and the amount of water it will be able to deliver to Southern California in question, the Long Beach Utilities Department is looking at investing $157 million into its groundwater system, which could reduce the city’s reliance on expensive and diminishing imported water.
Groundwater accounts for about 60% of the water that Long Beach residents use each year, and the Colorado provides about 25% of the city’s supply, with the rest coming from the State Water Project, both of which can fluctuate with precipitation patterns.
