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State Tells San Joaquin Valley Agencies That Groundwater Plans Are Flawed

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

California water officials have alerted local groundwater agencies in farming areas across the San Joaquin Valley that their plans for bringing aquifers into balance don’t adequately address how continuing declines in water levels could cause many more wells to run dry. The state Department of Water Resources notified agencies in six areas of the San Joaquin Valley this week that their groundwater sustainability plans are incomplete and have deficiencies that need to be corrected.

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Department of Water Resources Investing Heavy in Water Facility Rehabilitation

/in , , /by /Valley Voice

Today, the California Department of Water Resources initiated a $100 million funding program to restore capacity to portions of the California Aqueduct, San Luis Canal, Delta-Mendota Canal, and Friant-Kern Canal lost to land subsidence occurring during the last several decades.

“Fixing these canals is an important foundational piece to ensure a reliable and climate resilient water supply for California,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “It enables us to move water during very wet conditions, which will be essential to adapting to more extreme weather. Restoring capacity in our existing infrastructure provides a critical link in diversifying water supplies by supporting groundwater replenishment throughout the Central Valley and water recycling projects in Southern California. It’s a prudent investment in our water future.”

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Opinion: What You Can Do — and What You Can’t — to Deal With California’s Driest Year

/in , /by /Los Angeles Times

It can’t be because everything else was going so well. It can’t be because the rain gods thought we had it too good, or that there were too few flames burning too few trees and homes, or that the summer wasn’t hot enough or there was too little violent crime or not enough deadly disease. We’ve had more than our fill of all that.

In fact, we may never know the reason why last year was not only dry, but was California’s second-driest year on record, according to the state Department of Water Resources. And the prospects for the current water year, which began on Oct. 1, aren’t any better.

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Supes Approve Trucking Water from Ukiah to Mendocino

/in , , /by /Fort-Bragg Advocate Newsby Megan Wutzke

The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution implementing a water hauling assistance program at a special meeting on Aug. 24, which will focus on trucking raw water from Ukiah to the Summer Lane reservoir in Fort Bragg to be treated — where it would then be trucked to Mendocino.

The board discussed applying for a grant from the Department of Water Resources that would cover much of the cost for residential uses, though the logistics remain uncertain for business use. In the meantime, $1.5 million will be allocated for the trucking program.

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State Ponies Up $100 Million Toward $2.35 Billion Repair Bill for Major Canals

/in , , /by /SJV Waterby Lois Henry

Several of the state’s key canals will get a sprinkle of state money this year and next toward fixing more than $2 billion in damage caused by sinking land from excessive groundwater pumping.

On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a massive budget “trailer” bill, which authorizes actual funding for programs and services outlined in the state budget that was passed June 15.

The trailer bill included $100 million for the Department of Water Resources to spend this fiscal year and proposed another $100 million for next year toward repairs to the California Aqueduct, Delta-Mendota Canal and Friant-Kern Canal. Together, repairs for those canals are estimated at $2.35 billion.

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These Parts of California are Most Vulnerable to Drought

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Yoohyun Jung

As California’s drought continues to intensify, thousands of water agencies across the state are now facing restrictions. For many large water districts, like those serving San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, this isn’t a huge problem, as they have ample water reserves. But many rural areas of the state and smaller water systems are more vulnerable, and the drought could have devastating consequences.

California’s last drought, which lasted from 2011 to 2017, was particularly hard on rural communities and small water suppliers, state officials say. In 2016, the California legislature passed a law tasking the state’s Department of Water Resources to identify the most vulnerable communities and make recommendations to help them plan for emergencies.

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Officials Confident in Water Supply Management Without Drought Declaration

/in , , /by /AG Net Westby Brian German

Despite a dry water year, state officials do not feel that a drought declaration is necessary. During a recent meeting of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, Director of the California Department of Water Resources, Karla Nemeth provided a water update.

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Opinion: California Needs Comprehensive Groundwater Management

/in , /by /CalMattersby Jeanette Howard, Melissa M. Rohde and Barton H. Thompson

While California’s landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act promised comprehensive protection of the state’s groundwater, significant gaps remain in its coverage. The Department of Water Resources now has an opportunity to reduce or eliminate those gaps and should seize the moment. We know all Californians will experience another year of water shortages and warmer, drier conditions that will require conservation and which are likely to fuel destructive wildfires in our forests and around our communities.

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California Water Officials Tell Communities To Prepare For Potential Water Shortages

/in , , /by /CBS Sacramentoby Anna Giles

An extra dry summer with potential for water shortages – that’s what state and federal officials are telling Californians to prepare for.

Predictions for 2021 are bleak. Lake levels are low and the Sacramento region is not getting the spring showers many hoped for.

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Late-Winter Pacific Storm Brings Rain and Snow to California

/in , , /by /AP News

A cold, late-winter Pacific storm brought rain and snow to California on Tuesday. Winter storm warnings were posted or scheduled to take effect during the day in mountains from the Oregon border south to the U.S-Mexico border. Mountain travel was discouraged due to the potential for major delays, chain controls and near-whiteout conditions, the National Weather Service said. The San Francisco Bay Area weather office warned of possible hail, thunderstorms and downpours that could make driving risky.

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