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Opinion: Water Restrictions Show Folly of California’s Rejection of Large-Scale Desalination Projects

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Marc Joffe

As the state continues to grapple with drought conditions, water restrictions are being placed on six million residents in Southern California. The latest restrictions are another reminder that the California Coastal Commission’s recent rejection of the Orange County desalination plant, after 24 years of delay, reinforces the state’s position as a laggard in adopting technology that could provide water security. While arid coastal countries worldwide are implementing desalination, the most obvious solution to water scarcity, the Coastal Commission unanimously voted against the Huntington Beach project.

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Surviving Socal’s Unprecedented Water Restrictions: a Simple, No-Nonsense Guide

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

With unprecedented water restrictions now in place across Southern California, many are questioning how life will change and whether residents can actually conserve.

Here are 10 things to consider as the new restrictions — most notably limiting outdoor watering to one or two days a week — set in.

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Opinion: Extended drought leads to increased wildfire threat now and in the future

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens

The resort at Mammoth Mountain just announced it will extend the skiing season into June because of storms in April and May.

A week earlier and 350 miles south, tinder-dry conditions fueled a wildfire that ripped through Laguna Niguel, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate and destroying 20 homes.

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Lawns Are Terrible for the Environment. California’s Water Restrictions May Finally Kill Them

/in , , /by /Fast Companyby Nate Berg

After years of on-again-off-again drought conditions and decades of precarity relying on imported water, Southern California has instituted major limitations on how residents can use water. Within weeks, residents will only be allowed to irrigate their yards once a week. Lush lawns and abundant flower gardens, your days may be numbered.

This is likely just the start.

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Despite April Rains, California Still Faces Significant Drought Conditions as Summer Nears

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

The late-season burst of snow and moisture that blanketed Northern California in April helped make a small dent in drought conditions, experts said, but the majority of the state is still far below where it needs to be as it heads toward the hot, dry months of summer.

Several storms arrived weeks after the final snow survey of the season on April 1, in which state officials reported that statewide snowpack had dwindled to just 38% of average for the date after a bone-dry start to the year.

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Governor Declares Drought in Four More Oregon Counties

/in , /by /KOIN-TV by Amanda Arden

It’s been a rainy April, but prolonged drought is still impacting parts of Oregon. On Monday, Gov. Kate Brown issued drought declarations for four Oregon counties.

Deschutes, Grant, Lake and Malheur counties are the latest where the governor has declared a drought. These counties join Gilliam, Morrow, Jefferson, Crook, Harney, Klamath and Jackson counties, for which the governor declared a drought earlier in 2022.

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Drought Jeopardizing California’s $50b Agricultural Sector

/in , , /by /The Hillby Sharon Udasin

California’s farms are the largest food producers in the nation, but ongoing drought conditions are wreaking havoc on this $50 billion sector.

Crop revenue losses, combined with groundwater over-pumping and upstream supply-chain impacts, may have slashed the state’s agricultural revenue as much as $1.7 billion in 2021, according to a new brief published by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Drought conditions last year also contributed to the loss of 14,600 related jobs, amounting to about 3 percent of a sector that employs more than 420,000 people, the authors stated.

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Kings County Declares Local Drought Emergency

/in , , /by /The Sentinelby Eric Gill

The Kings County Board of Supervisors on Friday voted to declare a local emergency due to drought conditions in the area. All five Kings County supervisors voted in favor of declaring the local state of emergency.

The resolution was considered during a Special Meeting held April 1 to consider a recommendation submitted by Edward Hill, county administrative officer, and Matthew Boyett, a Kings County Administration staff member.

The primary purpose of the meeting — “declaring a local emergency due to drought conditions in Kings County” — was voted on after the closed session.

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Strong Front Is Soaking Southern California, Triggering Flood Alerts

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Jason Samenow and Mike Branom

Flood advisories and warnings are up for parts of Southern California as a vigorous storm system from the Pacific Ocean sweeps across the region. The rain is welcome news given the drought conditions, but the intense downpours could prove disruptive.

The National Weather Service is predicting widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches through Monday in much of southwest California, with locally higher amounts possible. Snowfall of 8 to 18 inches is predicted in the mountains above 6,000 feet, where winter storm warnings are in effect.

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Water Officials Warn Low Sierra Snowpack Level Is ‘One Step Short of Catastrophe’

/in , , /by /abc 7 Newsby Leslie Brinkley

Bad news on the drought front Tuesday as state water officials measured the snowpack up in the Sierra with ominous results for continued drought conditions in 2022.

It’s been a strange year.

There was the now-infamous October storm followed by a historically dry January and February. When the California Department of Water Resources measured the snowpack at the start of March, the number was bleak. Only 63% of normal water content.

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