Tag Archive for: Drought

As La Niña Strengthens, Forecasters Warn of a Potential Return to Drought

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith and Grace Toohey

As La Niña gathers strength in the tropical Pacific, forecasters are warning that the climate pattern could plunge California back into drought conditions in the months ahead.

La Niña is the drier component of the El Niño Southern Oscillation system, or ENSO, which is a main driver of climate and weather patterns across the globe. Its warm, moist counterpart, El Niño, was last in place from July 2023 until this spring, and was linked to record-warm global temperatures and California’s extraordinarily wet winter.

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The American West’s Last Quarter-Century Ranks as the Driest in 1,200 Years, Research Shows

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Three years ago, climate researchers shocked drought-weary Californians when they revealed that the American West was experiencing its driest 22-year period in 1,200 years, and that this severe megadrought was being intensified by global warming.

Now, a UCLA climate scientist has reexamined the data and found that, even after two wet winters, the last 25 years are still likely the driest quarter-century since the year 800.

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Californians’ Water Usage is Down 9% and Other Takeaways From the Times’ Updated Water Tracker

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sean Greene

California residents are using about 8 fewer gallons of water per day than they did during the last drought emergency, according to newly released state data. Between April 2023 and last April, urban water users consumed an average of 77 gallons per person per day. That comes out to a 9% decrease since the drought emergency ended in March 2023.

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Over $100 Million is Going Toward Projects to Combat Drought and Climate Change — here’s What’s Being Done

/in , /by /The Cool Downby Sarah Winfrey

Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $179 million will be invested in water reuse projects across the American West. According to CleanTechnica, these projects will be centered in California and Utah, areas that often struggle with drought.

Projects receiving funding include water recycling in Los Angeles and Ventura, California, groundwater replenishment in Los Angeles, and water reuse initiatives in Washington County, Utah. These projects will help the areas have more options when it comes to their water supply and make that supply more resistant to drought.

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Water Recycling Gets a Boost in Southern California With New Federal Funding

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

The Biden administration has announced that Southern California’s plan to build the largest wastewater recycling plant in the nation will be supported by $99.2 million in federal funds, an investment that officials said represents a down payment toward making the region more resilient to the effects of climate change.

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‘Mexico Does Not Deserve Money’ Until Water Debt to Us is Paid, Lawmaker Says

/in , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Sandra Sanchez

U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, gave a fiery speech on the House floor Wednesday urging her fellow lawmakers to withhold funds to Mexico until it sends the water it owes to South Texas and the United States.

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‘Water Bank’ Sought to Maintain Flow to South Texas Cities in Drought

/in , , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Sandra Sanchez

The head of a South Texas planning group is proposing that a “water bank” be formed so smaller cities can get water from larger cities with surplus supplies and keep it flowing in South Texas.

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Like Water Sloshing in a Giant Bathtub, El Niño Begins an Inevitable Retreat

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ned Kleiner

A few weeks ago, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology declared that the Pacific Ocean is no longer in an El Niño state and has returned to “neutral.” American scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been more hesitant, but they estimate that there is an 85% chance that the Pacific will enter a neutral state in the next two months and a 60% chance that a La Niña event will begin by August.

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Tracking California’s Water Supplies

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sean Greene

The American Southwest recently experienced its driest period in 1,200 years. Storms in the winter of 2023 eased some of California’s extreme drought conditions, but officials stress that conservation should remain a way of life.

This page tracks hydrological conditions, precipitation, the Sierra snowpack and the largest reservoirs serving the state.

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North America’s Biggest City is Running Out of Water

/in , , /by /Voxby Caroline Houck

Mexico City is parched.

After abysmally low amounts of rainfall over the last few years, the reservoirs of the Cutzamala water system that supplies over 20 percent of the Mexican capital’s 22 million residents’ usable water are running out.

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