Tag Archive for: Drought

Did the Months of Recent Rain End California’s Drought? Experts Say It’s Complicated

Over the last four months, storm after storm pounded the California coast – leading to dramatic changes in our water supply and drought conditions – including in San Diego. But many are asking whether it’s safe to say the drought is complete “over.”

The weekly published Drought Monitor shows that conditions significantly improved compared to last year.

State Water Project to Deliver 100% of Requested Supplies as Reservoirs Fill

The California Department of Water Resources announced Thursday that the State Water Project will be able to deliver 100% of requested water supplies this year thanks to full reservoirs following record winter rain and snow.

Opinion: Lake Mead Could Get a Lot More Colorado River Water. What Changed So Quickly?

What a difference a month makes.

The March 24-month forecast, which predicts reservoir levels along the Colorado River for the next two years, had Lake Mead on a steady trajectory downward.

Feds Will Release More Water Downstream Into Drought-Stricken Lake Mead After Wet Winter

After years of punishing drought, a historic winter snowpack is bringing a reprieve to the Colorado River Basin and the nation’s largest reservoirs.

The US Bureau of Reclamation announced Thursday that this winter’s rain and the projected runoff from above-normal snowfall is expected to boost its water releases this year from Lake Powell to Lake Mead by 2.5 million acre-feet.

How America’s Fastest Growing City is Trying to Secure Its Water Future

Rob Ford was watering his hay last October at his small Washington County, Utah, ranch when he realized the flow was weaker than usual. He called the irrigation manager who monitors the water levels.

“The water is really weak,” Ford said he told the irrigation manager. “Is that about what we are expecting today?”

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Ends Drought Emergency

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has ended the local drought emergency it declared two years ago, but officials are encouraging residents to continue conserving water.

The board’s unanimous vote came Tuesday and accompanied a series of measures to continue the county’s water conservation and drought preparation efforts.

California’s Strategy Fails as Feds Pressure States to Conserve Colorado River Water

The Department of Interior has indicated that if states don’t cooperate on dividing Colorado River water, more cuts may be on the way.

The agency indicated that California could also face cutbacks, which means that the state’s wait-and-see strategy may have fallen short.

California has senior water rights to the Colorado River, and so far, that has worked in its favor.

Soledad Utilizes ‘Purple Pipes’ to Recycle Water Across the City

While drought conditions have improved on the Central Coast following our wet winter —saving water is still a priority. That’s why the city of Soledad is getting creative when it comes to how they water their public sports fields and parks.

Soledad is using a $16 million state grant to build a pipe system from their wastewater treatment plant to deliver recycled water to public fields across town. The city made history a few years back with the construction of a wind turbine that powers the treatment plant Their newest accomplishment comes in the form of purple pipes.

Federal Officials Told States to Curb Colorado River Use. How Will It Affect California?

Despite a wet winter, California and other western states will still need to cut back how much water they draw from the Colorado River. The question federal and state officials are weighing is: How much will they each need to cut?

 

What Might Cuts to Dwindling Colorado River Mean for States?

The Biden administration floated two ideas this week to reduce water usage from the dwindling Colorado River, which supplies 40 million people.