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Heavy Rain is Still Hitting California. A Few Reservoirs Figured Out How to Capture More for Drought

/in , , /by /NPRby Lauren Sommer

Despite several weeks of torrential rain and flooding, California is still facing a severe multi-year drought. That has many people thinking about how to better capture winter floodwaters to last through the dry season.

An innovative approach at two California reservoirs could help boost the state’s water supply, potentially marking a larger shift from decades-old water management approaches to a system that can quickly adapt to precipitation in a changing climate.

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Is California’s Drought Over? Here’s What You Need to Know About Rain, Snow, Reservoirs and Drought

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Alastair Bland

The year 2023 began with a historic bang — record precipitation and disastrous flooding throughout much of California. Parched watersheds soaked up the first rains, but soon became waterlogged. Runoff accelerated. Sodden hillsides collapsed. Rural levees burst and rivers spilled their banks. Towns went underwater. People died.

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Suddenly, California Has Too Much Water

/in , , /by /The Atlanticby Jacob Stern

In the Talmudic parable of Honi the Circle Maker, the drought-stricken people of Jerusalem send up a prayer that God should deliver them rain. And sure enough, after a few false starts, he does. Except that once the rain starts, it won’t let up. It pours and pours until the people are forced to flee to higher ground, their homes flooded by the answer to their prayer.

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Storms Helping in San Diego County Drought, More Rain Needed

/in , , /by /FOX 5 San Diegoby Sarah Alegre Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The series of storms that are moving through California are helping with the drought, but there’s still more work to be done. Despite the ongoing rain, experts suggest while it’s beneficial, the state and the county aren’t out of the woods quite yet.

The wet weather has led to a cautious celebration for Pam Meisner with the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyama College. The wave of atmospheric river storms, although leading to dangerous coastal flooding, has helped in her efforts to combat the statewide drought.

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Storm-Struck California Scrambles to Clean Up Ahead of Rain

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Brian Melley and Christopher Weber

Storm-ravaged California scrambled to clean up and repair widespread damage on Wednesday as the lashing rain eased in many areas, although the north could see thunderstorms and another powerful weather front was expected to hit the state Friday.

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No Rest for the Weary: More Flooding Rain to Eye California

/in , , /by /AccuWeatherby Courtney Travis

AccuWeather meteorologists say that more rain is in the forecast for California, as additional storms from the Pacific are expected to reach the western United States in the coming days.

Multiple large and powerful storms have hit California since New Year’s Eve, making for a disastrous start to 2023 for the state. The most recent California storm killed at least three people and dumped nearly 10 inches of rain on southern parts of the state and around 2 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada.

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Reservoirs, Snowpack Are Benefitting Big Time From California’s Stormy Pattern

/in , , /by /KCRA 3by Heather Waldman

It’s been a wild couple of weeks of weather in Northern California. But there is a rather bright silver lining to this train of storms: our surface water supply is getting a big boost.

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In a Water Deficit, Arizona Contemplates a Future Without Colorado River Access

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Joe Duhownik

Water from the Colorado River covers more than a third of Arizona’s total water usage, but the state is increasingly losing access to that supply.

The state is no longer in what Terry Goddard, the president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board of Directors, called “a fool’s paradise.” Arizona had maintined a surplus of water since the mid-1980s, but that’s not the case today. Now, it’s losing water, and it’s losing it fast.

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Reclamation Invests $7M in Water Efficiency Projects

/in , , /by /WaterWorld

The Bureau of Reclamation has announced a $7 million investment for 82 small-scale water efficiency projects across the West.

The grants will support local community projects, including measuring water flow, automating water delivery, or lining canals. The funding is part of the WaterSMART program, which supports states, Tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply through investments to modernize existing infrastructure and avoid potential water conflicts.

“Community-driven projects are at the heart of WaterSMART, and small investments can go a long way to support water supply and reliability,” says Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “These water efficiency improvements are small, but when combined throughout the West, the projects play an important role in communities becoming more resilient to drought.”

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Landscape Makeover Program Adds New ‘Designer At Your Door’ Service

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

There is a new opportunity for San Diego County residents who want to save water through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program: “Designer At Your Door.” This new in-person service offers on-site and in-studio technical design assistance from landscape industry professionals for qualified residents.

As 2023 begins with cool, rainy weather, now is the ideal time to attend a virtual three-hour workshop to start your makeover.

This new iteration of the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program features the original award-winning WaterSmart curriculum delivered in three ways: special topic workshops available online and in-person; virtual skill-building videos; and in-person technical design assistance.

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