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Despite an ‘Incredible’ Snowpack, Drought Not Over in California

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Natalie Hanson

California may celebrate having double the expected snowpack after a string of atmospheric river storms, but state water experts warn that more needs to come to offset years of record-breaking drought.

At the season’s second monthly snowpack survey conducted Wednesday at Phillips Station — at the intersection of Highway 50 and Sierra-at-Tahoe Road — the California Department of Water Resources measured current snow depths and water content.

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Sierra Nevada Snowpack Now at 205% of Normal, But Dry Weather Could Return

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

The Department of Water Resources said Wednesday the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada has reached 205% of normal thanks to a series of storms, though dry weather between now and April could still threaten water supplies.

The snowpack received a significant boost from one of the wettest three-week periods on record in California, following the driest three-year period on record.

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How Severe Is Sacramento’s Drought? This Interactive Map Shows the Outlook Is Bleak

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Noor Adatia

It is unlikely the Sacramento area will receive a substantial amount of rain anytime soon, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasts for this weekend show temperatures climbing above the average for this time of year which is around 94 degrees, weather service spokesman Craig Shoemaker said.

And it’s expected to remain dry in the area for awhile.

 

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Punishing Bay Area Drought Prompts Calls for Major Water Rethink

/in , , /by /KQEDby Ezra David Romero

Each morning for months, Amelia Morán Ceja has peered out her window, searching Sonoma’s wine country for dark clouds or the residue of rain on the leaves of her grapevines.

Her searching has proved futile, and now she’s worried as California faces its third consecutive summer with drought.

The dry conditions threaten her thirsty vines at Ceja Vineyards and elevate the risk from fire and heat waves. The triple threat is a “perfect storm during harvest,” she said.

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State Water Board May Extend Restrictions to Russian River Water

/in , , /by /NBC Bay Area

A current regulation that curtails water rights in the Russian River watershed set to expire in July may be extended due to the continuing drought, according to the state agency charged with balancing all water needs of the state.

State Water Resources Control Board officials announced Friday the board released a draft emergency regulation to extend the regulation and clarify some of its requirements.

The Russian River runs from Mendocino County south into Sonoma County. It is the second-largest river in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, behind the Sacramento River.

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Colorado Hits a “Hard Pause” on Water Demand Management as It Waits for Other States to Catch Up

/in , , /by /The Colorado Sunby Chris Outcalt

Colorado is taking a “hard pause” on investigating the viability of demand management, a program that would allow the state to pay water users to temporarily and voluntarily conserve water and store what’s saved in Lake Powell for future use.

“No more energy spent on this right now,” Colorado Water Conservation Board chair Jaclyn Brown said this week. “Until the facts change; until someone brings us new information.”

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