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US-German Satellites Show California Water Gains After Record Winter

/in , , /by /Jet Propulsion Laboratory - California Institute of Technologyby Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang

Early data shows the greatest net gain of water over the winter in nearly 22 years, but the state’s groundwater levels still suffer from the effects of years of drought.

After years of intense drought and diminishing groundwater, California just saw its greatest year-over-year water gains in two decades, according to data from the GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On) satellite mission, a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). This past winter’s bonanza of atmospheric rivers alleviated some of the water deficit that the state incurred during periods of drought over the last 10 years, which included the three driest years on record in California.

Pasadena’s Watering Rules Could Be Relaxed, 15% Water Conservation Target Could Be Lifted

/in , , /by /Pasadena Nowby André Coleman

The City Council on Monday will consider shifting watering rules from the current two days per summertime week to three days per summertime week and to simultaneously lift the 15 percent voluntary water-use reduction target.

The current Level 2 of the City’s Water Shortage Plan went into effect on August 16, 2021, before the state was deluged with trillions of gallons of rain from a series of atmospheric river storms.

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Long Beach Looks to Invest More in Groundwater as Colorado River Shrinks

/in , , /by /Long Beach Post Newsby Jason Ruiz

With the future of the Colorado River and the amount of water it will be able to deliver to Southern California in question, the Long Beach Utilities Department is looking at investing $157 million into its groundwater system, which could reduce the city’s reliance on expensive and diminishing imported water.

Groundwater accounts for about 60% of the water that Long Beach residents use each year, and the Colorado provides about 25% of the city’s supply, with the rest coming from the State Water Project, both of which can fluctuate with precipitation patterns.

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Westlands Receives $1.5mil for Desalination Pilot Program

/in , /by /The Sunby Daniel Gligich

Westlands Water District received a state grant to support desalination and on-farm recycling.

Westlands, which serves western Fresno and Kings Counties, views the grant as strengthening its ability to improve the water supply for local communities and farmers.

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When Will California Have Its Next Drought? JPL May Soon Offer a Water Crystal Ball

/in , , /by /NBC Los Angelesby Helen Jeong and Belen De Leon

A new satellite by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will soon provide more precise — and vital — data on how much water is available on Earth’s surface, allowing better forecasts for extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods, and helping water resources managers and farmers to get a better picture of their water budget.

The international Surface Water and Ocean Topography or SWOT mission was launched in December 2022 from Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

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Water Supply Beneath the Surface: Why Groundwater Matters

/in , /by /NBC 4by David Biggar

When we talk about California’s water, we often think of what we can see: a snowpack, reservoirs to hold water, and aqueducts to deliver water to communities throughout the state.  There is another source of water for California, and it sits deep under our feet.  It’s called groundwater.

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SoCal Plans to Reduce Imported Water Supplies by 2035

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1by Sarah Pilla

Colorado River water from Lake Mead makes its way to Southern California through the California River Aqueduct.

Once this water arrives in Lake Mathews, it’s then distributed to a water treatment plant owned by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Currently, most of the water in Metropolitan’s water treatment facilities are from Northern California from the State Water Project because of our wet winter.

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Opinion: Earth Day: California Must Curb Central Valley Food Waste as Water Crisis Worsens

/in , /by /CalMattersby Jesse Morris

In the Central Valley, agriculture is everything. Farmers here grow 25% of the country’s food, yet copious amounts of flawed produce is dumped or left to rot.

For many supermarkets, an orange with a hail scratch is deemed unsellable. In 2019, researchers from Santa Clara University found that an estimated one-third of food in northern and central California is wasted, largely because of supermarket standards and consumer habits. We cannot follow this model of growing more produce than we need – or wasting this much – given California’s limited water resources, drought on surface water, and severe overpumping of groundwater.

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California to Squander Record Rains, Snowpack in Deluge of Regulations, GOP Lawmakers Say

/in , /by /The Epoch Timesby John Haughey

California’s Central Valley constitutes 1 percent of the agricultural land in the United States yet it harvests nearly a quarter of the nation’s farmed products.

The 50-mile wide, 450-mile-long breadbasket is irrigated by an intricate series of river impoundments and canals that are regulated by federal and state agencies.

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Paso Robles City Council Greenlights Funding for Ambitious Recycled Water Project

/in , /by /KSBYby Austin Herbaugh

The Paso Robles City Council has approved millions in funding for an ambitious recycled water project.

The project involves building a 4.5-mile pipeline that will carry recycled water to vineyards and parks on the east side of the city.

“I think it’ll save water and it goes back into the ground,” said Doris Vermi, who lives near Paso Robles.

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