Lake Shasta is nearly full, according to a chart depicting current conditions at California’s major reservoirs.
After years of drought, several reservoirs in California reached concerningly low water levels in the summer of 2022. However, an abnormally wet winter last year alleviated much of the state’s drought and replenished the lakes.
The California Department of Water Resources performed its fourth snowpack survey of the season on Tuesday, April 2, confirming that the early winter’s “snow drought” gave way to a slightly above-normal snowpack following a series of storms.
DWR’s early April snow survey marks what is considered the peak snowpack for the year in the Sierra Nevada. The Colorado River Basin – San Diego County’s main source of water – also reports more snow than average for this time of year.
DWR’s survey recorded 64 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 27.5 inches, which is 113 percent of the average. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast.
Two consecutive wet winters, combined with regional investments and conservation by residents and businesses, delivered enough water to meet the San Diego region’s needs for the rest of 2024.
Across California, reservoirs are nearly full as we approach the start of summer—the heaviest water-use months. Plentiful water is a rare occurrence in the arid Southwest. From 2020 to 2022, the state suffered severe drought conditions that forced water-use reductions for millions of California residents.
California’s major reservoirs are between 69 and 99 percent of capacity as of April 1. Graphic: California Dept. of Water Resources
For the past decade, San Diego County has been insulated from drought-induced cutbacks due to the long-term investments in secure water supplies, a strategy that emerged in the early 1990s following an economically devastating drought. Since 1990, the region has dramatically cut water demands, reducing per capita water use by more than 50 percent. Water conservation has become a “way of life” for the region’s residents and businesses.
The Water Authority is currently working to sell or transfer some of its surplus water supply to areas with greater needs. For instance, an innovative water transfer deal could eventually deliver drought-resilient water supplies to South Orange County through the Moulton Niguel Water District and help combat increasing water rates for San Diegans.
A deal completed in late 2023 saved the San Diego region about $20 million. These water transfers help maintain the viability of the Colorado River as the most critical water resource for the Southwest.
“Wet years are the right time to prepare for the inevitable dry years,” said Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham. “That’s why we’re working every day to explore creative deals that help us reduce water rate pressures for San Diegans, enhance our long-term water security, and help our neighbors meet their needs for drought-resilient water supplies.”
(Editor’s Note: Information in this story was provided by the California Department of Water Resources).
Income-qualifying residents in the San Diego region can still benefit from a grant-funded program replacing outdated toilets with high-efficiency models in 2024.
More than 6,000 high-efficiency toilets have been installed free of charge to date in under-represented communities across the region through a grant-funded program run by the San Diego County Water Authority.
Funding remains available to replace about 4,000 more outdated toilets with professionally installed, high-efficiency models at no cost. Eligible communities include mobile home communities, multi-family units, and income-qualifying single-family homes.
Qualified applicants for low-flow upgrades include mobile home communities, multi-family housing, and income-qualifying single-family homes. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
Smart irrigation controllers are also available at no cost through the program. Participants must be residential customers within the Water Authority’s service area.
Learn more about the program, including eligibility requirements and the application process at Direct Install Program.
High-efficiency toilets and smart irrigation controllers conserve water while saving costs. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
“This is a great way for residents to get a free home upgrade that conserves water and saves on water bills,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “Water affordability is a top priority for the Water Authority, and this program is one of many ways we are combatting inflationary pressures on water prices.”
Through the Direct Install Program, toilets that use 1.6 gallons or more per flush are replaced with premium, high-efficiency models that use half the water. The program is entirely funded by more than $4 million in grants from the California Department of Water Resources Integrated Regional Water Management and Urban Community Drought Relief programs and through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
In addition to the Direct Install Program, the Water Authority is taking numerous other steps to enhance affordability. For instance, the agency helped secure $25 million to cover overdue residential water bills resulting from the economic impacts of COVID-19.
The Water Authority also operates an industry-leading asset management program designed to avoid the extreme costs of emergency repairs on large-scale water pipelines.
In 2024, the Water Authority is working with Washington, D.C. officials to secure federal funds to defray the cost of generational upgrades to local dams and reservoirs.
Vallecitos Water District (VWD) customers got a first-hand look at what it takes to operate their water and wastewater systems at a Water Academy Tour hosted on November 2. Forty-six customers participated in the day-long program.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor Matt Wiese explains how staff monitor functions at the Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
After being welcomed by VWD General Manager Glenn Pruim and Assistant General Manager James Gumpel with an overview of the District, certified water and wastewater specialists took Water Academy participants through tours of the Sustainable Demonstration Garden and its water meters, its equipment and water operations control room, the Twin Oaks Reservoirs and the Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility.
Other tour highlights include demonstrations of specialized equipment used by the District’s water professionals, and a visit to the Water Operations Department’s computerized control room to see how the District ensures that the drinking water is safe.
At the Sustainable Demonstration Garden, participants learned about conservation techniques for their landscaping.
At all stops, customers had the opportunity to have their questions answered by staff and District board members, including at a group lunch.
Water Systems Operator II Toby Luna demonstrates how water is tested. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Participants boarded a chartered bus for a first-hand look at the District’s 33-million-gallon and 40-million-gallon capacity Twin Oaks Reservoirs, currently said to be the largest of their kind in the world. The grand finale of the tour is a visit to the District’s Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility in Carlsbad, capable of recycling up to 74% of the wastewater generated in its service area. At this facility, participants learned how microorganisms help clean the water and see how recent plant upgrades to increase capacity benefit the community by lowering the overall demand for water.
“It’s a privilege for our team of certified water and wastewater specialists to provide Vallecitos Water District customers a first-hand look at what it takes to operate the Vallecitos Water District and provide reliable, exceptional, and sustainable water and wastewater service to the more than 100,000 residents in our service area,” said Chris Robbins, VWD Public Information/Conservation Supervisor.
After a devastating drought in 2021 that left Lake Oroville at their lowest water level ever at 628.47 feet, the lake has now seen an intense increase in water levels.
“This past winter storms provided a huge boost to the state water projects, water supply, especially at our largest reservoir at Lake Oroville,” said Ted Craddock, Deputy Director of the State Water Project.
Lake Mead has risen more than 3 feet over the past month, and nearly 13 feet since Jan. 1.
The lake, which supplies 90% of the water used in the Las Vegas valley, is bucking the trend of the past five years. Lake Mead typically drops beginning around April, following a seasonal pattern.
As snow melts upstream in the Upper Colorado River Basin, water is held back in dams all along the way to prepare for higher consumption during the hot summer months. Water eventually reaches Lake Powell before flowing through the Grand Canyon and into Lake Mead.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills Monday aimed at streamlining the construction of solar and wind farms, reservoirs, bridges, railways and other infrastructure projects in the Golden State.
A warming world is transforming some major snowfalls into extreme rain over mountains instead, somehow worsening both dangerous flooding like the type that devastated Pakistan last year as well as long-term water shortages, a new study found.
Using rain and snow measurements since 1950 and computer simulations for future climate, scientists calculated that for every degree Fahrenheit the world warms, extreme rainfall at higher elevation increases by 8.3% (15% for every degree Celsius), according to a study in Wednesday’s journal Nature.
Heavy rain in mountains causes a lot more problems than big snow, including flooding, landslides and erosion, scientists said. And the rain isn’t conveniently stored away like snowpack that can recharge reservoirs in spring and summer.
This will be the first time in several years that California will enter summer with the majority of its reservoirs at or over 90 percent of total capacity, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources.
As of Saturday, Shasta, Oroville, Folsom, New Bullards Bar, San Luis, Castaic and Cachuma reservoirs are over 90 percent of their total capacity and in the case of Shasta and Oroville are less than 5 percent away from being full.
The California Department of Water Resources May 1 conducted the fifth snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. The manual survey recorded 59 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 30 inches, which is 241% of average for this location on May 1.
The last time there was measurable snow at the Phillips snow course on May 1 was 2020, when only 1.5 inches of snow and .5 inches of snow water equivalent was measured.
DWR’s electronic readings from 130 snow sensors placed throughout the state indicate the statewide snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 49.2 inches, or 254% of average for May 1.
The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water still contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply run-off forecast.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
