Tag Archive for: Sacramento

Sacramento Went From Record Drought to Record Rain. Climate Change May Make That More Common.

Residents of the Sacramento area have been on a meteorological seesaw this past week: After 212 days without rain, the area saw precipitation again — which, this weekend, turned into an all-out rainstorm.

Already, the rainfall this weekend broke records: The area got more than half of the rain it had all of the last wet season, which was particularly dry, in a single storm.

Study Suggests Flooding Could Reach Never-Before-Seen Levels in Sacramento, Central Valleys

While wildfires and droughts dominate California weather, residents have to prepare for another kind of disaster — flooding.

Sacramento is no stranger to seeing flooding of epic proportions. It happened during the Great Flood of 1862 that completely submerged Old Town, and the evidence is still right below our feet.

Floodwaters have plagued the Central Valley several more times before, happening again in 1986, 1995, 1997, 2006 and 2017, but new research by the organization Climate Central suggests that in 100 years, flooding in the Sacramento and Central valleys could reach levels never seen before.

Sacramento Reduces Water Consumption but Falls Short of Newsom’s Goal for California

As California’s drought deepens, Sacramento residents are falling short of meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for water conservation — at least so far.

Area residents reduced water usage by an average of 6% last month, compared to August 2020, according to data released this week by the Sacramento Regional Water Authority. That compares with the 15% voluntary goal announced by Newsom in an executive order in July.

Sacramento Asking People to Reduce Water Use by 15%, Doubles Fines for Water Waste

After declaring a State 2 water alert, the City of Sacramento is asking residents to reduce their water usage by 15%.

In a press release, city council called on residents, businesses, and city operations to voluntarily lower their water usage. For those looking to wash their car, Tuesday’s declaration means they’ll only be allowed to do so on the property’s watering days, which is currently restricted to two days a week. Fines for water waste will also be doubled.

California Enacted a Groundwater Law 7 Years Ago. But Wells Are Still Drying Up — and the Threat Is Spreading

Kelly O’Brien’s drinking water well had been in its death throes for days before its pump finally gave out over Memorial Day weekend.

It wasn’t a quiet death at O’Brien’s home in Glenn County, about 100 miles north of Sacramento.

Spigots rattled. Faucets sputtered. The drinking water turned rusty with sediment. In the end, two houses, three adults, three children, two horses, four dogs and a couple of cats on her five acres of land were all left with no water for their sinks, showers, laundry, troughs and water bowls.

Sacramento Residents Asked to Cut Water Usage as California Drought, Intense Heat Worsen

The city of Sacramento, invoking its water shortage contingency plan, asked residents Wednesday to reduce consumption by 10% as California’s drought intensifies. City Manager Howard Chan moved the city into Stage 1 of its contingency plan, which mandates a 10% cut by city government and a voluntary call to residents and businesses to do the same, according to spokesman Carlos Eliason. If additional measures need to be taken, they would require action by the City Council.

Bills Addressing California Water Crisis Advance in Sacramento

A pair of bills addressing the state’s water crisis have now cleared another hurdle in Sacramento.

Senate bill 559 from Senator Melissa Hurtado (14th District- Sanger) would allocate $785 million dollars to repair three canals that move water across the state.

Low River Levels to Blame for ‘Earthy’ Taste to Sacramento Tap Water, City Says

Does your tap water taste a little off right now? Sacramento city leaders say the drought is probably to blame.

The city says they have been recently getting some calls with people reporting an “earthy” taste to their tap water. Some people have also been reporting an off smell as well.

Latest Water War Over Kings River Involves Claim by Water District in Kern County

A water war is under way in Sacramento right now that could have far-reaching impacts on families in the Central Valley. “We totally believe this is a water grab,” says Ryan Jacobsen, Board President for the Fresno Irrigation District.

Yes, You Can Water Your Lawn. But Here are the Restrictions for Sacramento Area, So Far

You can’t water your lawn more than twice a week in the city or Sacramento during summer, and never on Thursday or Friday. For thousands of Sacramento County residents, the limit is three days a week. In Roseville, there’s no watering between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Customers of the San Juan Water District have five days to fix leaks, and hosing down the driveway or sidewalk is off-limits in Elk Grove. Long before Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for the Sacramento region — and much of the rest of California — area residents were already dealing with an assortment of restrictions on water consumption, depending on their supplier.