Tag Archive for: Water Restrictions

San Jose Relies on Water from the Sierra Nevada. Climate Change is Challenging that System

/in , , /by /KQEDby Ezra David Romero

In Santa Clara County, lawns are dry, a reservoir is nearly empty, and water restrictions are mandated. After two winters with very little rain — and San Jose’s driest year in 128 years of record keeping — the county is marked by one of the worst droughts in modern history.

Santa Clara County’s experience of drought is set apart from the rest of the state by a myriad of issues — less water from the Sierra Nevada, the effect of human-caused climate change on water supplies, and a case of incredibly bad luck.

Full Story

Water Shortages and Drought Are California’s Biggest Environmental Concern, New Poll Shows

/in , , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

After the two driest consecutive years in much of California in nearly half a century, reservoir levels are dropping. Lawns are brown. Water restrictions are increasing. And Californians are getting worried.

Asked to name the environmental issue they are most concerned about, more California residents cited water shortages and drought than any other, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, a non-partisan research organization in San Francisco.

Full Story

Drought Moves DNR to Recommend Water Restrictions for More Than 500 Minnesota Cities

/in , /by /KSTP.comby Jessica Miles

The sounds of sprinklers have become silenced in many communities this summer due to dry conditions.

Michael Lee, of Buffalo, tried hard to keep his lawn up.

“It’s (the drought) not stopping the weeds. We’ve got thistles and stuff that are coming up, and I try to nip those when I can, but yeah, it’s been rough,” he said.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says when the state drought plan hits a certain stage, as it now has, it triggers mandatory actions, including water restrictions.

Full Story

With Drought Worsening, Should California Have Much Tougher Water Restrictions?

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ari Plachta

When Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Californians to voluntarily conserve water last week as he stood in front of the retreating shoreline at Lopez Lake in San Luis Obispo County, some must have had déjà vu.

It was only six years ago when former Gov. Jerry Brown stood in a field near Lake Tahoe that was bereft of normally plentiful snow and called for water restrictions amid the state’s punishing years-long drought.

Full Story

Northern California Farmers Bracing For Drastic Water Restrictions

/in , , /by /CBS Sacramentoby Rachel Wulff

Farmers are facing a water shortage right as we head into peak growing season. It’s hitting their bottom line — and potentially yours.

Solano County farmer Spencer Bei shows us one of the wells his family uses to farm 15,000 acres. He says he is losing pressure now as he is pumping because he is pulling more from the aquifer due to a lack of surface water and no rain in sight.

Full Story

These Parts of California are Most Vulnerable to Drought

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Yoohyun Jung

As California’s drought continues to intensify, thousands of water agencies across the state are now facing restrictions. For many large water districts, like those serving San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, this isn’t a huge problem, as they have ample water reserves. But many rural areas of the state and smaller water systems are more vulnerable, and the drought could have devastating consequences.

California’s last drought, which lasted from 2011 to 2017, was particularly hard on rural communities and small water suppliers, state officials say. In 2016, the California legislature passed a law tasking the state’s Department of Water Resources to identify the most vulnerable communities and make recommendations to help them plan for emergencies.

Full Story

California’s Biggest Heat Wave of the Year Heightens Drought and Fire Fears

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith and Lilia Seidman

With a worsening drought gripping the West and wildfire season looming, California is bracing for the most severe heat wave of the year — one that promises to tax the state’s power supplies while also offering a grim preview of challenging months to come.

The heat wave will bring triple-digit temperatures to the valleys and inland regions of Southern California as well as many parts of the rest of the state, heightening fire risks. It comes as parts of Northern and Central California are turning to water restrictions as the drought rapidly alters the landscape.

Full Story

‘Dire Situation’: Silicon Valley Cracks Down On Water Use As California Drought Worsens

/in , , /by /The Guardianby Gabrielle Canon

Santa Clara county, the home of Silicon Valley, issued mandatory water restrictions this week during a severe drought that has already reached historic levels.

The move was championed by analysts and researchers who have pushed for more conservation efforts across California amid concerns that the state will fall deeper into a drought disaster through the hot, dry summer and autumn.

Full Story

Curtailment Orders Coming Soon For Wine Country

/in , , /by /Agri-Pulseby Brad Hooker

The State Water Board on Tuesday will consider emergency regulations to address severe shortages in the Russian River watershed. The actions are designed to protect drinking water through 2022 for junior rights holders in the Northern California region.

If the Lake Mendocino storage level falls below 29,000 acre-feet by July 1, the first curtailment orders under the regulations would go into effect. More orders would follow every two weeks if the level continues to decline. The lake level is currently at 34,000 acre-feet, with triple-digit temperatures this week likely to evaporate some of that water. The regulations also include curtailment orders for Sonoma County along the lower watershed.

Full Story

With New Law, Las Vegas Water Agency Bets On ‘Aggressive Municipal Water Conservation Measure’ To Remove Decorative Turf, Conserve Colorado River Supply

/in , , /by /The Nevada Independentby Daniel Rothberg

The backdrop for the legislation was set hundreds of miles away from Carson City, where the Colorado River meets Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam outside of Las Vegas.

Over the past two decades, Lake Mead, which holds nearly all of Las Vegas’ water, has dropped more than 100 feet amid drought and overuse. In response, federal regulators expect to declare the first-ever shortage for the Colorado River next year, triggering cuts to Arizona and Nevada’s allocations.

Full Story