Tag Archive for: Water Supply

Snow Surveys-DWR-Snowmelt-Flooding-May 1

Snow Surveys Help Plan Snowmelt Runoff Forecasts

/in , /by

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.

“While providing a significant boost to California’s water supplies, this year’s massive snowpack is posing continued flood risks in the San Joaquin Valley,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “The snowpack will not disappear in one week or one month but will lead to sustained high flows across the San Joaquin and Tulare Basins over the next several months and this data will help us inform water managers and ultimately help protect communities in these regions.”

Snowpack Surveys-Sierra Nevada-Reservoirs-Snow Water Equilvalent-Snowmelt

Snowmelt runoff forecasts

Snow surveys like the one at Phillips Station are critical to planning for impacts of the coming snowmelt runoff on communities. DWR uses the most updated technology to gather data from snow surveys, a network of 130 remote snow sensors, and airborne snow observatory data to gather information on current real-world conditions to create the most accurate snowmelt runoff forecasts possible. These runoff forecasts, published through DWR’s Bulletin 120, allow reservoir operators to plan for anticipated inflows and water managers downstream of reservoirs to plan and prepare for flood risks.

Despite a brief increase in temperatures in late April, the statewide snowpack overall melted at a slower pace than average over the month of April due to below average temperatures early in the month and increased cloud cover. An average of 12 inches of the snowpack’s snow water equivalent has melted in the past month and it now contains an average of 49.2 inches.

Water supply, flood control planning

“No matter how you look at the data, only a handful of years in the historical record compared to this year’s results,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit. “Survey results from our partners in the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program and other data, including data from Airborne Snow Observatory flights, allow us to incorporate these data into our models to provide the most accurate snowmelt runoff forecasts possible right now to inform water supply, flood control, and planning.”

Climate Change and snowpack averages

According to historical records, only the April 1 measurements from the years 1952, 1969, 1983 and this year were above 200 percent, although it is difficult to directly compare individual years across the decades due to changes in the number of snow courses measured over time.

Due to the impact of climate change on California’s snowpack, since 2021, snowpack averages have been calculated using a timeframe of 1991 through 2020 so that results better reflect the current climate conditions.

DWR is maximizing the amount of water that can be stored and diverted from this record snowpack.

In April, DWR announced a 100% allocation of requested supplies from the State Water Project, which delivers water to 29 public water agencies that serve 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland. The last time the SWP allocated 100% was in 2006. DWR is also maximizing the amount of water that can be diverted towards recharging groundwater basins so more water is stored for future use in underground reservoirs.

Snowmelt-reservoirs-snow surveys-flooding

Flooding impacts in California

Last week, Governor Newsom visited the Tulare Basin to tour flood impacts first hand, met with community leaders and emphasized the state’s commitment to supporting and providing appropriate assistance to counties impacted by recent and anticipated flooding this spring and summer.

Snowmelt runoff forecasts are an instrumental part of the assistance provided by DWR’s State-Federal Flood Operations Center (FOC), which is supporting emergency response in the Tulare Lake Basin and Lower San Joaquin River by providing technical and materials assistance to support ongoing flood response activities.

Storms this year have caused impacts across the state including flooding in the community of Pajaro and communities in Sacramento, Tulare, and Merced counties. The FOC has helped Californians by providing more than 1.4 million sandbags, 1 million square feet of plastic sheeting, and 9,000 feet of reinforcing muscle wall, across the state since January.

(Editor’s  Note: Information in this story was provided by the California Department of Water Resources).

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.

Full Story

Lorelei Cloud is the First-Ever Tribal Member on Colorado’s Top Water Board. Here’s How She Plans to Tackle Her New Role.

/in , , /by /The Colorado Sunby Shannon Mullane

With Western water challenges in mind, Lorelei Cloud has a message for policymakers: There should be room for partnerships — not fear — when Native American tribes join the negotiating table.

In March, Cloud became one of the newest members of the state’s top water agency, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, when Gov. Jared Polis appointed her to represent the San Miguel-Dolores-San Juan drainage basin in southwestern Colorado. She’s also the first known tribal member to hold a seat on the board since its creation in 1937.

Full Story

Did the Months of Recent Rain End California’s Drought? Experts Say It’s Complicated

/in , /by /CBS8by Evan Noorani

Over the last four months, storm after storm pounded the California coast – leading to dramatic changes in our water supply and drought conditions – including in San Diego. But many are asking whether it’s safe to say the drought is complete “over.”

The weekly published Drought Monitor shows that conditions significantly improved compared to last year.

Full Story

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.

Full Story

How America’s Fastest Growing City is Trying to Secure Its Water Future

/in , , /by /ABC Newsby Patrick Linehan

Rob Ford was watering his hay last October at his small Washington County, Utah, ranch when he realized the flow was weaker than usual. He called the irrigation manager who monitors the water levels.

“The water is really weak,” Ford said he told the irrigation manager. “Is that about what we are expecting today?”

Full Story

Carlsbad’s ‘Graze at the Fields’ Showcases San Diego’s Agricultural Diversity

/in , , /by /Epoch Timesby Mark Mathews Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

A few hundred people attended the annual Graze at the Fields in Carlsbad on April 13 to experience the variety of San Diego agriculture while interacting with local farmers and purveyors.

Hosted by the San Diego County Farm Bureau representatives from a wide variety of agricultural industries shared with attendees information about the diversity and role agriculture plays in the county.

Full Story

Helix Water District Upgrades Water Treatment, Saves Costs

/in , , /by /Water News Network

A recent upgrade to a Helix Water District treatment plant saved money for its ratepayers while ensuring a continued supply of high quality drinking water. After 20 years of service, the ozone disinfection system at the R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant needed an upgrade.

Full Story

Interior Offers Extremes on Colorado River Cuts to Spur Compromise

/in , /by /E&E News by Jennifer Yachnin

The Interior Department on Tuesday shared its proposal for expected cuts to Colorado River water allocations but acknowledged that the most extreme options — including a plan that would slash water deliveries to Arizona and Nevada — are unlikely to be included in a final decision this summer.

Instead, agency officials presented their emergency plan — which includes contrasting proposals that would either force California to forfeit a significant portion of its flows or concentrate the pain of cuts on Arizona and Nevada — as a set of “bookends” to motivate state officials to collaborate.

“I would not think about either of these three alternatives as something we’re asking people to choose, but rather, they’re models and alternatives and ways of defining the problem,” said Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau, referring to an update of the 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines.

Full Story

U.S. Presents Proposals for Major Water Cuts on Colorado River

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

The federal government on Tuesday laid out two options for preventing the Colorado River’s depleted reservoirs from falling to critically low levels, saying it could either impose cuts across the Southwest by following the water-rights priority system or by using an across-the-board percentage.

Full Story