The California Department of Water Resources is using the winter storms to claim that the proposed Delta Conveyance project would help ensure a more reliable water supply for the State Water Project in light of how climate change will alter seasonal patterns of rain and drought.
In reality, the benefits of the conveyance project are speculative at best.
Mandatory water restrictions are being lifted for nearly 7 million people across Southern California following winter storms that have boosted reservoirs and eased the severe shortage that emerged during the state’s driest three-year period on record.
Citing improvements in available supplies, the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has decided to end an emergency conservation mandate for agencies in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties that rely on water from the State Water Project.
Just three months ago, almost all of California was in drought, including at extreme and exceptional levels — the highest levels possible. Warnings went out from state water officials to expect only a fraction of requested water allocations.
Then came the storms, one after the other. Nine atmospheric rivers pummeled California between late December and mid-January, and we’ve had plenty of precipitation since then.
This weekend brought San Diego county one of the season’s biggest winter storms.
A cold storm from the north on Thursday brought low temperatures and snow levels down to 2,000 feet of elevation. Then conditions warmed as an atmospheric river brought tropical moisture to the region.
California farms and cities that get their water from the Central Valley Project are due to receive a large increase in water allocations this year after snowpack and reservoirs were replenished in winter storms, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Wednesday.
Most recipients of the Central Valley Projects are irrigation districts that supply farms, and some are cities, including those served by the East Bay Municipal Utility District and Contra Costa Water District in the Bay Area.
As California braced for yet another round of winter storms Wednesday, state water officials announced that they were again boosting supplies for water agencies that serve 27 million residents.
The Department of Water Resources said it now expects to deliver 35% of requested water supplies — up from the 30% announced last month — via the State Water Project.
A series of winter storms will work together to usher in some of the coldest and windiest conditions of the season across California. These winds will be accompanied by waves of atmospheric moisture that will crash into Northern California from Wednesday to Friday morning.
Widespread rain showers will impact most of the Bay Area on Wednesday through Friday, while periods of snow showers will be possible farther inland — including the Sierra Nevada and some foothills near the coast. These winter storms will also hoist thunderstorms onto the coastline, raising the chances for small hail and ice pellets in areas along Highways 101 and 1.
After three of the driest years in California history, this winter’s storms brought some of the wettest and snowiest weeks on record to parts of the state. Snowpack accumulated during winter is vital to the state’s water system because the natural form of water storage melts during the spring and fills reservoirs that can then distribute water downstream where needed.
When Bay Area residents wake up later this week and get a look outside, they might wonder if they’ve been transported many degrees north, with snow from an unusually cold and windy winter storm possibly carpeting the region’s major peaks and even reaching hills as low as 1,000 feet.
Winter storms have filled California’s reservoirs and built up a colossal Sierra snowpack that’s nearly twice its normal size for this time of year. But years of dry conditions have created problems far beneath the Earth’s surface that aren’t as easily addressed.
Groundwater — found in underground layers containing sand, soil and rock — is crucial for drinking water and sustaining farms.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
