TOP STORIES
By Los Angeles Times, 4/1/22 - It’s a major source of California’s water supply and a vital habitat for fish, migratory birds and other species. But the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed is also a fragile ecosystem in decline, with human demands for water taking a harsh toll on the environment.
By Sacramento Bee, 4/1/22 - Powerful storms in October and December couldn’t carry California through the wet season, nor could moderate bouts of rain and snow in late March rescue the state from a dismal first half of the 2021-22 water year. Statewide snowpack through Wednesday, at an average of 11 inches of snow-water equivalent, marked just 39% of the historic normal for the date, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
By WaterWorld, 3/31/22 - The California Water Commission (CWC) has announced increased funding for Proposition 1 bond recipients, including $38 million for the Sites Reservoir. The funds bring the project’s total amount of Proposition 1 funds to $875 million.
By MIT Technology Review, 4/1/22 - The droughts that swept across the western US in 2021 sparked wildfires and damaged crops. But the historic lack of water also had an impact on one of California’s key sources of renewable energy: hydropower. Electricity generation from California hydropower plants was down 48% from the 10-year average, according to new data from the Energy Information Agency. And 2022 is looking even worse.
WATER SUPPLY & QUALITY
All of California’s major reservoirs are currently at below-average levels. The state’s snowpack on Wednesday was a dismal 39 percent of what it typically is this time of year, according to state data. Newsom hasn’t yet announced mandatory water cuts for Californians but faces increasing pressure to do so.
By Washington Post, 4/1/22 - California’s mountain snowpack is rapidly shrinking after the driest start to the calendar year on record and a late-March heat wave. Melting could accelerate with another heat wave next week. Little to no significant snow accumulated since prolific December storms built the snowpack to 160 percent of average by Dec. 30. At the time, the state was entering the wettest months of the year with a promising surplus that boosted hopes for drought recovery.
By New York Times, 3/31/22 - The Biden administration on Thursday said it would uphold a Trump-era decision and not impose limits in drinking water of perchlorate, a contaminant that has been linked to brain damage in infants. The announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency shocked public health advocates who had denounced the Trump administration in 2020 for opting not to regulate perchlorate.
By KPIX, 3/31/22 - The Coastside County Water District declared a water-shortage emergency Thursday, bringing back some water-use restrictions for the approximately 19,000 customers it serves in Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Princeton, and Miramar.
By ABC 7, 3/31/22 - Water is arguably California's most precious resource. The state is facing its third consecutive dry year. Last year was one of the driest on record.
CLIMATE & WEATHER
By KGET, 3/31/22 - The latest storm that hit Kern County on Monday brought more than high rain totals, it brought snow to the Sierra. The state’s snowpack affects the entire water year and farming. The Central Sierra snowpack sits at 43 percent of normal. Last year at this time it was at 65 percent of normal.
By KCRA, 3/31/22 - The first full month of meteorological spring, which spans from March through May, is now all but behind us. For Northern California, it was yet another month with higher than average temperatures and lower than average rainfall. In downtown Sacramento, the average high temperature for the past month was 72.2 degrees. That's close to 5 degrees higher than the 30-year average. Low temperatures were slightly higher than average as well.
CALIFORNIA WATERSHEDS
By Phys.org, 3/31/22 - Runoff from roads, lawns, farms and old septic tanks is polluting US waterways, driving harmful algae blooms. Climate change means heavier rainstorms carry more pollution to warmer waters primed for algae spread.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
By Scientific American, 3/31/22 - Warning signs are flashing red: California faces another scary year for extreme wildfires. More than 93 percent of the state is in severe or extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. And a March 1 reading of the state's snowpack found it way below normal — just 63 percent of the average for that date.
AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, PEOPLE
By Orange County Register, 3/31/22 - Poseidon Water’s controversial proposal for a Huntington Beach desalination plant might cost water customers more than previously thought, a factor that could create a new obstacle to construction of the $1.4 billion project.
By Sierra Sun Times, 3/31/22 - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement in support of the memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday by state and federal agencies and major water districts to provide additional water flows and new habitat to help improve conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed, subject to approval by the State Water Resources Control Board.
EVENTS
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), in collaboration with the State Water Board, is hosting a series of stakeholder meetings to inform the development of an abridged Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) template as part of a comprehensive effort to assist small water systems.
Start: Wed 20 Apr 2022, 2:00 PM
End: Wed 20 Apr 2022, 4:00 PM
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