TOP STORIES
By Department of Water Resources, 1/3/23-The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today conducted the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. The manual survey recorded 55.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 17.5 inches, which is 177 percent of average for this location. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide the snowpack is 174 percent of average for this date.
By Los Angeles Times, 1/3/23-After a powerful New Year’s Eve storm triggered landslides, blackouts and road closures across California, residents were left to deal with the aftermath Sunday as forecasters warned of even more rain in the coming days.
The heavy wind and downpours left tens of thousands of homes in Northern California without power for much of Sunday, while record high waters on the Cosumnes River near Sacramento breached three levees and inundated the area.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
By KTVU, 1/1/23-The backbones of California's water supply are the six mega reservoirs: Shasta, Oroville, Trinity, New Melones, Don Pedro and San Luis. Back on November eighth, the state's six biggest mega reservoirs were 33% full.
In normal years they would have been 54% full, but the drought kept them low. Seven weeks later, midnight December 30th, they were up to 34% full. As of midnight December 31st, the atmospheric river added another percent, up to 35 percent. That's an enormous gain, but still well below where they should be. That means that our largest dams remain 65% empty requiring many more storms to get to normal levels.
By AS 1/3/23 -The California Department of Water Resources has strict rules on how high water can get in lakes and reservoirs at different points of the year. With spring approaching, expected to bring harder rainfall, the reservoirs need to be prepared to take this on. If the reservoirs get too full now there will not be the capacity to store the expected rain when necessary.
WATER SUPPLY & QUALITY
By NPR, 1/2/23-Forecasters in Northern California have a sobering new-year message for people who are reeling from floods and mudslides: the situation could get worse before it gets better. Parts of the state remained under flash flood warnings Monday morning, after a weather phenomenon known as an atmospheric river dropped historic rain levels on San Francisco, Oakland and other areas. But a second atmospheric river is predicted to arrive soon — and it will be as bad or worse than the New Year's Eve deluge, forecasters warn.
By Times-Standard 1/2/23-But here’s why it’s far too soon to declare an end to the drought: Last year, we started 2022 with a similar bounty — and then ended the snow season way, way, way below normal.
By Your Central Valley, 1/3/23-Fresno County farmers will only receive 5% of requested initial 2023 water supplies from the State Water Project, according to The California Department of Water Resources.
CALIFORNIA WATERSHEDS
By ABC 10, 1/2/23 - Early forecasts from the California-Nevada River Forecast Center pegged the Cosumnes as a river that would reach high levels with potential for flooding. The storm behaved as predicted and in some cases produced more since it was fairly stationary. The Cosumnes recorded the 2nd highest flow with more than 60,000 cubic feet per second and is now just below the record 1997 flood on the same river. That storm was also a "rain on snow" event in early January. The Cosumnes is unlike most in California because it remains free of any large dam.
Los Angeles Times- 1/3/23, They’ve been pushed to the brink of extinction by dams, drought, extreme heat and even the flare of wildfires, but now California’s endangered winter-run Chinook salmon appear to be facing an entirely new threat — their own ravenous hunger for anchovies.
By San Francisco Chronicle, 1/3/23- The big winter storms that have pummeled the Bay Area with rain have another benefit besides adding water to depleted reservoirs. They also fill up local waterways, giving coho salmon an extra push during their annual migration from the ocean up into their native creeks to spawn.
CLIMATE & WEATHER
By Sonoma County Gazette, 1/3/23-At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3, NOAA revised its projection regarding the height of the Russian River, believing it will crest at 31.9 feet early Thursday morning. While flood stage is 32 feet, there is housing within the Russian River corridor that floods before flood stage.
By Fox 5, 1/2/23-Just days after rain left the city with flooding waters and streets covered in debris, runoff is also leading to unsafe swimming conditions along our coast.
By San Jose Mercury News, 1/2/23-An earthquake struck Northern California on Sunday for the second time in less than two weeks, causing power outages and damage, officials said. The New Year's Day earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4, struck about 9 miles southeast of Rio Dell in Humboldt County.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
By Ocean County Breeze, 1/2/23- Reflecting on a year of progress and resilience, California experienced an 85% reduction in acres burned and a 78% reduction in structures destroyed in 2022.
By the San Jose Mercury News, 1/3/23-For the first time, more than half of the rural and unincorporated areas in Marin County could soon be classified as “high” fire hazard severity zones, according to a proposed map from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, PEOPLE
By San Jose Mercury News, 1/3/23- Just days after a record-setting storm sent the Bay Area into a frenzy through massive urban flooding, more heavy rain is expected to sock the region this week. To help prepare its residents for more potential flooding, most Bay Area cities are offering sandbags, both unfilled and prefilled, free of charge throughout the week. Here is where you can pick up your free bags to help protect your home or business from flooding.
EVENTS
By Mid-Pacific Water Users Conference - The Mid-Pacific Water Users’ Conference is an annual conference attended by Managers, Directors, O&M Personnel, Consultants, and Government Agency Representatives from districts served by the United States Bureau of Reclamation facilities in California, Nevada, and Oregon.
When: January 25 - 27, 2023
Where: Silver Legacy Resort in Reno, NV
Registration is open for the 19th Annual California Water Law Symposium! Participating school panels will be presenting on behalf of our theme, Diverse Needs: Species Protection and Water Supply. This highly-anticipated event will be hosted by the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, in-person.
When: February 4, 2023 | 8.00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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