DWR Better Weather Reports Preport
As we were looking at the state Department of Water Resources "Reer"leases this morning we had to think about Mark Twain and the weather. No one, however public spirited and desirous of remaining up-to-date on the World Famous California Drought -- dubious a desire as that is -- should have to start their week with a DWR Press Rerlease without at least a short antidotal quote from Twain on one of his favorite topics and the cause for a number of his greatest works long and short, including the blizzard-induced "Cannibalism in the Cars."
Never say your friendly Badlands Journal editorial board didn't try to warn you. But now, it's too late and we're into it, the full on lunacy, the weather wizards, the well and meter-contractor scams, the new movie, "Triumph of the Lords and Ladies of Vines and Fruits and Nuts," the gracious, unmonitored voluntary reductions on irrigation pumping from the Delta, contaminated wells in LA county, and "Soilentblu" (100-percent recycled-sewage beverage, refreshing, organic, sustainable, mixes well with pomegranate juice and gin, order now, trade name, 'Pasadena Fiss') along with more, new, unimaginable technologies, acts of moral goodness and theological thrift in the unprovidential year of The Great California Drought Hustle.
Hush, be still -- isn't that the sound of growers' children playing in their swimming pools. The fence is so high it's hard to tell. It could just be another recently drilled gusher.
What is the sound land makes as it subsides? -- blj
Yes, the weather is bad, and if I were dealing in weather it is not the brand that I'd put up in cans for future use. No, it is the kind of weather I'd throw on the market and let it go for what it would fetch, and if it wouldn't sell for anything I would hunt up some life-long enemy and present it to him. Failing in this, as a last resort I should probably take it out on the big bridge, dump it into the Mississippi and start it to Europe via the jetties. I'd unload it someway, and that quickly, too.
- quoted in
Press Rerlease: DWR Endorses NOAA's Recognition of Need To Improve Forecasting
Press Rerlease: DWR Endorses NOAA's Recognition of Need To Improve Forecasting
Actions
DWR Public Affairs Office
https://bay167.mail.live.com/?tid=cm4KX8k9gD5RGXggAjfePxnA2&fid=flinbox
May 26, 2015
Contacts:
Ed Wilson, Public Affairs Director
(916) 651-7512
Doug Carlson, Information Officer
(916) 653-5114 (mobile: 916-335-2299)
DWR Endorses NOAA’s Recognition of Need
To Improve Seasonal Precipitation Forecasting
SACRAMENTO — The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today welcomed NOAA’s recognition of the need to support DWR and other agencies with improved seasonal predictions of precipitation to facilitate water management during California’s four-year drought. Governor Brown’s January 2014 proclamation of a drought emergency specifically directed DWR to improve seasonal climate forecasting and drought prediction.
The recently-completed NOAA California Drought Service Assessment contains more than three dozen findings and recommendations that NOAA said may lead to improved and more tailored data products and tools, such as weather forecasts and climate models.
Vice Admiral Michael Devany, NOAA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Operations and executive sponsor of the report, said the findings “underscore NOAA’s important role in providing businesses and communities with the environmental intelligence – or timely, reliable and actionable information – to remain resilient to extreme events.
“The feedback outlined in this report will help NOAA service communities and businesses in California as they continue to grapple with the worst drought in its history,” he said.
DWR Deputy Drought Manager Jeanine Jones said better sub-seasonal and seasonal precipitation forecasting has been a long-sought goal to assist DWR and other water management agencies. She said one example would be “predicting when atmospheric river storms are likely to occur 30-60 days in advance. Achieving that breakthrough would be a remarkable advance in forecasting skill,” she said.
Atmospheric river storms are water-laden storms that originate in the Pacific Ocean’s tropical zone and deliver so much water to California that the state can flip from drought to flooding in a matter of days. Jones said atmospheric rivers frequently have been drought busters. “Knowing if 2016 will be wet or dry would be extremely useful for drought response and recovery actions”, Jones said.
According to NOAA’s assessment, the annual snowpack in the Central and Northern Sierra Nevada provides the vast majority of water for California. A seasonal forecast for the total precipitation in those areas could go a long way in answering the most enduring question: “How much water will we get this year?”
This is the fourth year of California’s drought. To learn about all the actions the state has taken to manage our water system and cope with the impacts of the drought, visit Drought.CA.Gov.
Every Californian should take steps to conserve water. Find out how at SaveOurWater.com.
With California facing one of the most severe droughts on record, Governor Brown declared a drought State of Emergency in January and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages. The state has continued to lead the way to make sure California is able to cope with an unprecedented drought.
Top Story: State Water Board Approves Voluntary Cutback Program for Delta Riparian Water Rights
May 22, 2105 - Today the State Water Resources Control Board approved a proposal from riparian water right holders in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to voluntarily cut back water use in exchange for assurances they would not face further riparian curtailment during the June-September growing season.
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Surviving the Drought: Irrigation Workshops Will Help Landscape Professionals Use Water Efficiently Amid New Restrictions
May 21, 2015 - Mandatory new restrictions on water use are being implemented throughout California as the state begins its fourth consecutive summer of drought. To help professional landscapers improve water use efficiency, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the California Center for Urban Horticulture (CCUH) at UC Davis will hold three workshops over the next few weeks.
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State Water Board Approves $19 Million for Interim Emergency Drinking Water and Drought-Related Projects
May 19, 2015 - Today the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) approved guidelines for $19 million in funding to help public agencies, community water systems, not-for-profit organizations and tribal governments meet emergency drinking water needs.
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Energy Commission Funds Energy and Water Saving Research
May 13, 2015 - The California Energy Commission today approved more than $16 million in grants to demonstrate water and energy saving technologies that promise to make the water, industrial, and agricultural sectors more efficient. The Energy Commission approved five Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) grants which lay a foundation for the Water Energy Technology (WET) program—one of the four Energy Commission responsibilities in Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s April 1 drought-related Executive Order.
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CDFW to Host Public Meetings to Initiate Partnership with Sonoma County Landowners
May 11, 2015 - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites Sonoma County residents to two upcoming public meetings to discuss the impacts of the drought on endangered coho salmon and other aquatic life. CDFW is urging landowners to commit to voluntary water conservation measures in critical watersheds as a necessary means to save the fish.
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Construction Begins on Emergency Drought Barrier in Delta
May 8, 2015 - The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has begun construction on a temporary emergency drought barrier on West False River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta after receipt of all necessary state and federal permits for the project. The barrier will help block saltwater from flowing into the central Delta and contaminating water supplies for millions of Californians during a fourth consecutive summer of drought.
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CPUC Orders Water Companies To Implement 25 Percent Conservation Measures In Response To Drought
May 7, 2015 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today ordered the water companies under its jurisdiction to comply with emergency water use regulations adopted by the state Water Resources Control Board on May 5, 2015, as the state works to safeguard California’s remaining potable urban water supplies in preparation for a possible fifth year of drought. The CPUC oversees 113 investor-owned water utilities that provide water service to approximately 16 percent of California’s residents. The CPUC today ordered these companies to comply with the state Water Resources Control Board’s adopted measures, which were in response to Governor Brown’s April 1, 2015, Executive Order mandating a 25 percent reduction in water use statewide for all urban water users compared with 2013 usage.
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State Water Board Addresses Environmental Concerns In New Desalination Facility Standards
May 6, 2015 - The State Water Resources Control Board today approved an amendment to the state’s Water Quality Control Plan for the Ocean Waters of California (Ocean Plan) to address effects associated with the construction and operation of seawater desalination facilities.
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State Water Board Adopts 25 Percent Mandatory Water Conservation Regulation
May 5, 2105 - With emergency drought conditions persisting throughout California, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted an emergency regulation requiring an immediate 25 percent reduction in overall potable urban water use statewide in accordance with Gov. Jerry Brown’s April 1 Executive Order. The action follows the release of water production figures for the month of March which registered only a slight increase from the amount of water saved in the prior month. The amount of water conserved in March 2015, as compared to March 2013 was 3.6 percent, up less than one percent from February’s results.
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State Water Board Curtails Sacramento River, Delta Junior Water Rights
May 1, 2015 - With California’s extreme drought resulting in insufficient water to serve all water-right holders, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) announced today that junior water-right holders in the Sacramento River watershed and Delta are receiving curtailment notices. The notices advise the recipients to stop diversions of water and allow it to flow to more senior water-right holders, as required by state law.
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CSLB’s Compton Sting Shows Phony Landscapers Sprout in Drought
April 30, 2015 – As the California drought grows more severe, more homeowners are looking to replace their grass lawns with water-efficient landscaping or synthetic turf. However, a sting operation conducted by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) this week in Compton confirmed how unlicensed contractors are looking to cash in on the trend toward less-thirsty yards.
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Governor Brown To Help Cities Bolster Water Waste Enforcement, Streamline Environmental Review Of Water Projects
April 28, 2015 - Governor Brown, meeting with mayors from across the state, today announced he will propose legislation to help local officials better enforce conservation requirements and will direct state agencies to streamline environmental review of local water supply projects.
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Sacramento River Fishing Closure Into Effect Monday
April 27, 2015 – The recommendation by the state Fish and Game Commission to close more than five miles of the Sacramento River to fishing was approved by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) on Friday April 24. An emergency regulation closing 5.5 miles of spawning habitat above the city of Redding on the Upper Sacramento River went into effect April 27. Enhanced protective measures were also included in the ocean sport and commercial fisheries regulations for the 2015 season.
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State Water Board Approves Petition to Allow Water Transfers South of the Delta
April 27, 2015 - The State Water Resources Control Board’s Deputy Director for Water Rights today approved a request from the state’s two major water projects to allow more efficient transfers of water south of the Delta to address critical supply needs.The approval, similar to those granted in previous years, is supportive of the Governor’s direction to take actions to expedite transfers. It allows easier water transfers among contractors of the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project, making sure water gets to the users who need it most during the extreme drought now in its fourth year.
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Curtailment Notices Sent to Junior Water Right Holders in San Joaquin Watershed
April 23, 2015 - With California’s extreme drought resulting in insufficient water to serve all water-right holders, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) announced today that junior water-right holders in the San Joaquin River watershed and on the Scott River are receiving curtailment notices. The notices advise the recipients to stop diverting water from the watersheds and allow it to flow to more senior water-right holders, as required by state law. Approximately 2,981 junior water-rights in the San Joaquin River watershed held by 1,474 individuals and entities will receive curtailment notices. The Scott River curtailment notice includes 162 water-rights held by 137 individuals and entities.
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Fish and Game Commission Approves Emergency Fishing Closure on Part of Upper Sacramento River
April 17, 2015 - Recommendations by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to provide dual areas of protection to Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon were approved by the state Fish and Game Commission on April 17. An emergency regulation closing 5.5 miles of spawning habitat above the city of Redding on the Upper Sacramento River will go into effect on or about April 27. Enhanced protective measures were also included in the ocean sport and commercial fisheries regulations for the 2015 season.