California Water Plan ENews – 1/27/16

This week’s Water Plan eNews includes:

  • Draft guidelines for IRWM grants made available for public comment
  • The list of California’s critically overdrafted groundwater basins hits 21
  • $6.6 million in funding recommendations posted for counties with stressed basins
  • USGS offers details on resources that buffer California’s drought
  • Map provides a look at California’s regional climate change vulnerabilities
  • A Caltrans symposium with a quick course in understanding the science of climate change
  • SWAMP newsletter makes its debut with look at toxic water blooms

El Niño inspires hope of ‘major dent’ in drought, but empty reservoirs point to long recovery

LA Times – Ever since climate experts first predicted El Niño last year, California officials have been tamping down expectations that this winter’s rains would bring significant drought relief.

Four years of drought have just been too severe, they said, and it was uncertain that the rains would fall where they were needed most: in the northern mountains and valleys where California’s water systems begin.

But after two months of steady rain and snow across Northern California, officials are beginning to see some rays of hope. Click here for full article.

California Drought Improves; 2015 Warmest Year on Record – 1/21/16

By Ed Joyce – Recent storms have brought more improvement, however slight, in the historic four-year drought in California over the past week.

The U.S. Drought Monitor says the percentage of severe and extreme drought was reduced in extreme northwestern California and southwestern and south-central Oregon.

“This doesn’t mean the region is drought free by any means, but it’s certainly a good start to the Water Year as we sit near the mid-point of the snow season,” according to the weekly update. “Now we’ll see if Mother Nature finishes strong or changes her mind.”

Click here for full article.

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California Water Action Plan 2016

The California Water Action Plan – originally released by the administration of Governor Brown in January 2014 – is a roadmap for the first five years of the state’s journey toward sustainable water management. The 2016 update reflects both considerable progress toward and reaffirmation of the goals first set forth in January 2014. Read the 2016 Update of the Plan here.

California Water Plan ENEWS – 1/13/16

This week’s Water Plan eNews includes:

  • Webcast option still available for this week’s briefing on the California Water Action Plan
  • State Water Project and workplan on agenda for California Water Commission
  • Sustainable groundwater management information offered at three webinars
  • Webinar series examines U.S. water quality trends since the 19th century
  • Direct potable reuse advisory group meeting next week in Orange County
  • Registration is open for this month’s California Biodiversity Council meeting
  • Water issue updates provided in latest issue of the WestFAST News

New Maps show spread and impact of drought on California Forests

by Susan Greene, LA Times. California’s forests have already lost millions of trees in recent years due to rising temperatures, the drought and a plague of bark beetle infestations. But if the drought persists, millions of more trees throughout the state could die, according to a study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Click here for full article.

Maps show spread of drought across California forests

California Water Plan ENews – 1/6/16

This week’s Water Plan eNews includes:

  • Water PIE – a new data platform for integrated regional water management
  • Updated information on water quality goals provided by SWRCB website
  • Irrigation conference will focus on solving the California water puzzle
  • Survey is set up to get energy efficiency opinions from urban water suppliers
  • Updates and alignment opportunities are on the next agenda for the CBC
  • Delta Plan performance measures recommendations available for public comment