Drought

Minimal impacts to drinking water quality from North Complex fires

Widespread testing of surface waters throughout the burn scar left by last summer’s massive North Complex Fire in Butte and Plumas counties has revealed contaminant levels are elevated, but lower than anticipated. The good news is they are not impacting drinking water treatment facilities or the quality of drinking water …

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CVWD extends lease with County for Lake Cahuilla

The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) Board of Directors on Jan. 26 approved a one-year extension of its 50-year lease with Riverside County for the use of Lake Cahuilla Veterans Memorial Park in La Quinta. As the terminus of the Coachella Canal, the lake has provided water service to farms …

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SWRCB Adopts New Rule for Winery Wastewater

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted a new general order last week detailing  how wastewater is processed and discharged at wineries in California. According to a release by the SWRCB, the order will protect groundwater and surface water quality while also giving wineries flexibility in selection of compliance …

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DWR Completes First Snow Survey of the Season

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted the first Phillips Station snow survey of the season yesterday. The manual survey recorded 30.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 10.5 inches, which is 93 percent of the January 1 average for this location. According to DWR, the …

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State Water Project Allocations Off to a Dry Start

Yesterday the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced their initial State Water Project (SWP) allocation for contractors and the picture isn’t so great. Only 10 percent of requested supplies is expected to be delivered for the 2021 water year. Initial allocations are based on conservative assumptions regarding hydrology and …

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California Partners with NASA’s JPL to Enlist Earth-Observing Satellite Data in Climate Change Efforts

Last week the California Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Food and Agriculture signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pasadena-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL) that will help state agencies better understand climate change impacts and identify opportunities to build resilience, conserve biodiversity and …

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