Drought

State cuts off all diversions from Russian River

A bad dream many people feared came true on Monday as the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) issued curtailment orders to stop diverting water from the Russian River watershed or be fined. In a statement issued Monday, the SWRCB announced water levels in Lake Mendocino were below minimum storage …

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Study shows benefits of alternative reservoir operations

The Bureau of Reclamation recently released the final report for a study assessing the economic and environmental benefits of alternative reservoir operations for Lake Mendocino. As California frequently experiences severe flood and drought periods, more flexibility in the way reservoirs are managed could help mitigate the impacts of droughts and …

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Water Board proposed emergency curtailment order for Delta

Draft groundwater management rules released by DWR, public comment ends Oct. 7

The State Water Resources Control Board issued a draft emergency curtailment order last week that would force many pre-1914 appropriative and certain riparian water right claimants from taking water out of the state’s major rivers and streams due to a worsening drought. The Board had previously sent Notices of Water …

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Rowland adopts plans to ensure supply sustainability

Two plans developed by Rowland Water District ensure continued delivery of safe, clean water to all customers for years to come, even during emergencies and extreme drought. The Board of Directors recently adopted updates to the District’s Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), first implemented in 2015, and Water Shortage Contingency …

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DWR to use airborne technology to map state’s groundwater basins

California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) will soon be able to map the state’s groundwater basins from the air. Using airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys, DWR will gather information about the state’s groundwater aquifer structure to better understand groundwater resources and support future drought response. “The data collected during these surveys …

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