Drought

The State Water Resources Control Board placed a groundwater subbasin on probation under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) for the first time last week. According to the state, the Tulare Lake Groundwater Subbasin in Kings and Tulare counties is critically over drafted and has a high number of wells …

The mood at the April snow survey was buoyant. Even Governor Gavin Newsom joined in tossing a snowball at the news that California has an above average snowpack for the second season in a row. The manual survey conducted by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) yesterday at Phillips Station …

Several mid to late February storms improved hydrological conditions particularly for Northern California, causing the Bureau of Reclamation to announce an increase in Central Valley Project 2024 water supply allocations. “Thanks to the improved hydrology, we are pleased to announce a bump in water supply allocations for the Central Valley …

For the second time this year, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has increased the allocation for State Water Project deliveries for 2024. On Friday, DWR announced an increased allocation of 30 percent of requested supplies, up from the 15 percent allocation update announced last month for contractors south of …

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced its groundwater mapping project was completed last week. The Statewide Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Survey Project surveyed 95 groundwater basins across California between December 2021 and November 2023. Using state-of-the-art helicopter-based technology to scan the earth’s subsurface to depths of up to 1,000 feet, DWR …

The headlines over the past few weeks painted a pretty dismal picture about California’s “frozen reservoir,” stating the state was in a “snow drought” and to prepare for below average snow runoff this spring due to the unusually dry start to the water year. Fortunately, California has received several storms …