Courtesy of Drought.CA.Gov:
John Laird: Here’s how to protect fish and deliver water to Central Valley Farmers: California’s rivers are running higher now than they have in years, and Central Valley farmers are upset that water project pumping in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is not rising in tandem with the rivers. Water managers work in real time to maximize water supply from the Delta. Rather than bicker about project operations, it’s time to fix the projects for the long term. That’s what Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing with California WaterFix. John Laird, Fresno Bee
State Water Project Allocation Increased: Storms Improve Conditions, but Drought Remains: With March storms boosting reservoir levels, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) on March 17 increased its water delivery estimate (allocation) for most recipients to 45 percent of requests for the calendar year. DWR’s initial State Water Project (SWP) allocation of 10 percent of requests, announced in December, was increased to 15 percent on January 26 and to 30 percent on February 24 after January storms increased the Sierra snowpack and brought significant rainfall to the drought-parched state. More Information
March 22: White House Water Summit: In conjunction with the United Nations World Water Day, the Administration will host a White House Water Summit to raise awareness of water issues and potential solutions in the United States, and to catalyze ideas and actions to help build a sustainable and secure water future through innovative science and technology. More Information
Fact Sheet: Working Together to Build a Sustainable Water Future: Water challenges are facing communities and regions across the United States, impacting millions of lives and costing billions of dollars in damages. These challenges are particularly problematic in predominantly poor, minority, or rural communities, where water inequality can go hand-in-hand with socioeconomic inequality. Recent events, including record-breaking drought in the West, severe flooding in the Southeast, and the water-quality crisis in Flint, MI, have elevated a national dialogue on the state of our Nation’s water resources and infrastructure. This dialogue is increasingly important as a growing population and changing climate continue to exacerbate water challenges. Accordingly, we must work together to build a sustainable water future—one in which everyone has access to the safe, clean, and affordable water they need, when and where they need it. More Information
Presidential Memorandum: Building National Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following: Section 1. Purpose. Our Nation must sustain and expand efforts to reduce the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of drought. Every year, drought affects millions of Americans and poses a serious and growing threat to the security and economies of communities nationwide. Drought presents challenges to the viability of agricultural production and to the quantity and quality of drinking water supplies that communities and industries depend upon. Drought jeopardizes the integrity of critical infrastructure, causes extensive economic and health impacts, harms ecosystems, and increases energy costs. In responding to and recovering from past droughts, we have learned that focused collaboration across all levels of government and the private sector is critical to enable productive and workable solutions to build regional resilience to drought. Full Memorandum
Interior Department Releases Report Underscoring Impacts of Climate Change on Western Water Resources : New, interactive basin-by-basin visualization tool also released following World Water Day White House Summit: Putting the national spotlight on the importance of water sustainability, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation released a basin-by-basin report that characterizes the impacts of climate change and details adaptation strategies to better protect major river basins in the West that are fundamental to the health, economy, security and ecology of 17 Western states. More Information
Department of Water Resources Presents Key Draft Groundwater Regulations and Solicits Public Comment: Historic legislation enacted by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. last year empowers local agencies to bring groundwater basins into sustainable patterns of pumping and recharge. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) will hold three public meetings this week to present draft regulations that include how it will evaluate the development and implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans, alternatives, and coordination agreements by local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. DWR continues to solicit public comment through April 1, 2016. By June 1, 2016, DWR is required to adopt these emergency regulations. More Information
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Monitors Effect of Severe Drought on Wildlife: Stream- and Wetland-Dependent Species Most at Risk: Amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal populations that depend on freshwater marsh, streamside habitat and wet meadows are struggling most to endure the drought that has gripped California for more than four years, according to a comprehensive assessment released today by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. More Information
Natural Resources Agency Announces Awards for the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Grant Program: The California Natural Resources Agency on March 18 announced $8.2 million in funding for 21 Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation (EEM) projects statewide. EEM provides grants to local, state and federal governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations for projects to mitigate environmental impacts caused by new or modified state transportation facilities. More Information
Tahoe Conservancy Announces Awards of Prop 1 Grants: On March 17, the Tahoe Conservancy Board approved over $7 million in Proposition 1 funds for seven water-related environmental improvement projects on the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Click here for more information on each project.