Water in California...

A couple of hot links for people who are interested in knowing where we stand on water supply and drought conditions, and who don't need a media dimwit to spin the facts for you.

First, here is the California DWR reservoir map showing current water levels for all of California's major reservoirs. Note that this information can be a little misleading in a total vacuum - for example Melones they only started filling this week because until then they had to keep the reservoir open to allow enough water flow to the parched lower river. Also Perris (in southern cal) is low because they are doing work on the dam. For what it's worth, almost all of the big reservoirs have their dams open right now to mitigate against future flood risk. Shasta is disgorging 27,000 cubic feet PER SECOND as of yesterday... which is just about equal to the amount it is taking in. In case you are wondering how much water that is, it's about 10 swimming pools full... every second.

Second, here is the national drought monitor site for Southern Cal. Note that this information is released weekly, on Thursday, for data up to and including the prior Tuesday. What this means is that this current map doesn't include any data from this week's three separate storms. I expect major changes to drought status when the update is released in two days...

So there you go! Now you know more than the media!

 

The bubble-headed bleached-blonde comes on at 5,

Thanks!

 

Oops I forgot the snowpack. Here is the snowpack site. In case anyone is wondering, we are at 197% of normal.

 

And some reservoirs aren't filled by rain. San Luis, Skinner, Perris and Castaic basically cannot be filled by rain.
They are filled by imported water. San Luis especially would only be filled after years of rain like this leading to lots of water coming down the aqueduct.

 

Makes you sad when you realize how much water is being released into the ocean right now because the reservoirs simply can't handle the excess.

 

Because too many people said don't build any more reservoirs. It's killing the bait fish.

 

Reservoirs should be a measure of last resort. Next time you're out at Palm Cyn, from the top of Hahn's, you can see 11 golf courses. Total waste of water, in the desert, for an elite group of users. Don't even get me started about the total water-wasting travesty that is Las Vegas!!!! Or subsidence in the central valley, or the draining of the Ogallala for fracking...or....awww F@ck it! I'm going riding!

 

Those creeks and rivers and their ecosystems evolved with our weather of big rains and then no rains. Floods clear out extra brush, sand and make gold more visible. In many places a lot is used to fill percolation basins and such; but the big flows are needed.

 

^^That makes sense where those creeks and rivers still exist. I grew up in Downey and spent a good deal of my life thinking all rivers were lined in concrete.

 

"Kick em' when their up! Kick em' when their down!"
This is indeed good info. Thanks!

 

And there ya go...

% of state in D3 or D4 status (extreme or exceptional drought) just dropped from 21% to 2% in one week. For what it's worth - a lot of this rating is based on four and five-year rain totals, which I'm not wholly convinced is a truly accurate way to assess conditions on the ground.

 

Magic!