Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
March 27, 2008
1. Top Items
Sierra snowpack dips to normal as dry period follows early storms - Associated Press
Summer may see droughtlike conditions despite 'average' Sierra snowpack -
State: snowpack is reassuring -
Sierra snowpack won't fill reservoirs - San Francisco Chronicle
Sierra report: no 2008 drought; SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT MEASURES 97% OF
Water worries not over, experts say; A dry March negates the hoped-for supply increase after the wet start to the winter in California - Los Angeles Times
Long Beach urges its neighbors to cut water use - Long Beach Press Telegram
Sierra snowpack dips to normal as dry period follows early storms
Associated Press – 3/26/08
By Don Thompson, staff writer
While storms have tapered off in recent weeks, the state Department of Water Resources says the amount of snow remaining should be enough to fill the reservoirs that feed the state's water system.
The department's fourth snow survey of the season on Wednesday found the snowpack was 105 percent of normal for this time of year in the northern part of the Sierra and 103 percent of normal for the southern part of the range. It was 89 percent of average in the central Sierra.
The snowpack was less than half its normal depth at the same time last year. That sparse winter snowfall left
The additional snow this winter will not be enough to significantly increase water shipments to farmers and cities.
The state will provide about 35 percent of the water requested, the result of a federal court ruling last year. The judge in that case said more water must remain in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to save fish.
Pumping through the delta, the heart of
The pumping can increase once the smelt migrate to other parts of the delta. But that will not happen soon enough to make up for the reduced water deliveries, said Don Strickland, a spokesman for the Department of Water Resources.
The snowpack measurements taken Wednesday showed a decline from just a month ago.
In late February, the snowpack was 122 percent of normal in the northern Sierra and 130 percent of normal in the south. The average was 118 percent of normal across the entire 400-mile-long range.
It's not likely to increase through the rest of spring, said Rudy Cruz, a National Weather Service specialist in
He said no significant storms are on the horizon. While the region may see light rain or snow in the next few weeks, most of the heavy weather is passing to the north.
"This time of year, things are pretty much done in the Sierra," Cruz said. #
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8706142
Summer may see droughtlike conditions despite 'average' Sierra snowpack
By Matt Weiser, staff writer
But in times of trouble, average often isn't good enough.
Many areas of the state will still experience droughtlike conditions this summer, despite the average snowpack.
That's because a court order has curtailed water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta since December to protect the fragile Delta smelt, a threatened species that may be near extinction.
"Average is sort of a modest target," said Frank Gehrke, chief of snow surveys for the state Department of Water Resources, after using a measuring tube to sample the snowpack Wednesday along Highway 50 near Echo Summit. "That used to be a 'C' when I was going to school. That wasn't something you aspired to."
DWR now projects it will be able to deliver only 35 percent of requested water to its urban and agricultural customers south of the Delta. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects 75 percent deliveries to urban customers and 45 percent for agriculture. These numbers often increase later in the year as more data become available.
Another dry year would have meant even less water for these customers, which include an estimated 25 million Californians who get a portion of their supplies from the Delta.
The Delta naturally collects runoff from about 60 percent of the state and funnels it out to sea. State and federal pumping systems in the south Delta divert a portion of this water to the south Bay Area,
The pumping cutbacks are costing these customers about 6,000 acre-feet a day. Over a week, that amounts to a year's worth of water for 80,000 average homes. There's no other way to move that water south of the Delta without the pumping systems.
"That water's not going to be available to us," said Laura King-Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors, which represents agencies that buy Delta water from the state. "We have an artificial drought this year because of the regulatory restrictions on pumping."
With the pumps throttled back, many of those water users are being asked to adopt voluntary conservation measures. Some local water agencies have also imposed mandatory conservation targets and increased their water rates.
The pumping cutbacks will remain in place until September, a deadline set by a federal judge for completion of new permanent pumping rules. But because those new rules may require reduced pumping in the long term to protect the smelt, the reductions could continue.
Snowpack measurements, including those conducted in the field on Wednesday, show the water content of the snowpack statewide at 97 percent of average. That's much better than the 47 percent at this time last year.
But it doesn't necessarily overcome last year's drought.
Elissa Lynn, DWR senior meteorologist, said the total runoff projection for the water year, which runs through October, is estimated at only 72 percent of average. That is better than last year's 50 percent, and it's enough to avoid another drought year. But it's not enough to return state reservoirs to normal storage levels.
"Right now, we're sort of at a break-even point," she said. "At least right now, we're not making things worse."
The runoff projection is lower because soils that dried up in last year's drought will absorb lots of moisture.
This winter's storms also brought more mountain snow than valley rain, which reduces runoff projections.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/815025.html
State: snowpack is reassuring
By James Damschroder, staff writer
State water forecasters will head to the high country today for the most critical snow survey of the year, and they'll likely find about an average amount of precipitation.
Digital metering shows the Sierra snowpack now contains about 103 percent of the average amount of water for this time of year — good news coming off a drought year.
The Mokelumne, Stanislaus, Tuolumne and
The water-content readings — taken at elevations ranging from 6,500 to 9,800 feet — are critical to determining
About 35 percent of the state's agricultural and water for farms and human consumption comes from snowmelt, according to Department of Water Resources spokesman Ted Thomas.
"By now, the snow season has given us most of what we expect," Thomas said, explaining that the new readings will be the most critical.
"There are extreme years — where snow will come late. But after April 1, we've gotten everything we expect to get."
Thomas warned it's better to wait until after today's snow survey results before drawing too many conclusions.
"The manual survey is more accurate," Thomas said. "With the electronic readings, a number of things can go wrong."
Four of the manual surveys are taken each year using archaic tools dating back to 1909.
A lot hinges on the results of these surveys.
Water-storage reservoirs, like New Melones Reservoir, use the data to help determine the amount of water that should be released or stored.
Irrigation districts in the
"It's very important," Thomas said. "Farmers need to know, before they plant, whether they'll have enough water."
Because of last year's extremely shallow snowpack, this year's average pack is being looked at in a positive light by many experts.
"Last year was a very dry year," Thomas said. "Hopefully, this year will help." #
http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=26159
Sierra snowpack won't fill reservoirs
San Francisco Chronicle – 3/27/08
By Peter Fimrite, staff writer
(03-26) 16:23 PDT
Measurements at historic Phillips Station, next to the Sierra-at-Tahoe resort, on Wednesday found 98 percent of the normal amount of water in the snow for this time of year, said Ted Thomas, the spokesman for the state Department of Water Resources.
That's almost twice as much water as last year, but Thomas said it isn't enough to fill the reservoirs when the snow melts in the spring and summer.
"Our reservoir levels are down because of last year," Thomas said. "And March has been very dry both rain-wise and snow-wise. It would take a significant rise in the snowpack to fill the reservoirs. We don't see it on the horizon."
For 63 years, the water content of the snow - the amount of water that would be on the ground if all the snow melted - has been measured every month between January and May. The measurements, which are taken in the same locations throughout the Sierra every year, are used to determine the water supply for the coming year.
This month's survey, done by water resources staff using an aluminum pole, matched electronic surveys that show the snow statewide contains 97 percent of the average amount of water in the snow dating back about three decades, Thomas said.
Last month, a sampling of four Sierra monitoring stations showed snow levels ranging between 110 and 138 percent of normal.
On Wednesday, the lowest-elevation measurement, Tamarack Flat at 6,500 feet, showed 30.4 inches of snow-water content, or 112 percent of normal for this time of year. The highest station, Alpha at 7,600 feet, registered 32.6 inches, or 98 percent of normal. Lyons Creek had 33 inches, or 106 percent of average. Phillips Station, which has served as a kind of guinea pig for measurements, had 53.4 inches of snow with a water content of 27.8 inches.
The winter snowpack in the Sierra is not only important to skiers and snowboarders, it is an essential part of the state's water supply. Up to 60 percent of the state's water is contained in the Sierra snowpack. When it melts, the water is used to irrigate 775,000 acres of farmland and help quench the thirst of
The northern Sierra Nevada, covering an area roughly from the Trinity River to the Feather River, is particularly crucial because it provides water for both Shasta Lake, which is used by the federal Central Valley Project to supply farmers as far away as Bakersfield, and Lake Oroville, which is primarily used by the State Water Project to deliver water to homes and businesses all the way to Southern California.
The northern Sierra is at 105 percent of normal, Thomas said.
"That's a good thing," said Thomas, "but we're not sitting pretty."
Thomas said
Last year at this time,
The water content of the peak snowpack on April 1 last year was only 40 percent, leaving the state's reservoirs short. In addition, Thomas said, the state is under court order to protect the endangered delta smelt, requiring reduced pumping.
Showers are expected in the Bay Area and light snow could fall in the Sierra from Friday night through Saturday morning, with more inclement weather on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, but no serious storms are on the horizon, said Bob Benjamin, a National Weather Service forecaster.
"It's a cold front moving through with minor quantities of precipitation," Benjamin said. "It's spring showers mostly. It's nothing that will add anything of significant value to the snowpack." #
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/27/BAFPVQR48.DTL
Sierra report: no 2008 drought; SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT MEASURES 97% OF
By Julie Sevrens Lyons, staff writer
The Sierra, one of the state's primary sources of water, is poised to finish the season with an average snowpack, making it clear there is no drought in
State water officials announced Wednesday that the water content of the snow is measuring about 97 percent of normal - more than double what it was this time last year.
Snow surveyors gauged the depth and water content of the snow near
"March was such a loser in terms of precipitation I'm actually surprised that the snow-course data is coming in as high as it is," said Frank Gehrke, a hydrologist with the California Department of Water Resources. "This is good news."
The totals are high enough that it is clear that there will not be widespread rationing of water this year, something some water agencies feared months ago when the rainy season got off to a slow start. Still, state water officials estimate they won't be able to give water agencies even half of the water they have requested, which means many Bay Area residents will still be asked to conserve water.
"Nobody's going to go completely dry," said Ted Thomas, a spokesman for the Department of Water Resources. "But there will be a reduction in supply."
The Santa Clara Valley Water District in the
The decision means the state will not be able to supply local water agencies with as much delta water as they usually get.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District, which provides drinking water and flood protection to 1.7 million people in
"We'll be OK for this year," said Zone 7 spokeswoman Boni Brewer, "but it's the long-term issues we're concerned about." #
http://www.mercurynews.com/localnewsheadlines/ci_8712954
Water worries not over, experts say; A dry March negates the hoped-for supply increase after the wet start to the winter in
By David Pierson, staff writer
New snowpack measurements from the Sierra Nevada released Wednesday dashed hopes that
The measurements found that snowpack levels have returned to average because of a dry March. Wet weather beginning in November sent snow levels far above average, prompting officials to hope that conditions would continue into spring and provide more water.
But
After briefly experiencing above-average rainfall in December and January, the state is back in the negative column thanks to a very dry March.
Downtown
"You realize we do live in a desert," said Bonnie Bartling, a National Weather Service specialist.
"Some years you get some and other years you get nothing."
Bartling and others said they doubted that any last-minute record deluges would change the pattern before the end of this rain season in July.
Southern California has experienced a record dry period, with less than 4 inches of rain falling in downtown
But the local drought is only one reason for the region's water woes.
Southern California depends heavily on imported water, about half from northern mountain snowpack and the rest from the drought-stressed
Further straining supplies, a court decision protecting a rare fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta has reduced water deliveries to the south by 30%. To comply with court stipulations, state officials last week cut southward flow for seven days by 75% of normal.
Until recently, officials were hoping that a big snowpack would ease the shortage.
"We had a very productive January and February, but there's been virtually no storm activity in March," said Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys. "We've lost some of that advantage. But if we didn't have January and February, we'd have long faces."
Measurements showed that snow levels were at 105% in the northern Sierra, 89% in the central Sierra and 103% in the southern Sierra -- an area that includes water that's sent to
The eastern Sierra, responsible for much of
For management of the state's reservoirs, the snow is measured five times a year.
Last month, snow levels were at 122% in the northern Sierra, 110% in the central Sierra and 130% in the southern Sierra, Gehrke said.
The recent "warm weather is not good for the snowpack," said Bill Patzert, a climatologist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge. "You want to see it linger and melt slowly through the spring."
The early deluge helped
Bartling emphasized that this year's rainfall was a vast improvement from 2007. Downtown, for example, had recorded only 2.47 inches of rain by this time last year.
And the snowpack levels were dire 12 months ago. Statewide levels were at 48%, compared with 97% today.
As summer draws closer, the chances of any sustained rain dwindles. Gehrke said there were "storm opportunities" in the
But a storm predicted for Wednesday fizzled.
Meanwhile, the weather in the
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dry27mar27,1,7456046.story
By Paul Eakins, staff writer
While the snow pack that feeds
That is largely because of a federal judge's ruling last year restricting when and how much water can be pumped from the the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta into state reservoirs to protect the endangered smelt fish.
Southern California's water supply also has been affected by an eight-year drought on the
"The snow pack is back to normal, but a broken Delta means water deliveries to millions of Californians will be far below normal this year," Water Resources director Lester Snow said in a statement.
"We must move ahead on the comprehensive plan outlined by Gov. (Arnold) Schwarzenegger to invest in our water systems, restore the Delta and ensure clean, safe and reliable water supplies."
Long Beach Water Department officials have their own response to the news, saying that other cities should follow
"We feel like we've stepped out there six months ago and set a good example, and we're a little disappointed that others haven't followed along," said Kevin Wattier, the water department's general manager.
In September, the city's water board initiated new water-use rules to prevent waste.
Since implementing the new policy - which restricts the days and times for outdoor irrigation, among other rules - and educational campaigns, water officials say they have cut into that usage.
Each month since September, water use has dropped by an average of 8 percent over that same month in the previous year, Wattier said.
Meanwhile, the largest city in the county,
"If every other city in
For now,
"This is in a normal year," he said. "What if we were having a drought?" #
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_8710794
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