Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
July 14, 2008
1. Top Items -
Flooding feared in parts of Southern California today: A flash flood watch has been issued from noon to this evening in the
The
Heavy rains complicate
The Associated Press- 7/14/08
Mudslide, flooding in
The Associated Press- 7/14/08
During Drought, EBMUD Leaks Wasting 260,000 Gallons Daily
KTVU Bay
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Flooding feared in parts of Southern California today: A flash flood watch has been issued from noon to this evening in the
The
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Staff Writer
Rainstorms expected today could lead to flooding in the Southland, particularly in the
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch from noon to this evening for
Residents in flood-prone areas are encouraged to clear debris, to place sandbags and to move cars out of roads that could become channels for runoff, forecasters said.
The rain comes from an influx of warm, moist
Areas most at risk for flooding include
The
She said forecasters are expecting rainfall of one to two inches an hour in some places later today.
"Anywhere in the mountains that has experienced these burns in the past one to two years are most susceptible," to flooding with such rapid rainfall, Meier said. "All of the topsoil and things are really loose right now because there has not been a lot of regrowth."
Meier said such flooding will eventually help stabilize such areas, washing away loose soil and boosting foliage.
There is also a 30% chance of rain in
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-weather15-2008jul15,0,5350929.story?track=rss
Heavy rains complicate
The Associated Press- 7/14/08
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Mudslides on fire-scarred land in the eastern Sierra Nevada forced people from their homes while milder weather in Northern California helped firefighters get a leg up on blazes throughout the state, and allowed evacuated
A huge mudslide in an area that was devastated by wildfires last year damaged about 50 homes and caused the temporary closure of a main road in the
The mud oozed across California Highway 395, prompting a detour, and some mud came within a half mile of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which supplies much of Los Angeles’ water.
A large cleanup effort continued this morning while the California Highway Patrol escorted vehicles along the single, open lane on the affected mile-and-a-half stretch of highway.
Residents of more than 50 homes were evacuated and could not return to their properties, she said. Officials were using a nearby school as a shelter. The rain did nothing to help fires, which were not burning in that easternmost corner of
And no rain fell on most of the other
There was no precipitation in
About 300 homes remained threatened in and around the town, down from 3,800 homes on Friday, and officials said the fire was 55 percent contained.
An evacuation order was lifted on Sunday for the nearby town of
Fifty homes were destroyed and one person was apparently killed in the area last week when wind-propelled flames jumped a containment line. The person’s charred remains were found Friday in a burned-out home; the cause of death hadn’t been determined.
The
Just to the south, a pair of blazes burning in the foothills west of
Residents in the tourist town of
On Sunday morning, state authorities reopened the last piece of scenic Highway 1 near
The fire was 61 percent contained after destroying 27 homes, and all evacuations near the town of
At the so-called Gap fire in
Fire crews had contained 90 percent of the fire and expect to complete the containment lines on Wednesday, U.S. Forest Service spokesman David Daniels said.
Fifty-five homes remained under evacuation warning. “We’re starting to get close,” he said.#
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/A_NEWS/80714001
Mudslide, flooding in
The Associated Press- 7/14/08
Heavy rains forecast for today could bring more trouble to
The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches for the mountains of
Particularly vulnerable will be places scorched by fires over the past two years. Flash flooding in those areas, according to the advisory, could be accompanied by “significant mud and debris flows.”
That was the case this weekend when a strong monsoonal surge brought thunderstorms to the Sierra Nevada range, spawning the mudslide near
No injuries were reported, but there were some close calls, including three people who were stranded on a roof as muddy water swirled around their home. They were among seven people and two dogs rescued by helicopter, said county fire Inspector Tony Diffenbaugh.
In
The mudslide left debris and large boulders on Highway 395, which is a major north-south route that connects the Inland Empire region to
A large cleanup effort continued this morning while the California Highway Patrol escorted vehicles along the single, open lane on the affected mile-and-a-half stretch of highway.
“It’s slow going,” said Carma Roper, spokeswoman for the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department.
The slide came within a half mile of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which supplies much of
Officials said the massive Piute Fire that has burned for the past three weeks in the
“When rain follows the fire this closely, there’s no vegetation to stop or absorb it,” said Jim Whittington, a fire spokesman at
Whittington said a major street in the town was under 2 feet of water and strewn with tree branches and rocks. The evacuations were recommended for people at the mouth of the canyon, where the water flow was most extreme.
“The water is black with ash and there’s a lot of debris in it,” Whittington said.
National Weather Service radar estimated Sunday’s thunderstorms dropped 3.2 inches of rain in two hours over parts of the fire. The storms prompted officials to issue flash flood warnings for areas of five counties.#
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/A_NEWS/80714005
During Drought, EBMUD Leaks Wasting 260,000 Gallons Daily
KTVU Bay
The East Bay Municipal Water District (EBMUD) is demanding that its million-plus customers conserve water, threatening financial penalties if they don't comply.
But at the same time, the utility is wasting thousands of gallons of water each day, right down the drain.
As KTVU's John Sasaki reports from
A nearby resident calls the leak "disturbing," but what's even more disturbing is how much water is being wasted. Apartment manager Mark Hurst decided to measure the amount of water going down the drain. He used a "five gallon bucket and a stopwatch. And we came up with 25-plus gallons a minute. That's 36,000 gallons a day."
Xavier Irias, EBMUD's Director of Engineering admits that's right. "It's actually slightly more than that, but yes, that's in the ballpark." EBMUD has known about the leak for decades. Irias says, "In a normal year, we actually have to release water. We end up at the end of the year with more water in our reservoirs than we actually need. We release it downstream. In a normal year it wouldn't make sense to be spending our ratepayers money on recapturing excess water."
But this is far from a normal year--EBMUD is demanding that customers conserve. The utility says a permanent repair of the aqueduct leak would cost $30 million, and cause major service disruptions.
Instead, the utility is installing a system for catching the water and pumping it back into the aqueduct. But, there's three other leaks in the aqueduct as well. All told, they're releasing 260,000 gallons of water per day. That's enough water to fill a pool that's 75 feet by 90 feet, and almost five feet deep.
Mark Hurst is disgusted. "It's a complete waste. It's a complete waste. And with the drought going on, they got to do something, and they got to do it fast."
Xavier Irias says the repairs will be done during the next several weeks. #
http://www.ktvu.com/news/16860667/detail.html
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