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Monterey County Water Articles



Image caption: Detail from a photo tweeted by the city of Watsonville warning residents about the impending atmospheric river storm.
Behind the Levee Breach

On March 10, the Pajaro River flooded the small agricultural town on its banks. Professor Dustin Mulvaney traces the turbulent history of the Central Coast’s second largest watershed.

Image caption: Withholding a mere 1% of LA's water would protect Mono Lake and millions of birds.
Save Mono Lake Again

A sizeable coalition has called for California's water regulator to take emergency measures to protect Mono Lake and suspend diversions to Los Angeles.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Pajaro/Sunny Mesa water system customers remain under "do not drink" order indefinitely.

In the wake of flooding caused by a breach of the Pajaro River levee around midnight between March 10 and 11, the Pajaro/Sunny Mesa water systems were put on a "do not drink" order on March 11, just before 1pm.

Image caption: DWR’s report on groundwater sustainability plans was illustrated with this photograph of a wheat field irrigated by groundwater in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
DWR Flushes Six Groundwater Plans

The San Joaquin Valley plans, serving low-income Latino communities, were deemed inadequate for preventing dry wells and sinking land.

Image caption: The snow-lined South Fork of the American River on March 3, 2023.
Too Much, Too Early

When warm storms melt snowpack early, reservoir managers must release water to prevent flooding—which sends this precious resource into the ocean.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Pajaro River breaches levee, prompting mandatory evacuations in the middle of the night.

The Pajaro River breached the levee upriver from the North Monterey County community of Pajaro early Saturday morning, March 11, just after midnight.

Image caption: Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think

2023’s torrential rainstorms have eased California's drought conditions. But there’s a lot more to drought than the amount of rain, and this drought isn't over yet.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Judge rules against Monterey Peninsula Water Management District in lawsuit about surcharge.

In the coming months, or coming years, Cal Am ratepayers could see a surcharge on their water bills disappear. Or, maybe not.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Basin Sustainability Agency announces new statewide tool to report dry residential wells.

The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, in coordination with the State Department of Water Resources, is spreading the word about an online dry well reporting system, focused on domestic wells, so that the agency can get a clearer picture…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
As the proposed Interlake Tunnel project advances, the question is: Is it worth it?

During the succession of atmospheric rivers that swept over the Central Coast around the turn of the year, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, per a Jan. 13 statement, increased its “extremely small water releases” from Lake Nacimiento “to reduce…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
County’s latest seawater intrusion maps reveal an intractable problem that’s getting worse.

In the story of the lower Salinas Valley’s groundwater – which is the sole source of water for agriculture and residents – history repeats itself: groundwater levels continue to get lower, and seawater intrusion in that water continues its inexorable…

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Soledad’s recycled water project receives $17M grant

SOLEDAD — City of Soledad has received nearly $17 million in grant funding to build a pipe system that will deliver recycled water from the treatment plant to parks and school fields. Soledad’s Recycled Water Conveyance Project will replace 180 …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Carmel Beach looks different after storms, but it’s a cycle.

It’s not that unusual for Carmel Beach to temporarily lose some of its iconic white sand during rough storms in the wintertime. What was unusual was how much sand was lost during the string of atmospheric rivers in January, something…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Low-income apartments sit empty in Salinas, despite a pressing need for housing.

Where an aging, low-income, 40-unit apartment building once sat at 1115 Parkside St. in Salinas, there are now two gleaming buildings featuring 80 units for low-income seniors. At one time, the old building that was torn down was connected by…

King City Rustler logo LOCAL NEWS
E. coli found in San Ardo water supply

SAN ARDO — San Ardo residents are still being advised to avoid drinking water from the town’s water system after testing confirmed the presence of E. coli bacteria. According to an update from Monterey County Health Department’s Environmental Health Bureau …

Image caption: Kevin McCarthy (CA-20) is the new House Speaker, but his constituents remain badly short of water.
CNN: Kevin McCarthy AWOL on Central Valley Water Crisis

Kevin McCarthy has reached the top position in the U.S. House, but has still fallen short in addressing the ongoing water crisis in his owndistrict, a new CNN.com report says.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
A floodplain restoration project near the lower Carmel River is inching closer to reality.

As parts of the Carmel Valley flooded last week, it highlighted the stark risks of living in a floodplain, and for some residents, perhaps, was a reminder that they indeed live in a floodplain. But for residents and businesses in…

Image caption: Sean de Guzman of the California Department of Water Resources conducts the first snow survey of the 2023 season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Jan. 3.
Is California’s Drought Over?

A dozen days of wet and wild weather haven’t ended the drought, and won't cure the driest period in the West in the past 1,200 years.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
A tale of two creeks: As parts of Bolsa Knolls flood, neighbors blame lack of creek maintenance on county side outside city border.

Dozens of sandbags, like a small barricade, are outside of several homes and garages on the low side of Paul Avenue in Bolsa Knolls in North Salinas. On Monday afternoon, Jan. 9, the street has little water and there is…

Featured

Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained
There are many causes contributing to this crisis. And as you may already know, this situation really is nuts.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think
Recent torrential rains have helped, but California's drought is a long way from over.
From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis
In a state that declares water a “human right,” more than 2 percent of its residents have no drinkable water.
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
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