Sacramento County Water Digest

For the last five months of 2022, Lake Tahoe was the clearest it has been since the 1980s. That is due in part to a resurgence of the lake's native zooplankton.

One of the options would override California’s water rights and split the cuts evenly between California, Nevada and Arizona—which would be a big blow to Imperial Valley farmers.

California’s snowpack is one of the deepest on record, but as temperatures rise, flooding concerns loom. The Sacramento Bee outlines the state’s flood mitigation plans, reservoirs and groundwater.

This year’s winter has dropped astounding amounts of snow across California, and the Tahoe region is seeing one of its snowiest seasons ever.

The most recent storms has increased California’s snowpack to 190% of the annual average. This will greatly help the area’s reservoirs.

On March 25, the city of Folsom is hosting a family-friendly event focused on tree care and reduced water use. It will feature activities, demonstrations and exhibits.

California was once home to the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, but Tulare Lake disappeared as water was diverted to irrigate crops. This year, however, the lake will once again re-emerge.

The salmon industry, worth about half a billion dollars, is devastated. The culprits: Drought and decades of water diversions and development.

A $4.4 billion project on the Sacramento River to add dams and store more water that will be sent south, the Sites Reservoir is still years away from completion. The final environmental report is expected this year.

When should you question your water’s quality? What are the standards? Water quality is regulated in the United States, but just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s safe, according to Environmental Working Group.

California has given the federal government its own counterproposal for apportioning reductions of Colorado River water, saying a plan offered by six other states would disproportionately burden farms and cities in Southern California.

A U.S.-French satellite that will map most of the world's water has rocketed into orbit. The predawn launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base capped a successful year for NASA. The satellite will conduct the first global survey of its kind.

Stanford scientists have genetically re-programmed plants to grow roots that change how they gather nutrients or water.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has unanimously approved its staff recommendation to surrender the license for the four lower PacifiCorp dams on the Klamath River in California and Oregon—and begin the dam removal process.

In the fall, rice fields in the Sacramento Valley usually shine golden brown as they await harvesting. This year, however, many fields were left covered with bare dirt.

Drought, human-caused climate change, invasive species and a “legacy” of environmental issues are permanently altering California’s landscape and placing some communities and ecosystems at increasing risk.

Amid concerns about housing development, Public Works Director Mike Selling says wastewater facilities are adequate for the next few years. The new two-tier rate will be based on a lower rate for the first 900 cubic feet used.

A dozen independent fish scientists are calling for urgent changes to sport fishing rules to save California’s largest freshwater fish after an unprecedented red tide this summer left hundreds of them dead.

For eight straight days this summer, farmers in far Northern California drained almost all of the water out of a river in defiance of the state’s drought regulations. The move infuriated environmentalists and salmon-dependent Native American tribes downstream.

For the seventh September in a row, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has caught zero Delta smelt during its Fall Midwater Trawl Survey of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Linda and Stewart Resnick have donated $50 million to UC Davis for an agricultural research center—the largest donation in the campus’s history—but the couple’s Wonderful Company is the state’s single biggest water user.

Wildfires, drought, extreme heat and other effects of climate change are compounding in California, according to a report from state scientists.

Thomas Gilbert, a Garden Highway resident who currently serves as the Board President of Reclamation District 1000, writes about his personal experiences with disasters in the region.

As drought drives prices higher, families are facing water bills of more than $200 a month. With 1 in 10 households behind on water payments, calls are mounting for the state to step in and help.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a warm, dry winter is in store for much of California as La Niña conditions are expected to persist through at least January.

In a move involving two of the city’s oldest organizations, the Elk Grove Water District and Elk Grove Masonic Lodge No. 173 have traded offices. On Oct 7 the EGWD held a grand opening ceremony for its new administration building. EGWD is a subsidiary of the Florin Resource Conservation District.

The American River Basin will see increasing temperatures and a declining snowpack through the end of the 21st century, according to a study released by the Bureau of Reclamation. Also, variability of fall and winter precipitation will amplify the severity of droughts and flooding.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation is hosting a free 'Smart Irrigation for Trees' workshop June 25 at the Utilities Dept. HQ for people to learn about watering techniques.

California faces the prospect of a drought-fueled summer of power shortages, hydroelectric plant shutdowns and rising electricity costs, a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration warns.

It’s not uncommon for residents to ask why water is being released from Folsom Dam during a drought. To provide understanding of dam operations, the Bureau of Reclamation has put out a series answers to frequently asked questions.

In a Sierra Nevada forest torched by wildfire, researcher Anne Nolin and her colleague are studying another factor that might make the snow vanish faster: the scorched trees, which no longer provide much shade and are shedding flecks of carbon.

Monique Rydel-Fortner and Seth Jones have seen more of what lies underwater at Lake Tahoe than most. In cooperation with the League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, they are working to stop the illicit practice of using the lake as a construction site dumpster.