As drought worsens, regulators impose unprecedented water restrictions on California farms [Los Angeles Times]
Amid intensifying drought, state water regulators voted Tuesday to enact a drastic emergency order that will bar thousands of Californians — primarily farmers — from using stream and river water. California’s complex water rights system is designed to allocate water use during times of shortage and such curtailments, while rare, are not unheard of. But the scope of Tuesday’s order — which will apply to thousands of senior water rights across a wide swath of the state — is unprecedented, officials said. About 5,700 Northern California and Central Valley water rights holders — who collectively hold approximately 12,500 water rights — will be subject to the forthcoming curtailments. The order will largely affect rights holders using water for agricultural irrigation purposes, though some municipal, industrial and commercial entities will also be affected.
California water: 10 charts and maps that explain the state’s historic drought [Mercury News]
A historic drought is spreading across California and much of the American West. How bad is it? Which places are most affected? What does it mean for our water supply and wildfire risk? Over the past two years, rain and snow totals in Northern California, Nevada, Utah and other parts of the West have been less than 50% of average, according to the Western Regional Climate Center. Overall, 64% of the West was in “extreme” or “exceptional” drought at the end of July, up from just 4% a year ago. In California, 88% of the land was in “extreme” or “exceptional” drought, up from 3% a year ago, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Less rain and snow fell in the Northern Sierra this winter than in any year since 1976-77. Most of the state’s largest reservoirs — which provide water to millions of people from the Bay Area to San Diego — are located in Northern Sierra watersheds, and rely on rain and melting snow to be filled.
California water: Historic drought explained in 10 charts and maps (mercurynews.com)
Hot, gusty weather could mean explosive fire growth in West [The Associated Press]
Heat waves and historic drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight in the American West. Scientists say climate change has made the region much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. More than 20,000 firefighters and support personnel were battling 97 large, active wildfires covering 2,919 square miles (7,560 square kilometers) in 13 U.S. states, the National Interagency Fire Center said. Thousands of firefighters have prepared for a tougher fight against California’s largest wildfire as extremely dangerous weather returns, threatening to stoke flames into explosive growth. The Dixie Fire jumped perimeter lines in a few spots Tuesday, prompting additional evacuation orders for some 15,000 people, fire officials said.
https://apnews.com/article/fires-environment-and-nature-weather-b963da1ea3e742a6d06cf67dcb2f30cb
Dixie Fire swells in Northern California, forcing residents to flee — some for a second time [The Washington Post]
Fueled by hot and dry weather, California’s largest fire has continued to balloon, prompting more orders for residents to flee their homes as officials warned that harsh conditions could persist for days.The Dixie Fire in Northern California, which has been burning for more than three straight weeks, swelled to more than 274,000 acres by early Wednesday and was 35 percent contained. Temperatures ranged from the high 80s to the mid-90s, with wind gusts of up to 25 mph. The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office issued mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday evening for Chester, Calif., which has a population of about 2,000, as well as Hamilton Branch and the Lake Almanor Peninsula, lakeside communities with resorts.
“Extreme fire behavior” had been forecast for Tuesday, with high winds pushing the fire toward perimeters that had been set up to contain the blaze, which has scorched parts of Plumas and Butte counties.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/03/dixie-fire-evacuations-california/
US plans 50% more wild horse roundups amid Western drought [Associated Press/via San Diego Union-Tribune]
U.S. land managers have begun efforts to capture about 50% more wild horses than originally planned this year because of severe drought across the U.S. West — about 6,000 additional animals primarily in Nevada, Oregon and Colorado. The Bureau of Land Management said the emergency roundups that began Sunday in Oregon and Monday in Nevada concentrate on places where “chronic overpopulation” of the herds “already has stretched the available food and water to its limits.” “As one of the agencies charged with the responsibility to protect and manage America’s wild horses and burros, the BLM is prepared to take emergency action where we can in order to save the lives of these cherished animals,” said Nada Wolff Culver, the bureau’s deputy director for policy and programs.
Lake Oroville at lowest levels since 1977 [Chico Enterprise-Record]
OROVILLE — Lake Oroville reached the lowest levels since September 1977, measuring 643.5 feet above sea level at 10 a.m. Tuesday. For comparison, when Lake Oroville is full, the surface water level is 900 feet above sea level. Increasing issues are arising from the low levels being seen at Lake Oroville. Water operations manager for the Department of Water Resources State Water Project Molly White said last week in an email that due to the falling lake levels, the Edward Hyatt Power Plant may be forced to close down for the first time in its history due to low lake elevation. White added that due the levels expected, the power plant is likely to lose power generation capabilities in early August as the power plant cannot generate power once the lake’s surface level falls below approximately 630-640 feet above sea level due to a lack of sufficient water to turn the plant’s hydropower turbines.
Lake Oroville at lowest levels since 1977 – Chico Enterprise-Record (chicoer.com)
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