Nearly 25 percent of California in ‘moderate drought’ status, federal monitor says [Sacramento Bee]
Hours before California water officials measure the Sierra snowpack for the third time in 2020, the latest data released by a consortium of federal agencies says almost one-quarter of California’s land area is now in “moderate drought” status, including essentially all of Sacramento County. More than 23 percent of the state is considered to be at a moderate drought level, up from just under 10 percent one week earlier, according to weekly maps released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The drought area has expanded from a patch of the San Joaquin Valley to include most of the Sacramento Valley, parts of the central Sierra Nevada range and surrounding foothills, about half of Mendocino County along the north coast and a small portion of Siskiyou County at the state’s northern border, the map shows.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/weather-news/article240687431.html
‘Without water we can’t grow anything’: can small farms survive California’s landmark water law? [The Guardian]
Hoping to bring overtaxed groundwater basins back into balance, the California legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (Sgma) in 2014 to begin regulating groundwater for the first time in the state’s history. The law, which created management agencies and set a 2040 deadline for sustainability, stands to reshape California agriculture and the Central Valley’s way of life….Farmers with means plan for survival by seeking other water rights or planting more water-intensive but high-priced crops. Those without may be faced with fallowing their fields or getting out of the growing game altogether.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/27/california-groundwater-sgma-law-farmers
Opinion: Bringing water to the Central Valley requires cooperation, not litigation [Bakersfield Californian]
…Water has proved to be an unsolvable riddle for past governors, but Newsom has an opportunity to strike a historic agreement with the federal government that balances jobs with the environment. This is not the time for rhetoric and litigation. It is time to roll up our sleeves and provide long-term stability in our water system….It’s time to stop the lawsuits and the litigation; let’s take the productive steps needed to bring water to our homes, farms and businesses.
California wants to kill every one of these swamp rats by 2025. Congress is ready to help [McClatchy News Service]
A California Democrat trying to eradicate invasive swamp rats from his state highly recommends using an animal carcass to get action in a typically deadlocked Congress. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, again hauled the large, stuffed rodent — which Harder’s spokesman has affectionately named “Nellie” — onto the House floor Wednesday before the House unanimously approved his bill granting millions of dollars to California officials trying to eliminate nutria from California….The bill grants $12 million to states that have seen nutria,…The bulk of that money will likely go to California and Louisiana, where officials say the problem is more serious, but is up to the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior.
https://www.modbee.com/news/local/article240620392.html
Ventura County supervisors vote to support added protections for local mountain lions [Ventura County Star]
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to support efforts that would end the practice of issuing depredation permits to kill mountain lions that harm domestic animals locally….Hunting mountain lions is illegal in the state, but the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issues those permits when a cougar kills or injures domestic animals….”To just see a collared mountain lion shot because it killed domesticated pets or livestock to me is just real upside down priorities,” said county Supervisor Linda Parks, who proposed the resolution considered by the county board.
Driven by warmer temperatures, grapes are budding in Sonoma County vineyards [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
Sonoma County vineyards have begun to show growth again, with the official start of the annual grape- growing season dubbed bud break….Unseasonably warm temperatures, including a record high 81 degrees in the city on Tuesday, caused the buds to burst early this year….The one downside to the early start of the grape-growing season is that it provides another month for farmers and winemakers to guard against spring frost that could sweep through North Bay vineyards and potentially damage the grapes.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/10751587-181/driven-by-warmer-temperatures-grapes
