California on the verge of water restrictions | Lake Basin camping sites to open | Water cuts in the Sacramento Valley

By Angel Huracha,

Published May 24, 2022 at 8:51 AM PDT

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Tuesday, May 24.

Californians could see some water restrictions if conversation goals aren’t met

Gov. Gavin Newsom is warning there could be mandatory water restrictions if Californians don’t start conserving more as the state faces severe drought.

In the spring, Newsom called on local water providers to enforce their own conservation plans, but due to the driest spring on record, water use increased in March over the previous year. Now, Newsom is ramping up pressure to conserve by 15%.

Newsom convened large water suppliers and said if they don’t cut water use, statewide restrictions could come later this summer. According to his office, the group will meet again in two months for a status update.

The state water board is considering a rule to ban watering for decorative grass on commercial land. It would still allow watering on functional turf for parks and golf courses.

— CapRadio Staff

Popular campground areas in Plumas County to be open for Memorial Day weekend

Recreation sites at Lake Basin Recreation Area in Plumas National Forest are set to open this Friday. This follows the opening of other popular camping areas in the national forest last week. According to the Plumas National Forest Service, open areas now include Lake Davis Recreation Area, Little Grass Valley Recreation Area, Sky Creek Recreation Area, and some of the campsites in the Feather River Canyon.

Feather Falls, Little North Fork, and Rogers Cow Campgrounds in the Feather River Canyon will remain closed due to wildfire damage in 2020. The National Forest Service is also reminding visitors to take caution while hiking in any open areas of the forest that have been affected by wildfires over the past few years.

— Adia White, NSPR

Sacramento Valley landowners struggle with dwindling water allocations

Since 1964, the water supply of the Western Sacramento Valley has been virtually guaranteed, even during critically dry years, the result of an arcane water rights system and legal agreements underlying operations of the Central Valley Project, the federal government’s massive water management system.

But as California weathers a third year of drought, conditions have grown so dry and reservoirs so low that the valley’s landowners and irrigation districts are being forced to give up more water than ever before. Now, the region, which has relied onthe largest portion of federally-managed water flowing from Lake Shasta, is wrestling with what to do. Read the full story.

— Rachel Becker, CalMatters

Oil well leaks in Bakersfield indicate statewide problem

State officials have confirmed that two idle oil wells in Bakersfield were leaking methane gas near a residential community, but said they were sealed late last week. Environmental groups have called out regulators for not acting with more urgency when the leaks were first reported.

California is home to hundreds of thousands of oil wells, many idle or abandoned. A 2020 study conducted by Stanford University researchers found that two-thirds of those could be leaking methane.

Hollin Kretzmann, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said these two leaks represent the larger problem of leaking wells across the state.

“It's a huge widespread problem and the state hasn't done enough to make sure that operators live up to their responsibility to stop these leaks,” Kretzmann said.

A representative from California’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) said they've previously ordered the operator of these wells, Sunray Petroleum, to plug them but Sunray appealed the order. Now CalGEM is working with Sunray to get these wells repaired.

Editor’s note: Unsealed oil wells are also located in parts of the North State, find out if you live near one HERE.

— Juan Carlos Lara (KQED), The California Report

Stories from NPR partner stations are edited by NSPR Staff for digital presentation and credited as requested.

In other news

Dacquisto cast lone dissenting vote against Redding’s secretive Bechelli land sale. Here’s what he has to say now: “A civil lawsuit filed against the City of Redding by the Redding Rancheria was decided in the Tribe’s favor last week. That case relates to a small parcel of land that provides important road access for the site of the Rancheria’s proposed casino development.” — Shasta Scout

530 Crime Watch: Redding man pleads guilty to serial arson charges: A 41-year-old Redding man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of being a serial arsonist in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. According to court documents, Eric Michael Smith set at least 11 fires on forest land between June 2019 and July 2020.” — Redding Record Searchlight

Dixie Fire Collaborative May meeting well attended; important info shared: “It’s hard to get people to stay inside on a warm spring day—especially with the annual community-wide yard sale and Little League going on, but at least 75 people managed to make time for the Dixie Fire Collaborative monthly meeting on Saturday, May 21.” — Plumas News

Tehama County Museum celebrates return from shutdown: “With the reopening, the volunteer staff is still contemplating whether to holds the annual Jubilee, normally in September. In 2021, the museum held a raffle but no public gathering.” — Red Bluff Daily News

Yuba-Sutter Pow Wow kicks off 40th edition at Y-S Fairgrounds: “The pow wow tour made a stop in Yuba City over the weekend for its traditional two-day Yuba-Sutter Pow Wow held each year at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds.” — The Appeal-Democrat