California Drought

The March snow survey at Phillips Station shows snowpack is nearly double the average for the area. Also, less than half of the state remains in a drought, and public health officials in California say they’re disappointed by the governor’s plan to slash funding for a program that would bring people into epidemiology, microbiology, and lab technician roles.

The PPIC released a report in November covering the state of water in California. Its authors found that rising temperatures and intense drought has depleted state water supplies in reservoirs, groundwater reserves and the snowpack.

Stanford researchers studied water quality along the Colorado River. This river is a resource for other states beyond Colorado, including California.

A standoff over shutting down ranchers’ pumps signals a flareup of water wars as California is gripped by seemingly endless drought. “To hell with it. We’re starting the pumps,” one Siskiyou County rancher said.

PG&E’s CEO says she’s focused on gaining back the public’s trust after catastrophic and deadly wildfires. Also, experts say California is likely to endure more frequent droughts, and farmworkers marched to the state Capitol in support of a union-voting bill.

State Sen. Mike McGuire introduces a bill to bolster Cal Fire staff. Also, a firefighter from Red Bluff dies while working in Tuolumne County, and despite urgent pleas from water officials, California’s water use in March is the highest since 2015.

After record-breaking snowfall at the start of the rainy season, January and February will likely be the driest on record, prolonging California’s drought.

A new program at Shasta County’s Coleman National Fish Hatchery aims to remedy the impacts of the drought on the salmon population in the Sacramento River.

State water officials cheered the results of a key Sierra snow measurement, but say it needs to keep coming.

A public meeting will be held Thursday night in Orland to help residents with the drought.The meeting will focus on learning how to connect to the city’s municipal water system. Information about other emergency drought assistance will also be available.