Will the west coast rainstorms end the western drought

perhaps it will wash away the dead leaves

 

Nah - those have to be raked. All the smartest people know that (bad joke)

I'm just assuming no leave everything much wetter. When I'm out there, which is admittedly only around Los Angeles, its amazing how brown everything is in the hills. It's really quasi-desert, which is a big reason that there's always a big wildfire risk.

I'm assuming if everything has a good soaking wildfires will be marginally less likely

 

Lakes are rising for first time in 2 years. Need more reservoirs at lower elevations

Bureau of Reclamation encouraged by Shasta Lake's rising water levels

 

They need to mandate flooding the lowlands during the winter. Everyone that benefits from the aquifer being recharged pays the price to the guy being flooded. Farming water to aquifer, via flooding or injection, needs to be monetized

 

But they can assign a pronoun...priorities.

 

We just got a notification from where we keep our boat at Lake Shasta that we can’t go on the dock because the water is rising so fast the crew is having to adjust the lines to the docks daily. Haven’t seen that in quite some time. Lake is still 113 feet below full but came up 1.56 feet yesterday and 4 feet the day before. That’s a lot of water coming in considering it’s the biggest reservoir in California-365 miles of shoreline when full. Glad to see the rain but it’s causing a bit of a mess here in NorCal right now.

 

Novel idea -
Instead of dropping 3 trillion on the crappy F22 program or similar military hardware programs, (still teething problems with all the F22 variations) maybe the Govt should consider running a Mulholland type water system from the Eastern Aquifers to the West.

Water does have value.

I am no defense expert but it's painful to watch these generals demand unworkable or undeveloped technologies be incorporated on weapons platforms that are "theoretical".

Costs trillions

Oh and that Pentagon scare tactic of: But the Russians have the Armata or the Chinese have this or that.

What has Ukraine taught us?
All the shaking in our boots about the mighty Russian military machine - lmao.

The Armata is nowhere to be seen. The Russian air force seems non-existant and the skis are using WW2 era artillery and munitions.

The Chinese? They haven't engaged in real combat since Korea unless one considers border skirmishes with India or Vietnam.

The US military industrial complex are excellent propagandists.

Look out - The bushmen of the Kalahari just found a new stone to sharpen spear points! We are all going to die!

 

eastern aquifers are tapped out. users should be paying for the cost of what is being used. the solutions are out there, the resolve to pay market rate for the product isn't

 

That resolve will be sorely tested if the drought continues. Yes it is wet now but reports suggest that the current rainfall hardly addresses the need. Of course I get your pont - everything is about the money and who gets to spend it.

 

Shasta is up over 21' in a week but has another 30' to go. And that top 30 stores a lot more water as the lake widens out


California Reservoir Water Levels Before and After Rain (newsweek.com)

Some of the state's reservoirs have seen greater water level rises than others. The state's second largest reservoir by volume, Lake Oroville, north of Sacramento, saw water levels rise from 673 feet above sea level on December 26 to 735 feet today, January 9—an increase of 62 feet.

The state's largest reservoir—Shasta Lake—has also seen a significant rise in water level, at 21 feet. While most of California's major reservoirs are still below their historical averages, these increasing water levels are a good sign.

The table below shows the changes in the water level of the state's 15 largest lakes by volume, with water level measured in feet above average sea level.

 

right now it needs to be capturing and inject or perc the stormwater to replenish the aquifers to help remove ag demand from the aqueducts supplying potable demand. Desal efficiencies, power sources, and market for brine are all areas that would help bring total desal cost down. Desal can use renewable when available if storage is added so desal plant can run full bore when solar/wind is available and then slow down at night if needed. Just adds cost for tanks, treatment of water that may sit longer than normal.

 

'Our water tanks will be dry within days': Arizona city cuts off nextdoor water supply amid drought | Daily Mail Online

 

All of California is now out of severe drought.

Lake Mead Water Level

 

Up 5.34'. feet.

Good, but still 183' below full pool and projected to drop

 

Recent rain and snow has helped, but it's not enough to end the drought. Most places in CA and the southwest are no longer in extreme drought, but are still in severe drought. There is another storm expected to hit early next week, and if the pattern continues of a storm per week can hit through the winter wet season, then maybe some of the severe areas might drop to moderate. But still won't be enough to end the drought. Need a few west seasons like this one for that to occur.

 

multiple reservoirs still not up to historical levels for the date. good site here. 4 of 16 above historical averages

Major Water Supply Reservoirs (ca.gov)

 

Sierra Nevada snowpack hits biggest level in nearly 30 years