Bomb Cyclone

The weather's been perfectly fine on the Left Coast. Indeed, now radical leftists are start to scream "drought" all over the place once again. (And that's after last year's record rainfall.)

On the "bomb cyclone," see the Arizona Republic, "Violent 'bomb cyclone' sends high tide to near record levels in downtown Boston; motorists stranded."

And at CBS This Morning:

So Much Snow in Mammoth Lakes, National Guard Called to Help Remove Snowpack

I love this story.

So much snow, reservoirs spilling over with record water totals, and the state will still say we're in a "drought."

At LAT:

Mammoth got so much snow this winter that it had to call in the National Guard for help https://t.co/7MNjVQjSfX pic.twitter.com/F0g03XWS2X

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 25, 2017

Delta Pumping to Southern California Restricted Despite Rainy Winter

Following-up from yesterday, "Despite El Niño Rains, the Feds Keep Favoring Fish over Farmers."

At the Sacramento Bee:

For the first time in five years, Northern California’s rivers are roaring and its reservoirs are filled almost to the brim.

But you’d hardly know it, based on how quiet it’s been at the two giant pumping stations at the south end of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The pumps deliver Sacramento Valley water to 19 million Southern Californians and millions of acres of farmland in the San Joaquin Valley.

While precipitation has been roughly four times heavier than a year ago, the Delta pumps have produced just a 35 percent increase in water shipments. For every gallon that’s been pumped to south-of-Delta water agencies since Jan. 1, 3 1/2 gallons have been allowed to flow out to sea. Pumping activity has decreased considerably the past three weeks, to the rising irritation of south state contractors.

The reason lies in a combination of poor timing, the drought-ravaged status of several endangered species of Delta fish, a suite of environmental laws and regulations that govern the pumps – and the complexities of the Delta’s intricate network of river channels, canals and sloughs. As regulators have taken extraordinary steps to protect nearly extinct fish species, their decisions to restrict pumping have become another flash point in California’s water wars – one that shows the easing of the drought doesn’t calm the fighting over how water gets allocated.

Congress has weighed in, with House Republicans and California’s senior Democratic senator pushing for more pumping. In Sacramento, federal and state bureaucracies are butting heads in response to competing demands on the Delta’s water.

On one side are the California Department of Water Resources, which operates the State Water Project, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the federal government’s Central Valley Project. These agencies oversee the state’s vast network of dams, pumps and canals, and they are under pressure from their south-of-Delta customers to help replenish groundwater reserves and south state reservoirs that have shrunk after four years of drought.

On the other side are two federal agencies responsible for safeguarding Delta fish protected by the Endangered Species Act: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. Court rulings empower the agencies to govern Delta water flows, which often translate into pumping limits to keep fish from being harmed.

“This year we saw the fishery agencies, particularly the Fish and Wildlife Service, make more conservative calls,” said Mark Cowin, director of the Department of Water Resources. “My sense is they felt compelled to take every conservative action they could ... to try to prevent extinction.” He said his agency has engaged in “spirited conversations” with the fisheries agencies about their determinations this year.

Many of the water agencies that depend on the Delta pumps say the restrictions are based on faulty science and harming the economy.

“The state will never recover from this water shortage, if they keep operating (the pumps) the way they have been this first three months of the year,” said Johnny Amaral, deputy general manager for Westlands Water District, an influential San Joaquin Valley farm-water contractor. Westlands has been told to expect just a 5 percent water allocation this year from the Central Valley Project.

Keep reading.

Despite El Niño Rains, the Feds Keep Favoring Fish over Farmers

From Allysia Finley, at WSJ, "California's Water Injustice":

El Niño has doused northern California, but farmers in the state’s Central Valley won’t see much benefit. The Obama Administration is again indulging its progressive friends at the expense of low-income communities.

The Bureau of Reclamation recently announced that Central Valley Project agricultural water contractors south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta would receive a mere 5% of their contractual allocation this year despite brimming reservoirs in the North. Lake Shasta is at 90% capacity, and billions of gallons of water were released from Lake Folsom this winter to avert flooding.

Meantime, wildlife refuges and farmers north of the Delta—those in Democratic Reps. Jerry McNerney and John Garamendi’s districts—will get 100% of the water they’re owed. The liberal gentry in the Bay Area, which pipes its pristine water directly from Hetch Hetchy reservoir, also won’t be affected by this government water rationing. Federal biological opinions limit Delta water pumps to a third of capacity to protect endangered smelt and salmon, which can get sucked into the machines. Despite these restrictions, fish populations continue to decline.

The Fish and Wildlife Service acknowledged last year that “existing regulatory mechanisms have not proven adequate” to halt the smelt’s decline and that “we are unable to determine with certainty which threats or combinations of threats are directly responsible.” The bigger culprits appear to be invasive species, Delta farm fertilizer, Sacramento effluence, the drought and, perhaps, natural selection.

The Obama Administration is nonetheless doubling down on a failed policy. Amid this winter’s storms, Delta water regulators reduced water pumping to protect putatively vulnerable larval and juvenile smelt. Three adult smelt—and no juveniles or larvae—have been killed by the pumps this year....

House Republicans and [California Democrat] Senator [Dianne] Feinstein have backed legislation to give federal agencies discretion to increase pumping during heavy storm flows. Ms. Feinstein last month told the Sacramento Bee that Mr. Obama hasn’t engaged. The unavoidable conclusion is that the President and his green patrons care more about protecting fish larvae than the poor.

Keep reading.

No, California's Drought Not Over (VIDEO)

Well, leftists say the drought's not over.

Of course, dams and spillways are so full the state's mandated releasing water. Folsom Lake's water level is 10 feet higher than last month, with more high levels expected with the snow melt.

Still, it's been four years of drought, so apparently we're not out of the woods. CBS Evening News has the video report below.

And at LAT, "Sierra snowpack shows improvement, but not enough to declare California's drought over":

In a symbolic moment in California's slow but steady drought recovery, a state surveyor on Wednesday found several feet of snow in the same Sierra Nevada meadow that was bare and brown just a year ago.

The depth of the snowpack was declared to be just below average, a huge improvement from last year, but still far from enough to declare the drought over.

Around 11 a.m., Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, thrust a long silver tube into Phillips Station’s renewed, robust snowpack and, minutes later, told gathered reporters that there was more than 58 inches of snow on the ground.

That snow held 26 inches of water content, he said, just short of average for the date.

“A big improvement compared to last year,” Gehrke said, “but not what we had hoped for.”

The Phillips Station measurement — which officials said was 97% of average — provides data for just one location and therefore is considered more symbolic than definitive. The results from the station about 90 miles east of Sacramento are not necessarily representative of statewide conditions, officials say.

Water officials prefer to use the electronic readings taken remotely at about 100 stations across the Sierra Nevada for a more accurate assessment. The latest readings, taken Wednesday around 8:30 a.m. showed that the water content held by the state’s snowpack was about 24 inches, or 87% of normal...

Still more.

Plus, more video from KCRA News 3 Sacramento, "Disappointing results from Wednesday’s Sierra snow survey."

Jackie Johnson's Beautiful Weather Forecast

Well, it was raining today during this morning's drive-time commute, but it's supposed to warm up to above-average temperatures by mid-week. The valleys could see temps in the high-80s. Amazing.

The rain has been welcomed. See LAT, "Drenched by 'March Miracle,' Northern California reservoirs inch toward capacity."

And here's Jackie, via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

California Voters Want More Water and Less Bullet Train

This is good.

From Leslie Eastman, at Legal Insurrection, "New drought plans needed after “Godzilla El Niño” turns out to be a dud":

Less than a year ago, climate scientists were heralding the “Godzilla El Niño,” which would generate historic rainfalls that could help alleviate California’s mega-drought.

Climate reality has failed to confirm climate theory, as the term “dud” is now being used to describe the weather pattern.

Is this El Niño a dud?

Sacramento is in the peak of its rainy season, but there is no substantial rain in the forecast for the next two weeks. The Sierra snowpack has fallen below normal levels for this time of year. The state’s three largest reservoirs remain far below capacity.

Whither El Niño?

Throughout the summer and fall of 2015, California residents waited in anticipation as they heard about the strong El Niño weather pattern brewing in the Pacific Ocean. We remembered the winters of 1997-98 and 1982-83, when such strong El Niños corresponded with deluges. And we hoped for relief from our long, brutal drought.

But through Feb. 20, Sacramento has seen half the precipitation that occurred by this point in 1997-98 and 1982-83.

At this point, it looks as if California is going to have to continue implementing a wide array of water-saving measures, which include “cash-for-grass” and drought-shaming neighbors...

More.

Well, whether or not we had the "Godzilla El Niño," it's clear the whole "drought crisis" paradigm has been shot through, considering the significant rain and snow we did receive this season. Remember, the snowpack's just above normal levels, and we're likely to get more. (See the Los Angeles Times, "In Northern California, skiers and water officials are grateful for the recovering snowpack.")

And thus, yeah, California residents had better push back against all these stupid, aggressive "water-saving measures." We've always had dry spells in this state. If the idiots and Sacramento would expand water-capture (think reservoirs), we'd all be fine.

Snowpack at California's Sierra Nevadas at 130 Percent (VIDEO)

More rain's expected up that way later today, and if the snowpack gets up to around 150 percent of normal, we'll almost be ready to declare an end to the drought.

My gosh this is great!

At KCRA News 3 Sacramento:



Previously, "El Niño's Helping, But Still a Ways to Go."

Weekend Storm to Dump Lots More Rain and Snow in California's Sierra Nevadas (VIDEO)

Heh.

The leftist climate fear-mongers won't have the "drought" to use as a collective hammer this year. The El Niño weather pattern's blasting the Southwestern U.S. with all kinds of precipitation.

Previously, "El Niño's Helping, But Still a Ways to Go."

And here's an update, from KCRW News 3 Sacramento:

El Niño's Helping, But Still a Ways to Go

It's the state's reservoirs. They're not nearly filled yet. Even with the dense snowpack so far, it'll take quite a few more storms to get back near 100 percent.

Still, it sure feels a lot better than just months ago. The recent storms have hit the Sierra Nevadas particularly hard, right where we need it.

At the Los Angeles Times, "El Niño inspires hope of 'major dent' in drought, but empty reservoirs point to long recovery."

And see, "California has 'a shot out of the drought' if El Niño rain persists."

Cars Stuck in Flood Waters at Tuxford Street and San Fernando Road in Sun Valley (VIDEO)

More from this week's storms.

Amber Lee reports for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:



And ICYMI, "Los Angeles River Roars Back to Life During Recent El Niño-Fueled Storms (VIDEO)."

Los Angeles River Roars Back to Life During Recent El Niño-Fueled Storms (VIDEO)

This CBS Evening News clip below gives you a glimpse of how powerful the L.A. River's been during the storm surges this week.

But click through at this Los Angeles Times report, endure the brief advertisement at the video, and behold how amazing this waterway is when Los Angeles gets some rain. Literally billions of gallons have poured through the normally-dry wash downtown, and local reservoirs have been able to redirect some of the storm runoff to replenish their capacities.

At LAT, "El Niño rains get L.A. River roaring to life."

From Decadence to Destruction in California

Check out Victor Davis Hanson's new collection of essays, The Decline and Fall of California: From Decadence to Destruction.

Plus, Hanson's classic on illegal immigration, Mexifornia: A State of Becoming.

Water Rationing in the Central California Town of Okieville

Yeah, rationing in the Central Valley, something you won't see in Beverly Hills and Malibu.

At CBS News 5 San Francisco:



And at the Los Angeles Times, "#drylandsCA: The drought’s hard lesson: ‘When water is life’."

Mayor Eric Garcetti Releases 20,000 'Shade Balls' Into Los Angeles Reservoir on Monday (VIDEO)

I imagine there are kookier things.

At LAT, "Shade balls in the L.A. Reservoir," and "Q&A Millions of shade balls helping protect California's precious water."

And watch, at CBS Evening News, "To fight drought, Los Angeles turns to 'shade balls'":

Los Angeles dumped 96 million plastic balls into a reservoir as a way to combat the drought. The balls protect the water and slow the rate of evaporation, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

Goodnight, California, a once great state

A fascinating piece, as always, from Victor Davis Hanson.

'We pay significant property taxes based on where we live ... And, no, we're not all equal when it comes to water...'

There's some moneyed privilege for you.

At the Washington Post, "Rich Californians balk at limits: ‘We’re not all equal when it comes to water’."

The community discussed is Rancho Santa Fe, in San Diego County, where finance mogul Ralph Whitworth paid $2 million for private concert with the Rolling Stones, heh. More on that at the San Diego Union-Tribune, "Story behind Stones' secret concert."

Storm Brings Heavy Flooding to Fresno

My wife saw videos of Fresno on her Facebook feed this morning. I'm sorry some folks are getting flooded, but it's good news that the valley's getting soaked.

Storm drenches #Fresno and Valley; lightning, flooding reported http://t.co/ryc3IcX288 pic.twitter.com/HwZ5fYDlFj

— Fresno Bee (@FresnoBee) May 15, 2015

#UPDATE Large thunderstorm hits Fresno and surrounding areas, causes major flooding --> http://t.co/qOfpFeGsZt pic.twitter.com/HHxQBEz9jI

— ABC30 Fresno (@ABC30) May 15, 2015

Mormon Temple in West L.A. Lets Front Lawn Turn Brown

Well, at least someone's getting in the spirit of Democrat Party water rationing.

Of course, folks at the Mormon Church aren't the ones calling for the big environmental regulations. They're just doing the decent thing to set an example.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Letting iconic Mormon temple lawn die was a 'difficult decision'."

And don't miss the Hollywood hypocrites, "Celebrities are now targets of California #DroughtShaming."

Also, from Doug Powers, at Michelle's, "Cher’d sacrifice: They don’t call ’em ‘green’ Hollywood libs for nothing."

Leftist Democrat One-Party Coalition Destroying the Once Expansive California Dream

Actually, it's an old story by now, but told well by Joel Kotkin, the expert on the dwindling dream of the once-golden state.

At the Daily Beast, "The Big Idea: California Is So Over."