Newsletter: Water and Power: Yes, it’s really time to get ready for El Niño

Your guide to the California drought from the Los Angeles Times.

NEWS AND POLICY

Water cuts extended: Mandatory water cuts could remain in effect until next fall if the drought continues into January, according to Gov. Jerry Brown. At the same time, the governor wants state agencies to fast-track any projects that could capture rainfall from this winter’s El Niño weather pattern. “The State Water Resources Control Board could modify current conservation rules, which currently call for a 25% statewide reduction in urban water use. California consumers have consistently met the target since the mandatory order took effect in June.”

ON THE GROUND

People get ready: Now is the time to be preparing for El Niño and the rains, mudslides and destruction it could bring. Officials with the state Department of Transportation are beefing up the maintenance staff and local flood agencies are clearing out storm drains and catch basins. “If you think you should make preparations, get off the couch and do it now. These storms are imminent," said Bill Patzert, a climatologist for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Exceeding goals: In Ventura and Santa Barbara, residents went above and beyond when it came to conserving water this past summer. The savings were achieved through creative campaigns, educational messages and media attention. “The way I can sum up the mission of our conservation program is that we are giving people the tools they need to modify their behaviors and make their properties more efficient,” said Madeline Ward, Santa Barbara's acting water conservation coordinator.

Heavy usage: There’s a new top water customer in California. Someone in Rancho Santa Fe used 13.8 million gallons of water over the course of a year. That exceeds the previous record set by a Bel-Air resident. "I thought 11.8 million was shocking for a single-family home, but [this] is astounding," said Tracy Quinn, a water policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Santa Monica.

OFFBEAT

Art and the drought: One video artist was able to bring “rain” back to the Utopian community of Llano del Rio, which failed due to a lack of water. “Scenes of the rainstorm and a woman attempting to rebuild the walls are mixed with shots of underground pipes, presumably channeling water toward Los Angeles, another water-guzzling fabrication and would-be Utopia.”

Record low: The water level in Folsom Lake has reached a record low. The reservoir has 140,501 acre-feet of water, putting it at just 14% capacity. “Certainly a milestone we didn’t want to see happen,” according to a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

Mind your business: Should you care if your neighbor uses an obscene amount of water? “These customers paid for this water. If we want them to buy less of it in the future, why not try raising the price?”

BIG IDEAS

“Everything is blinding white … fresh white snow. It was beautiful,”
– Alex Hoon, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, on snowfall in Mammoth Lakes

“I have noticed something that I call Schadenfreunia — the special kind of pleasure that we talk about the water crisis. It’s almost as if California is our Italy and it’s like, ‘Those hedonists are finally getting what they deserve!’ Or ‘So much for your paradise, we’ve all been suffering in the East with our horrible weather and our uptight dispositions.’”
– Author Claire Vaye Watkins

DROUGHT SNAPSHOT

Sources: NOAA, Google Earth. Len De Groot and Paul Duginski of @latimesgraphics

DAILY TIP

It’s time to start preparing for El Niño’s storms. Los Angeles County has a printable brochure that outlines what to pack in an emergency kit, what to do in an emergency and how best to prepare with apps and text alerts.  

LOOKING AHEAD

Tuesday: The state Water Resources Control Board will meet in Sacramento.

Wednesday: The Los Angeles Times' California Conversation will gather in Clovis for a discussion on water issues in the Central Valley. The Times' Peter H. King and Patt Morrison will be joined by California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross and other leading water experts.

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.