Drought Archives - SJV Water

Water Board upholds “cease and desist”; says company has no rights to spring water used in its Arrowhead bottled water brand

September 19, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Whenever drought has struck in recent years and Californians were ordered, beseeched and shamed into conserving water, many frustrated residents pointed to Nestlé, which continued extracting tens of millions of gallons of springwater every year from the San Bernardino National Forest for its Arrowhead water operation. But the state Water Resources Control Board put an…

Tule River tribe suffers chronic water problems, even in record wet year

September 12, 2023

• by Lisa McEwen, SJV Water

Despite a record snowpack that has kept the South Fork of the Tule River flowing at a steady clip, residents of the Tule River Reservation – who get 60 percent of their supplies directly from the river – were recently without water for eight days. The problem, ironically, was too much water. Specifically, from Hurricane…

Drought

New state program aims to help residents before wells go dry in California’s next, inevitable, drought

August 7, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

After two multi-year episodes of intense drought over the past decade, there is finally a centralized hub of resources and information for well owners and communities that suffered when their wells went dry. Before the most recent drought lifted thanks to this year’s historic winter, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) launched its Be Well…

Drought • SGMA

State pays valley farmers millions to keep water in the ground

July 25, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The state is sending millions to farmers throughout the San Joaquin Valley to keep water in the ground. The money, paid through the LandFlex program, goes to groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) and then directly to farmers, paying them for every acre foot they don’t pump. On July 24, the Department of Water Resources announced awards…

Drought • State System

Water scarcity pits farmer against farmer in south San Joaquin Valley water district

June 23, 2023

• by Lois Henry

California’s two prolonged droughts – along with greater surface and groundwater restrictions – are pitting farmer against farmer in some parts of the San Joaquin Valley. In the Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District farmers who rely on groundwater only are being asked to pay a share of costs for other farmers who contract for surface…

Drought

Tooleville tank springs a leak, temporarily shutting off water to the beleaguered Tulare County town

June 16, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

On top of all its other water woes, the tiny town of Tooleville temporarily lost water entirely Friday after one of its aging storage tanks sprang a leak. This is just the latest in a string of water issues that have plagued the rural Tulare County community for decades. Tooleville’s two wells have repeatedly run…

Drought • Floods

It may be a record wet year but the state is still dolling out millions to prep for California’s next drought

June 16, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Even as some San Joaquin Valley communities still have flood damage to fix, new drought preparedness funding has been awarded by the state. Millions of dollars are going to local groundwater agencies for farmland retirement and repurposing. And some funding will help update infrastructure in small communities. The state Department of Water Resources announced on…

Drinking Water • Drought • Floods

Domestic wells still going dry in San Joaquin Valley towns as historically low groundwater levels are slow to rebound

June 8, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

The small town of Tooleville ran out of water and started receiving water hauled in by truck on June 5. It’s the first time the town has needed hauled water since October of 2022. Despite the historic snowpack and storms this year, groundwater levels in some areas are still low and wells are still going…

Drought • Uncategorized

Kern River watershed “Lookin’ good!”

March 1, 2023

• by SJV Water

Water watcher Scott Williams, who issues a Kern River Snow and Water Report every month, was practically giddy in his March 1 email stating: “Lookin’ good!” for this month’s report. The report compiles water and snow statistics from a variety of public sources. The upshot is the Kern River is forecast at 190% of average….

Drinking Water • Drought

Farm town residents block water rate hike but are still stuck with a massive water debt

March 1, 2023

• by Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Residents of the small town of El Porvenir in western Fresno County successfully blocked a water rate hike Tuesday at the Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting. The western Fresno County community, where nearly half the residents live in poverty, is already carrying a water debt of $400,000. That debt has been incurred over the…

NEWS

Water Board upholds “cease and desist”; says company has no rights to spring water used in its Arrowhead bottled water brand

Tule River tribe suffers chronic water problems, even in record wet year

New state program aims to help residents before wells go dry in California’s next, inevitable, drought

State pays valley farmers millions to keep water in the ground

Water scarcity pits farmer against farmer in south San Joaquin Valley water district

Tooleville tank springs a leak, temporarily shutting off water to the beleaguered Tulare County town

It may be a record wet year but the state is still dolling out millions to prep for California’s next drought

Domestic wells still going dry in San Joaquin Valley towns as historically low groundwater levels are slow to rebound

Kern River watershed “Lookin’ good!”

Farm town residents block water rate hike but are still stuck with a massive water debt

Don't miss a drop of water news!