California Drought

[California]

Another tree came down closing all 4 lanes of Highway 17 today...

The back up stretched for miles.

A number of motorists got out of their cars with chain saws plus more to push the rounds out of the way...

Don't let anyone tell you city and country dwellers are the same when it comes to taking care of business...

Said it would have been hours for Caltrans to respond...

Oh man I am lucky! We drove to Santa Cruz for the memorial service for my 108 year old (!) aunt on Saturday and returned Sunday. For those who don't know the route, hwy 17 is a narrow, seriously winding, heavily traveled 4 lane pass over the coast range from Silicon Valley - San Jose - over to the lightly-developed coast.

In both directions we saw expensive cars and SUV's that had spun out and run up steep banks, and a couple that went over the edge and down. It wasn't a good time to drive that in the rain.

There is a slide (photos) limiting the highway to one lane in each direction - a serious slide where someone lost his life. Traffic congestion getting through there only took some 15 minutes westbound but returning Sunday, Google Maps suggested an alternate route up the mountain that bypassed a half hour standstill.

This alternate route is parallel to 17 and within a mile South of it. Primitive, one lane in places. I wonder if it would bypass where that tree is down.

 

[TomSeller]

All this rain does NOT help the wells, it is all surface water.
Aquafers still at critical levels, that is what they were talking about.

I would not expect the aquifers to be out of critical levels, but surface water migrating through the soil is how they recharge. But it takes time, years.

 

[NoTrespassing]

I'm trying to understand what people mean when they claim the drought can't be ended by one wet year. Do people not consider the drought to be over when the powers that be say it's over? The next drought report will be released on Thursday morning and I'm betting that a lot more of California will be considered completely out of drought. Does the NDMC not take aquifers and wells into consideration when determining drought status? Do some people still consider parts of Northern California to be in drought even though the NCMC says its not?

From what I have been reading, ground water as well as surface water are taken into consideration when determining drought status for a particular area.

What is Drought?

 

[California]

National Guard helicopter video tour over Northern California on Sunday (2/19). First minute is over urban areas, nothing interesting. Then ... it becomes obvious that California's whole Great Central Valley is one big inland lake. With a few levees protecting rural development. We saw the same thing from the car on Sunday going down I-5 and over by Tracy.

It has rained another 2 inches in the 30 hours since this video. That's on the valley floor. It rains considerably more on the Western slope of the Sierras and that all runs down here too.

Calif. Emergency Management Officials Survey River Systems & Flooded Areas - YouTube

 

[Raspy]

No Trespassing,

The aquifers and the reservoirs are like bank accounts. When we've been out of money for a while, we are in a drought. When we have a constant large income, we can water our lawns and waste all the water we want. But if we have no income and then we find a job for a day and we bring home a few bucks, we are not suddenly rich. We are just able to carry on until the next unknown bit of income comes along.

When there is no reserve and there has been a long term shortage, it makes no sense to spend all you have. A "drought" means a long term shortage. A single wet year is likely to be a fluke. At the very least, it's not a trend.

So, do we spend all we've gained in one year, or do we use some caution and set aside a bit for next year? Nobody can say we are out of the drought, even with all the flooding. Let's get some longer term trends established.

Water is becoming, and will become, a much bigger issue in the future. With a rising population and higher EPA standards for water, the demand will constantly be harder to meet. Then factor in the fact that we are taxing our resources to the max now. The Colorado river, for example, is used up. No additional volume left as we build golf courses in the desert, fill swimming pools in 100 degree heat, water millions of lawns, grow water intensive crops on arid lands and act like fresh water is infinite at no cost.

Everybody seems to look to the government to give us permission to start running water down the drain again because it has been raining for a couple of months, but we are the ones that have to make the decisions about what is sensible. Do you think we are truly out of the drought? Even if we are, how much water should we waste?

 

[Raspy]

California,

I've been driving over the Yolo causeway in Sacramento lately on my way to Nevada. What used to be a vast dry area, now looks like an ocean. The local rivers, like the South fork of the American River, have been frightening! The truckee River in downtown Reno was pretty impressive and barricades were set up to protect the onlookers. Even where there is no lake, like the Santa Cruz Mountains, the slides and downed trees are everywhere. Hwy 37 is becoming useless. The mountain passes are beautiful with all the snow.

About a week ago hwys 50, 80, 88, 89 and 395 all had closures at the same time. Of course, this is in addition to 108 and 120 that are normally closed this time of year.

Love it!

We should be seeing kayakers in Death Valley after this latest storm.

 

[California]

Hwy 37 is becoming useless.

That's between my home in the Valley, and orchard over by the coast. Last week I checked Caltrans highway conditions before heading home. No mention of 37. At that time it hadn't rained for a few days so we headed down there - and found the 37/101 interchange coned off for flooding. But Atherton Avenue a couple of miles north of 37 was a suitable detour. I haven't ever seen that mentioned.

Ghilotti now has an emergency contract to build a seawall next to 37 along there, that should help. I've read the problem is that the road goes across old tule marsh and has sunk 2.5 ft over the past several years.

About a week ago hwys 50, 80, 88, 89 and 395 all had closures at the same time.

And 70, the route up the Feather River Canyon that gets to Reno from the north. Several areas of pavement fell so it won't be open for a while.

 

[Raspy]

And 70, the route up the Feather River Canyon that gets to Reno from the north. Several areas of pavement fell so it won't be open for a while.

Interesting. I use that route to get to Quincy and on to Chico fairly regularly.

For many years I've sought out the worst weather to travel in the Sierras. That's when it's the most fun. Plowing snow with the front bumper, fording washouts, seeing dramatic streams and rivers. Fantastic thundershowers that roll boulders and trees onto the road, etc.

Now though, I wonder each time if I'll make it. Avalanches, closures due to road work and slides, are the name of the game.

 

[Raspy]

Today they opened the spillway at New Melones Dam. First time since 1997.

Couple more days of rain predicted this week and then more the following week. This is starting to get interesting.

Opened Don Pedro spillway flows over closed road | The Sacramento Bee

 

[houstonscott]

Today they opened the spillway at New Melones Dam. First time since 1997. Couple more days of rain predicted this week and then more the following week. This is starting to get interesting. Opened Don Pedro spillway flows over closed road | The Sacramento Bee

What dumb *** built a road below and across the spillway.