by Patick Ruckert
www.californiadroughtupdate.org/20220106-California-Water-and-Infrastructure-Report.pdf?_t=1641589782
A Note to Readers
We begin the report with the U.S. Drought Monitor, which has a story to tell this week: California has had a significant reduction in the intensity of the drought, but the Western States, more generally have not had the benefit of the recent storms and remain in serious drought. A series of maps illustrate that idea.
The next section of the report is titled: “The Question: Did the storms in California End the Drought?” For that is the question dozens of articles in the media asked and attempted to answer this past week. That question is fairly answered by one article, which I excerpt: “No, California’s drought isn’t over. Here’s why.” Not only must the remaining almost three months of Winter produce at least several more storms like those experienced in October and December, but to really exit the drought requires about 150% of the average snowpack to be on the ground the first day of April. In addition, the reservoirs still remain at a lower level they were a year ago at this time.
This reality is recognized by the Department of Water Resources and it now has made water conservation measures mandatory rather than voluntary. The article covering this also outlines penalties for the failure to comply with those restrictions.
You may remember that the Hyatt Powerplant at Oroville Dam was taken off line in August of last year because of the low water level of the reservoir. On January 4 this week the powerplant resumed producing electricity as the reservoir level had risen high enough from recent storms.
The supply chain crisis has had a very direct impact on California’s agricultural sector. California farms lost $2.1 billion in exports during the last five months of 2021.
The Feature this week focuses on the failure of so-called renewables, highlighted by Germany shutting down half of its 6 remaining nuclear plants. The article on that is followed by a new article by Michael Shellenberg, “Finally, Bloomberg Admits Renewables Mania Caused Energy Shortages.”
