(With expanded coverage of all the Western States)
by Patrick Ruckert
http://www.californiadroughtupdate.org/California-Water-and-Infrastructure-Report-August-1-2024.pdf
A Note to Readers
Just three topics are covered this week, in addition to the U.S. Drought Monitor for California.
The first, under the title, “The Presidential Campaign and California Water,”will run when articles are available from now until the Presidential election.
The second section this week highlights the continuing explosive wildfire environment throughout the west. In California alone: “Through July 30, a total of 629,581 acres burned in wildfires in California.”
And, “this year’s total is four times the average of the prior 10 years — 152,481 acres. And it represents the second-most acres burned statewide through July 30 in any year since 1995, when the National Interagency Fire Center began tallying daily totals.
A chart that shows the historic number of fires for this date in California since 1995 illustrates that.
“Though these regions are no strangers to fire, experts say the pace at which some of the blazes have intensified is shocking. As thousands flee under evacuation orders, firefighters are flooding in to help, but they’re struggling to contain the fires amidst a unique climate-fueled cocktail of conditions.”
The last section this week is the Feature, and it is the full report by Michael Carr, titled, “Physical Economy and Technology Report for July 26, 2024.”
