drought

The drought has already had a dramatic impact on farmers in the Smith and Mason Valleys, but this year it is going to be even harder to make a living. The state agency that controls ground water in the area decided Tuesday to cut each farmers allocation in half.

On wet year most farmers rely on water from the Walker River, but with little to no snow in the mountains this year there will likely be no water in the river. Ground water is the back-up water supply, but this year even that is being reduced.

The survey of the Sierra Nevada snowpack on Thursday brought home the message that many were already guessing: a fourth straight year of drought is inevitable.

At just 12% of normal, the snow measured near Philips Station on Echo Summit was 7.1" deep and contained a dismal water equivalent of 2.3".

The absence of precipitation in January, normally California’s wettest month, has combined with warmer-than-average temperatures to produce a dismally meager snowpack for a drought-stricken state.

The El Dorado Chapter of the California Native Plant Society presents Before and After the Flames: Fire, Forest and Climate Change in the Sierra Nevada, a talk by Dr. Hugh D. Safford, Senior Vegetation Ecologist for the US Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region (including California, Hawaii and Pacific Islands) and Dr. Becky Estes, ecologist with the the US Forest Service, Tuesday, January 27th, 7pm at the Planning Commission Meeting Room, Building C of the County Office Buildings, 2850 Fairlane Court in Placerville. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Nevada is suffering from a debilitating drought, experiencing the impacts of a warming climate and, some say, is deficient when it comes to long-term water planning for the state as a whole.

Debate is mounting over the need to begin development of a comprehensive water plan taking into account available water supplies, drought, climate projections and development that will tap limited water resources across the nation's most arid state.

Even though Mother Nature has been blessing the state of California with plenty of rain, the Sierra Nevada are still in need of a big snow storm to start their way out the drought.

Rain and snow mix in South Lake Tahoe all day Friday has yet to bring in measurable snowfall but snow is still expected through Saturday so there is still a chance.

Because of the drought, three wells in South Lake Tahoe have higher levels of contamination. Some wells have been shut-downs and the state of California is investigating.

Laurence:

This fall, while under your supervision, approximately 16% of the Eldorado National Forest burned due to the King Fire. You are entrusted to protect and maintain the health of this critical forest/watershed. Given the extreme drought and high fire risk conditions we experienced this summer, what fire restrictions, ranger alerts, precautionary measures, were in place the week of Sept 07, 2014? Arson yes, but could we have been more alert?

In January, Governor Brown called for California residents to drop their water usage by 20% due to the drought. In July, urban water usage in the state was down by 7.5%. White this isn't the requested 20%, it still represents 17 billion gallons of water conserved. That is the equivalent of 25,755 Olympic-sized swimming pools or enough water for 1.7 billion people each to take a 5-minute shower.

LTCC faculty member Lisa Berry will present photos of wildflowers taken in the lake Tahoe basin.

Everyone is invited to this free event on September 12 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Board Room in the library building.

Many people living in areas affected by the drought are feeling guilty about participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, so organizers in South Lake Tahoe have given it a new twist.

On Sunday, August 31 at Lakeview Commons, there will be a community wide bucket challenge to raise money for both ALS and local charities. They are asking people to bring their own 5 gallon bucket and $10. At 3 p.m. participants will stand in the water at Lakeview Commons and fill their buckets up with water and have some fun.

The Sierra Business Council is hosting Peak Innovation, a conference for Lake Tahoe locals, small business owners, communities and local governments. During the conference, Dr. Peter Gleick, an expert in water issues especially in the context of economic and environmental justice, will be at the conference which takes place October 8-10 in Tahoe City. In a National Geographic science blog, Gleick recently repeated the common question, “Why, if the California drought is so bad, has the response been so tepid?”

By the end of the century Lake Tahoe summers may be two months longer than they were in the 1960s and the maximum temperatures may have risen by 8 degrees F. Those were part of the predictions released in the State of the Lake 2014 report.

Data collected over the last 50 years, combined with the monitoring of Lake Tahoe during the 12 months of 2013, was presented at Thursday's unveiling of the report at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences (TERC) in Incline Village by Director Geoff Schladow.

A lack of water in California has prompted water restrictions to be imposed at California State Parks including Lake Tahoe's D.L. Bliss.

Due to the drought conditions showers, flushing toilets, and trailer dump stations will not be available at the park and chemical toilets have been put in their place.

According to the park's website, drinking water will continue to be available at the spigots throughout the campground but there will be no showers.

WOW! This is probably the busiest concert month since I've been keeping a blog.

#4thofJuly events include parades and fireworks on both ends of the lake in #LakeTahoe plus Billy Ray Cyrus in Incline Village and Sinbad at the Montbleu on July 5th, Black Star Safari, 4-piece puzzle, and Groovebox at the American legion July 4th, Red White & Bass feat. Love and Light, Muppet Punk, Gurbtron, Trevor Selby, Tre Tuna, DJ Chango at Lakeside at Night and Stylust Beats, Subtropixx, Aux, IJV at Tahoe...

July 01 Unauthorized Rolling Stones @ Harrah's

Several agencies are coming together on Saturday, June 21st for the first Wildfire Safety Expo in South Lake Tahoe.

The threat of wildfire is extremely high this fire season due to record drought conditions in the West. To provide information on creating home evacuation plans, preparing for fire, creating defensible space, the expo has been created.

The expo will be held in the TJ Maxx parking lot from noon to 3 p.m.

With record drought conditions in the West, preparing your home for
wildfire is more important than ever. May has been designated “Wildfire Awareness Month” in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This year’s theme is “Prepare Your Home For Wildfire” with a focus on creating and sustaining Fire Adapted Communities.

A Fire Adapted Community (FAC) is a community located in a fire-prone area that requires little assistance from firefighters during a wildfire. Residents of these communities accept responsibility for living in a high fire-hazard area. They possess the knowledge and skills to:

Proactive forest management activities can reduce high-severity fire by up to 75%, save up to three times the cost of fighting forest fires and bring added benefits to people, water and wildlife according to a study released today.

Clarity levels within the iconic blue waters of Lake Tahoe continued a decadelong trend of stabilization in 2013, according to University of California, Davis, scientists who study the lake.

Data released today by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC)and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency reported the average annual clarity level for 2013 at 70.1 feet. While the reading represents a 5 foot decrease over the previous year, it is still well above the lowest value recorded in 1997 of 64.1 feet and above recent years' averages.

A wet storm pounded the west coast over the last four days, dropping 3-5 feet snow over the Sierra and bringing drought ridden Folsom Lake up 6 feet. A strong atmospheric river with a lot of moisture from the subtropics was funneled into the area, creating swollen streams, rivers and minor flooding.

With snow levels fluctuating between 7500-8000 feet Sunday afternoon, South Lake Tahoe saw mostly rain, but the slopes of nearby ski resorts saw feet of snow, instead of the recent storm totals recorded in inches, added to their terrain.

Thursday's measurement of the Sierra snowpack at Phillips, just west of South Lake Tahoe, shows dismal water content, even with the recent snowfall. While better than the results earlier this month, there is still far too little water in the still scant snowpack according to the Department of Water Resources.

South Lake Tahoe is home again to "Operation Sierra Storm," a cutting-edge meteorological forum and seminar for network television meteorologists from around that country.

New Way to Predict Weather Now Available

Long range weather forecasting is no longer a thing of the future due to recent developments in weather research. Speaking to participants in "Operation Sierra Storm (OSS)" Dr. Duane Waliser explained the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), a key phenomena for predicting weather around the world.

The first snow survey of the season found more bare ground than snow throughout the higher elevations of the state. The survey, conducted by the Department of Water Resources on Friday, found the 9.3" of snowpack at Phillips Station to be 20% of the long term average. A dismal 2.3" of water content was found.

From Tahoe’s mountaintops to the lake’s sandy bottom, scientists from the University of Nevada, Reno continue to study and find solutions to the breadth of issues that face the entire Lake Tahoe Basin. Their research is making a tangible contribution to the decisions, policies and practices that guide the basin’s environmental health.

More than $1.6 million in course improvements highlight the 45th season of Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, set to open at Stateline, Lake Tahoe May 9.

A 10-year environmental plan meant to reduce impact and save water has been put in place with upgrades to the irrigation system as well as drought and stress tolerant grass. Other improvements include GPS devices on carts that feature yardage and video tips from pros.

Here is a press release from Edgewood Tahoe that outlines important dates and rates for the 2013 season.