Water officials warned that the state's 'climate is transitioning to a warmer setting.'
in nearly a century, according to data that state water officials released earlier this month.
The 2021 water year ― a period that ran from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021 ― marked the least rainfall since 1924 and was the second driest year since the state started tracking the metric 125 years ago.“[E]xtreme conditions that once were rare are occurring with increased frequency,” the state’s Department of Water Resources said. “California’s climate is transitioning to a warmer setting in which historical relationships among temperature, precipitation, and runoff are changing.
Several areas ― including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento ― experienced less than half of their average annual rainfall, the report found. Overall, California was one of the driest states in the western U.S. last year.The 2020 water year was quite dry as well, and had the fifth lowest rainfall on record.
“This two-year dry period continues the theme of aridity California has been experiencing in the 21st century, including the three-year drought of 2007-2009 and the five-year one of 2012-2016,” the department said. A very wet 2017 water year offered a brief reprieve, but drought began returning in 2018.Snowpack in the Sierra-Cascades mountain area in the spring was 60% of average, the department said, indicating potentially grim water supply conditions going forward.
The continued dryness adds literal fuel to California’s greatest existential threat: massive, record-breaking wildfires. Some of the worst blazes in state history have ripped across California in recent years, burning down entire communities and creating hospitable conditions for
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
More Lead-Tainted Water in Michigan Draws Attention to Aging PipesBENTON HARBOR, Mich. — During the three years that officials have known about dangerous amounts of lead flowing from faucets in Benton Harbor, they have sent out notices, distributed filters and tried to improve water treatment. But the problems persisted, and some residents said they never heard about the risks of the toxic water coming from their taps. Now, in scenes reminiscent of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan officials have told Benton Harbor residents not to drink, cook or brush their
Read more »
In South Texas, aging water system meets growing populationOn a scorching afternoon in South Texas, Sonia Lambert looked out at an open-air canal that carries mud-green water from the Rio Grande to nearby towns and farmland, losing much of it to evaporation and seepage along the way. “That will be someone else’s problem,” Lambert said, referring to her upcoming retirement as head of an irrigation district near the U.S.-Mexico border. In the Rio Grande Valley, a canal system designed more than a century ago for agriculture still delivers water to the region's lush farmland and fast-growing towns and cities.
Read more »
California records driest year since 1924 amid extreme heat, fires and droughtA total of just 11.87 inches of rain and snow fell across California in the 2021 water year—less than half of the state's average precipitation.
Read more »
California Has Driest Year Since 1924Most of the state is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought amid warmer temperatures, reduced snowmelt and population growth.
Read more »
Algerian president remembers French massacre at Ottoman Ketchaoua mosqueNearly 4,000 worshippers protesting mosque’s conversion into church were massacred by French colonial forces in the mid 19th century.
Read more »