Temperatures are climbing and the inevitable snowmelt is underway
across the state. Yosemite is closing due to flood threat,
reservoirs are moving water out to make room for more snowmelt,
and rivers are rising across the state. Floodwaters are covering
historic lakebeds and floodplains are activating throughout the
valley communities. There are estimates of upward to $1 trillion
in damages in the likelihood of a statewide flood.
In response, counties are preparing their residents and
businesses in many ways from community meetings to direct
communication and social media posts. Supervisor Buddy Mendes
recently toured Fresno County and joined with local emergency
managers to produce a video as part
of their comprehensive Flood Warnings “Life Over Recreation”
media toolkit.
Inyo County is holding a community meeting with
the local water system manager, Los Angeles Department of Water
and Power on Thursday, April 27 from 5-6 p.m. for property owners
in the Owens Valley.
CSAC continues to monitor the runoff events and is looking to the
future through a coordinated campaign to improve water planning
statewide for all beneficial uses. The passage of CSAC’s
sponsored legislation
Senate Bill (SB) 366 (Caballero) out of CA’s Senate Committee
of Natural Resources and Water is a crucial step toward ensuring
adequate and reliable water supplies for California. Learn more
about SB 366 and how it will transform the state’s water
management for all: www.CAWaterForAll.com. CSAC
is also supporting
SB 23 (Caballero) to streamline permitting for water supply
and flood projects, and
SB 361 (Dodd) which supports increasing stream gages
statewide.
