California: Mountain snowpack is at record low levels on the West Coast

Hardly anyone here in New Zealand ever contemplates it. Last June, it was reported (in US, not NZ media) that there was hardly any snow in the South Island's Southern Alps.  

We are now in a drought and an el-Nino has been declared that will correspond with our autumn and winter.

What if there is very little, or no snow?

All of Canterbury's rivers are snow-fed

One Map Shows Why the Epic Drought Is About to Get Much Worse

Mountain snowpack is at record low levels on the West Coast, meaning the dry seasons could get even drier.

Taylor Hill

Take Part,

11 March, 2015

Look at California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range from October through June, and you’ll typically see quite a bit of white stuff adorning its peaks. Same goes for Oregon and Washington’s Cascade range.

But it’s March, smack-dab in the middle of the snowy season, and the snow hasn’t come. Across both ranges, snowpack levels are nowhere near historical averages. That could spell trouble in the dry summer season, when melting snow is needed to feed rivers and streams that supply cities, farms, and wildlife with water.

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The Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain data collection points are color-coded to show the percentage of snowpack on March 1, compared to their historical median. Most spots are at less than half of their normal levels, and some have less than 25 percent of their regular snowpack levels for this time of year. (Map: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)

How bad is it? U.S. Department of Agriculture officials reported on Wednesday that some snowpack monitoring sites for the first time recorded zero snow on March 1.

“Nearly a third of our SNOTEL sites in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada are reporting the lowest snowpack ever measured,” said Cara McCarthy, a USDA hydrologist. “These areas can expect reduced summer stream flow.”

While the Cascades have seen normal amounts of precipitation this year, it’s been in the form of rain, not snow. More than 100 high-temperature records were broken in Oregon in the month of December, and another 114 high-temperature records were broken in February, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Recent storms have helped alleviate dry conditions in some Southwestern states, but overall, the region remains in drought, with the majority of California classified as in “exceptional drought.”

California’s reliance on mountain snowpack—which provides about one-third of its water—is leaving the state vulnerable as snowstorms are being replaced with rain as climate change accelerates.

A recent NASA study found that by the end of the century, droughts in California could last as long as 40 years.

The low levels of snowpack could worsen California’s water woes. The state relies on melting snow to replenish streams and rivers through the dry summer months. (Map: USDA Western Regional Climate Center)

 

Epic Drought Spurs California to Build Largest Desalination Plant in Western Hemisphere

When the Carlsbad Desalination Project is completed this fall, it will be the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere. Photo credit: Carlsbad Desalination Project

Eco Watch

10 March, 2015

“The U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly 40 percent of the state of California remains in exceptional drought, the highest level of drought and many communities are working to come up with long-term solutions as reservoirs and rivers continue to diminish,” says Jeremy Hobson of NPR’s Here and Now.

On the show yesterday, Hobson discussed desalination as a solution to the drought with David Jassby, assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering at the University of California, Riverside and Sandy Kerl of the San Diego County Water Authority. There are currently 13 desalination projects under consideration along the California coast.

Jassby explains how desalination works, why in the U.S. we rely on reverse osmosis rather than thermal-based plants and the environmental impacts of the process. Desalination has been proposed for years in the U.S., but has always been shot down for being too expensive and requiring too much energy. Now, “the first desalination plant in Carlsbad is coming online in 2016 or maybe even sooner,” says Jassby.

The cost of desalinized water has come down significantly in recent years, making it “pretty comparable” to conventional water sources, according to Jassby. He expects that places that have “ready access to the ocean” and are water-stressed will employ desalination in the coming years. It’s already widely used in other parts of the world such as the Middle East, Australia and parts of Southern Europe.

When the Carlsbad Desalination Project is completed this fall, it will be the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere. Kerl of the San Diego County Water Authority, which is partnering with Poseidon Water on the project, explains why she believes the desalination plant is environmentally sound and also necessary for the state of California. The state’s recent snowpack survey reveals that the snowpack, a major source of drinking water for residents, is currently five percent of average, according to Kerl.

For New Zealand context

Missing from New Zealand's Ski Slopes This Season? Snow!

NZ:Southern Alps snow, ice vanishing

Retreating glaciers and uncovered rocks evidence of swift change in climate with implications for sea level.