This week we’re looking at how historic drought conditions are hitting the state and our county, and what it means for fires, salmon and daily life for residents amid what may be our new climate normal. And how did Humboldt wind up with the state’s worst COVID-19 numbers? And how can we turn it around? […]
Drought
Posted inNews (NCJ)
5 Things to Know About Federal Drought Aid in California
Stop if you’ve heard this before: California is in the grip of a severe drought. Again. Now the federal government is stepping in to help. To assist California, which is the nation’s largest food supplier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently declared a drought disaster for 50 counties. That makes growers throughout the state who […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Report Reveals Dire Runs of Returning Salmon
The Nature Conservancy recently released its second annual report showing the “big picture” of yearly California salmon runs. A collaborative effort between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Marine Fisheries Service and several other conservation groups, the report includes a database of salmon counts for Coho, Chinook and steelhead returning to spawn […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
County Rainfall Totals at a Glance
As the water year creeps to a close, on the heels of Humboldt’s third driest year on record, it seems a good time to dust off the Journal’s rainfall chart to take stock of where we stand. Humboldt’s 2014-2015 water year (July 1 through June 30) has been wetter than the past couple, filling Ruth […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Seventh Drowning Death of 2015: Don’t Assume a Shallow River is a Safe River
The May 27 drowning death of Brian H. Hone in the Trinity River was the seventh such incident in 2015. Hone, 27, was overcome by the swift current immediately after jumping in, according to the accounts of his two friends. They attempted to rescue Hone but were also overwhelmed and struggled to make it back […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
State Water Restrictions May Dry Eureka’s Budget
Eureka’s tough budget year may go from bad to worse. News broke this past week that — despite voters’ approving a sales tax extension in November that’s supposed to keep more $4 million coming into city coffers annually — the city is looking to erase a $2.3 million deficit, which equates to about 10 percent […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Rio Dell Can Drink Again
Hey, Rio Dell: Stick a glass under that tap, turn it on, fill ‘er up and take a nice, long pull. Then maybe take a shower. Go ahead: According to a news release from the City of Rio Dell, the State Water Resources Control Board has lifted its drought-panic order forbidding the City from drawing water […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Historically Dry
June 30 brought the close of the 2013-2014 water year, and it will go down in history as one of the driest ever recorded in Eureka. According to measurements by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s station at Woodley Island Marina, the area recorded about .35 inches of unexpected rainfall in June, bringing the year’s […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Dry May Worsens Water Woes
With the water year coming to a close at the end of the month, local rainfall totals have just barely eclipsed half the 30-year average. As our recent spate of sunny, cloudless days will attest, Humboldt County remains very much in a drought. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s station at Woodley Island recorded just […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Dry April Worsens Water Woes
After some better-than-average rainfall in February and March, April was a dry month in Humboldt County, with precipitation coming in at just 42 percent of normal, underscoring the fact that we’re still in a drought. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Eureka recorded 1.37 inches of precipitation in April, less than half the […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Rain, But Not Out of the Drought
Above average rainfall in February and March is helping Humboldt County climb out of its precipitation deficit. We’re still in a drought, and the grasslands of Southern Humboldt in particular will suffer the dry effects, folks from our local branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warn. But there are good signs as well. […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Using Less Water in the Landscape
Though our recent rains have alleviated some concerns, our brush with drought this winter has many gardeners rethinking water use in the landscape, and rightly so. There are many areas where we waste water or use it frivolously when a minor change could make a big difference. However, cutting off the water to your existing […]