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- Written by: Lake County News reports
The California Department of Water Resources will conduct this winter’s third snow survey on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
The agency said it's expected that manual measurements of snowpack water content will corroborate the low electronic readings from remote sensors up and down the state’s mountain ranges.
Electronic readings today indicate that statewide, water content in the snowpack is only 30 percent of normal for the date, and 25 percent of the average April 1 measurement when the snowpack is normally at its peak before the spring melt.
Surveyors from DWR and cooperating agencies will fan out to numerous sites for the third of five manual snow surveys made each winter to forecast the amount of frozen water that will trickle into streams, reservoirs and aquifers when the snow melts this spring and early summer.
Persistent dry weather this winter caused DWR on Wednesday to reduce its estimate of the amount of water the State Water Project will deliver this calendar year.
The reduction was from 60 percent to 50 percent of the slightly more than four million acre-feet requested by the 29 public agencies that distribute water to more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of irrigated farmland, the agency reported. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons, enough to cover one acre to a depth of one foot.
The 50 percent allocation is not severely low, and could be increased if stronger hydrologic conditions develop, according to DWR. Last year, an unusually wet year, the final allocation was 80 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet requested.
The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008, and 60 percent in 2007. DWR said the last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years because of fishery agency restrictions on Delta pumping to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006.
This winter’s unusually dry conditions to date have principally been caused by a high pressure ridge along California’s coast that has diverted most storms to the north.
One bright spot this year is the state’s good reservoir storage, due to conserved runoff from last winter’s storms.
Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s principal storage reservoir, is at 102 percent of average for the date (72 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity), Lake Shasta north of Redding, the federal Central Valley Project’s largest reservoir with a capacity of 4.5 million acre-feet, is at 95 percent of its normal storage level for the date (69 percent of capacity).
San Luis Reservoir in Merced County, an important storage reservoir south of the Delta, is at 104 percent of average for the date (89 percent of its capacity of 2,027,840 acre-feet).
San Luis is a critically important source of water for both the State Water Project and Central Valley Project when pumping from the Delta is restricted or interrupted.
Statewide, reservoir storage is 110 percent of normal for the date.
Electronic snowpack readings are available on the Internet at: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/snow/DLYSWEQ.
Electronic reservoir level readings may be found at: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/getResGraphsMain.action.
See DWR’s new Water Conditions page at http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A Middletown woman sustained major injuries and had to be flown to a trauma center following a Wednesday evening crash.
Wendy Lynn Cordar, 43, was hurt in the incident, which occurred at 4:50 p.m. on Highway 175 at Santa Rosa Avenue, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP said Cordar was driving westbound on Highway 175 west of Middletown in a 1990 Ford Ranger. At Santa Rosa Avenue her pickup went off the north shoulder and hit a utility pole and an oak tree head-on.
Reports from the scene indicated that Cordar was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by firefighters.
The AT&T utility pole snapped as a result of the crash, according to reports.
An air ambulance transported Cordar to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for major injuries, the CHP reported.
The CHP report said Cordar was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash, and alcohol does not appear to be a factor.
The crash remains under investigation, the CHP said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Two Lucerne men were arrested Tuesday for allegedly burglarizing an Upper Lake home.
Royce Edward Katzer, 43, and 27-year-old Dominic Dennis Lucero were arrested in the case, according to Capt. Chris Macedo of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At approximately 5:43 p.m. Tuesday, the homeowner arrived home to find an unknown man leaving his home carrying items from the home. Macedo reported that the homeowner went to a nearby home and called the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they contacted Lucero, who stated that he was helping his father, Royce Katzer, clean up the property, Macedo said.
Lucero also stated that Katzer made arrangements with the homeowner to clean the property as it was allegedly in foreclosure, according to Macedo's report.
Katzer returned to the home some time later and told deputies that he had received permission from the homeowner’s son to remove items from the residence, Macedo said.
The property owner was on scene and denied that permission was given. Macedo reported that the homeowner ultimately placed Katzer and Lucero under arrest for burglary.
Sheriff’s deputies transported Lucero and Katzer to the Hill Road Jail to be booked. Jail records showed Lucerne was booked for felony burglary, while Katzer was booked for felony burglary and petty theft.
Katzer and Lucero remained in custody on Wednesday with bail for each set at $50,000, according to jail records.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson on Wednesday officially filed for reelection in the newly drawn Fifth Congressional District.
The district includes all or parts of Lake, Sonoma, Napa, Solano and Contra Costa counties.
Thompson has been endorsed by leaders in all five counties. The endorsements include Democrats and Republicans, and leaders from business, agriculture, labor, local government, education, public safety, health care, and the environmental, senior and veterans’ communities.
So far, no opponents have filed candidacy papers to run against him for the seat, according to federal election filings.
“I am proud and excited to be seeking re-election in the newly drawn Fifth Congressional District of California, and I am honored by the support I have received from folks throughout our district,” said Thompson.
“From Lake County to Sonoma, Napa, Solano and Contra Costa, I will continue my fight to create jobs and strengthen our middle class, bring fiscally responsible solutions to the federal government, protect our seniors by strengthening Social Security and Medicare, and make sure our veterans and military families receive the benefits they’ve earned,” he added.
Thompson was born, grew up and still lives in the district.
“I have had the honor and great pleasure to represent Lake County for the entire time I have served in public office,” he said. “Both the county and the people are fantastic and we've worked well together and enjoyed many successes.
“While I am sad the Redistricting Commission choose to split Lake County between two Congressional districts, I am thankful that half of Lake County will remain in our district,” he said. “I don't believe you can work for half a county, so I look forward to continuing our work to strengthen all of Lake County’s communities and deliver solutions to the challenges we face.”
Thompson said hard working families across the district are looking for a fair shake. “They want to know that if they work hard and play by the rules then they will be able to put food on the table and gas in their car, make their mortgage payment, send their kids to college and pay for retirement. That’s the fair shake I am fighting for in Washington. It’s what our families, children and grandchildren deserve. And it’s what made America great.
“In the past, folks knew that making this fair shake a reality meant committing to shared responsibility – if we shared in the responsibility of building a great nation then we would share in the success of a great nation,” he said. It’s time we make that commitment again. That is what this election is about. That is how we build a strong and sustainable American future.”
In order to file for election a candidate must gather 40 to 60 nomination signatures.
In Lake County, Thompson’s nomination has been signed or endorsed by: Jim Brown, Veterans Service officer and director of the Lake County Health Services Department; County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox; Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook; Walt and Madelene Lyon; Lakeport businesswoman Karan Mackey; Peggy McCloud; David and Bonnie Weiss; Peter and Kathy Windrem; and Lake County Supervisors Jim Comstock, Tony Farrington and Denise Rushing.
While some of the district is new, Thompson has represented large portions of the district in the past. He has received strong support throughout all the communities in the district.
Other elected officials, organizations, business and community leaders supporting Thompson’s nomination include U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, Congressman George Miller, Congressman John Garamendi, Sen. Mark Desaulnier, Sen. Lois Wolk, Assemblymember Susan Bonilla and Assemblymember Mariko Yamada.
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