Press release from the National Weather Service office on Woodley Island:

Do you ever wonder how much rainfall you received from a recent thunderstorm? How about snowfall during a winter storm? If so, an important volunteer weather observing program needs your help! The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network, or CoCoRaHS, is looking for new volunteers across northwest California. This grassroots effort is part of a growing national network of home-based and amateur rain spotters with a goal of providing a high density precipitation network that will supplement existing observations.

CoCoRaHS came about as a result of a devastating flash flood that hit Fort Collins, Colorado, in July 1997. A local severe thunderstorm dumped over a foot of rain in several hours while other portions of the city had only modest rainfall. The ensuing flood caught many by surprise and caused $200 million in damages.

A CoCORaHS rain gauge. Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CoCoRaHS was born in 1998 with the intent of doing a better job of mapping and reporting intense storms. As more volunteers participated, rain, hail, and snow maps were produced for every storm showing fascinating local patterns that were of great interest to scientists and the public. Recently, drought reporting has also become an important observation within the CoCoRaHS program across the nation. In fact, drought observations from CoCoRaHS are now being included in the National Integrated Drought Information System.

How does one become a CoCoRaHS observer? Go to the CoCoRaHS website above and click on the “Join CoCoRaHS” emblem on the upper right side of the main website. After registering, take the simple online training, order your 4 inch rain gauge and start reporting!

To obtain a rain gauge Volunteers can order through the CoCoRaHS website for about $35 plus shipping. We do have a limited number of rain gauges to give out if you are able to be a regular observer and there is a limited number of observers currently in your area.

Apply with this form.

Observations are available on maps and reports for the public to view within five minutes of submitting them. The process takes only five minutesa day, but the impact to the community is tenfold: By providing high quality, accurate measurements, the observers are able to supplement existing networks and provide useful results to scientists, resource managers, decision makers and other users. If you have any questions, feel free to email Matthew Kidwell at the NWS in Eureka at matthew.kidwell@noaa.gov or call at 707-443-6484 and talk to Matthew Kidwell, Scott Carroll or Ed Swafford.

December has delivered a powerful punch of storms to California. But the wet weather comes with a dry dose of reality: The state’s largest reservoirs remain badly depleted, projected water deliveries are low, wells are drying up, and the Colorado River’s water, already diminished by a megadrought, is severely overallocated.

Throughout California, urban water managers are bracing for a fourth consecutive drought year. Nearly one out of every five water agencies — 76 out of 414 — in a recent state survey predict that they won’t have enough water to meet demand next year. That means they are likely to impose more severe restrictions on customers, with some Southern California providers considering a ban on all outdoor watering.

While December’s rain and snow show promise, water managers remember the same thing happened last year — epic early storms followed by the driest January through March in California’s recorded history.

“We’re not counting any chickens just yet,” said Andrea Pook, a spokesperson for the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which delivers water to 1.4 million Bay Area residents. The district’s water supply is in relatively good shape, with a 9% water deficit projected through the first half of 2023.

Last week the state announced an emergency regulation extending its ban on “wasteful water practices” through 2023. Included are watering while it’s raining, running decorative fountains without recirculating flows and washing vehicles with hoses not fitted with automatic shutoff nozzles, among others.

Some regions of California have more water than they need. Sacramento reported a 173% surplus for 2023 to state officials. City spokesperson Carlos Eliason said Sacramento has a healthy system of community wells to draw from in addition to the Sacramento and American rivers.

The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, serving 90,000 people in and around Eureka, reported an 834% surplus for 2023. Its main reservoir typically fills to the brim every year.

“Unfortunately, our system isn’t connected to other systems, so we can’t do anything to help our neighbors in other parts of the state, but we’d like to,” said General Manager John Friedenbach.

Other areas will probably cruise through the drought with some basic conservation efforts. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission reported a 5% shortage for 2023 and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, serving the South Bay and Peninsula, has a shortfall of 11%.

Sonoma County’s major reservoir was at just 39% of capacity last week, its lowest level ever recorded, but Don Seymour, the county water agency’s deputy chief engineer, said there is no reason to panic. “That’s still a lot of water,” he said. “We could stretch that out into the spring of 2024.”

Cities dependent on state aqueduct are hit hard

But other regions of the state — mostly in Southern California — aren’t as fortunate. Millions of Southern Californians will likely face outdoor watering restrictions or even bans, with probable exceptions made for the hand-watering of trees.

The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, for instance, expects a 63% shortage based on average historical demand. The district serves 77,000 people in Agoura Hills, Calabasas and other nearby communities in western Los Angeles County.

“That means that if a household normally uses 100 gallons of water, we’ll be able to deliver 37 gallons,” said Las Virgenes’ public affairs officer Mike McNutt.

The district purchases between 20,000 and 25,000 acre-feet of imported water annually from the region’s wholesaler, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. This year that delivery could drop to 11,000 acre-feet, according to John Zhao, the district’s director of facilities and operations.

McNutt said residents have already cut water use by 35% from pre-drought levels, mostly from outdoor conservation. Most homes in the region, he said, are fully outfitted with high-efficiency appliances, toilets and showerheads. That means there is limited room to improve without more drastic action, which the district hopes to avoid.

But if drought conditions continue, Las Virgenes customers could be hit with a total outdoor watering ban in 2023 — a step up from the region’s one-day-per-week allowance implemented last spring by the Metropolitan Water District.

Las Virgenes has a 10,000-acre-foot reservoir to fall back on, and McNutt said the district may also seek transfers of water from nearby communities with water to spare — arrangements he said would have to be negotiated through the Metropolitan Water District.

Most Southern Californians — 27 million people — rely at least partially on the State Water Project, a system of dams and canals that moves water from the Sacramento Valley to Southern California. On Dec. 1, the Department of Water Resources announced it will initially allocate just 5% of the supply that water districts requested from the state — bad news for those with no other water source.

“We are 100% reliant on the State Water Project,” McNutt said.

The Ventura County communities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley face a similar dependency on the State Water Project.

“We wouldn’t exist without that imported water,” said Wanda Moyer, Simi Valley’s water conservation coordinator.

Simi Valley is expecting a 68% shortage in 2023 and will implement a total outdoor watering ban if the state’s delivery projections don’t improve, Moyer said.

In June, when Metropolitan’s once-weekly watering limit for gardens and lawns took effect, “people were angry,” she said.

Breaking the rules triggered a warning the first time, then fines. Next year, Simi Valley’s repeat offenders may face a tactical measure – the use of water restrictors.

These tools are basically washers with a hole in the center. Inserted inside a pipe, a restrictor allows just a trickle of water to pass. Las Virgenes has been using them since June on repeat water-use offenders. The district, which has installed more than 200 restrictors, keeps the device in place for two weeks before removing it, McNutt said. If violations continue, it’s reinstalled for three months, he said.

Moyer said scofflaws whose water pipes are fitted with restrictors “will be taking a military-type shower.”

Water connections serving non-residential sprinklers for lawns and other landscaping could be shut off completely, she said, following multiple violations.

‘Water conservation is a way of life’

Fort Bragg, on California’s North Coast, nearly ran out of water in 2021, forcing management into a stage 4 “water crisis” mode. A small desalination unit, capable of processing 200 gallons per minute, was revved up to meet basic needs for the 7,500 local residents. Meanwhile, outlying communities, like the seaside bluff town of Mendocino and isolated inns, restaurants and homes, saw wells run dry. Fort Bragg delivery trucks, carrying water provided by the city of Ukiah, brought relief.

Things have improved for Fort Bragg. In 2022, late spring rains recharged its reserves, said John Smith, the city’s director of public works. Its small reservoir is brim-full, and the desalination unit is ready to go if needed.

The city asked residents to use 20% less water, which they did — plus some.

“We asked for 20%, and they conserved 30%,” he said.

Earlier this year, Californians were slow to respond to drought warnings. In fact, their usage went up last spring. Californians emerged from the driest January, February and March on record with the biggest jump in water use since the drought began: a nearly 19% increase in March compared to two years earlier.

But many Californians have stepped up since then. In October, statewide urban water use dropped 12.6% compared to October of 2020.

Still, the cumulative savings (only 5.2% compared to 2020) fall far short of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for a 15% voluntary cut.

Santa Rosa’s water director, Jennifer Burke, said water use in the city of 180,000 is down 18% of average since June of 2021, thanks in part to rules limiting outdoor watering to nighttime hours when evaporative losses are less.

In Sacramento, residents have curbed water use by more than 20% by limiting residents to watering twice weekly from March through October and once per week the rest of the year. This ordinance, Eliason said, is permanent.

“We wanted to make sure water conservation is a way of life,” Eliason said.

For many Californians, it already is. The state’s residents have streamlined their water use and reduced waste for decades. Daily residential water use statewide in October decreased to 88 gallons per capita, compared to the five-year average of 97.

Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California, said California’s overall water consumption has remained the same since the 1980s even though the population grew from 30 million to 40 million.

“That is a good indication that adjustments can be made as things get drier,” Mount said.

An even steeper trend toward conservation has been logged by the East Bay Municipal Utility District. The customer population has grown by 35% since 1970 while overall water use has declined by 45%.

In recent years, residents have increasingly swapped out grassy lawns for drought-smart landscaping, and they are currently limited to watering outdoors no more than three days per week. These measures have reduced water use during the ongoing drought by 14 to 15% — what Pook describes as “conservation on top of conservation.”

Lawns go dry but trees are protected

Green grass will go brown next year, and in the long run, vast areas of lawn will probably disappear permanently as Californians adjust to aridification.

“I see communities prioritizing socially functional turf versus non-functional turf,” said Dan Drugan, a spokesperson for the Calleguas Municipal Water District, which supplies, among other towns, for Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley.

In October, the Metropolitan Water District passed a resolution encouraging communities “to reduce or eliminate irrigation of non-functional turf with potable water.” This followed a May, 2022 emergency order from the State Water Resources Control Board banning non-functional turf irrigation with potable water on commercial, institutional and industrial properties statewide. The Pacific Institute has calculated that such efforts could save California as much as 400,000 acre-feet of water annually.

But no matter how tight the state’s water supplies get, keeping urban trees alive will probably be a priority.

“We’re seeing, in all urban areas, a frantic effort to conserve urban forests,” Mount said, noting that urban trees provide shade, reduced ground-level temperatures and natural water treatment services.

Even in communities served by Las Virgenes, where much of the water under current restrictions is designated for health and human safety uses, spokesman McNutt expects residents will hand-irrigate with buckets of shower water and pots of kitchen water to keep trees alive.

“The last thing that anybody wants – anybody – is for the trees to die,” he said.

Mount, who recently eliminated most of his own backyard turf — sparing just a narrow strip for his dogs — said he takes some solace in the fact that green grass remains a prominent feature of institutional landscaping, for it means there is still room to improve.

“That makes me more sanguine than most about the future,” he said.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Elena Marie David was born January 13, 1942, in Arcata to Angelo and Mary Tanferani. She passed peacefully with her family by her side on December 7, 2022. A native of Arcata, Elena graduated from Arcata High School in 1959 and attended Humboldt State University for two years in a secretarial training program. Elena married her high school sweetheart, Kenneth (Ken) David, in 1961, together they celebrated 55 of years of marriage. During those years they raised their son (Brian) and Daughter (Jan), purchased Ken’s Auto Parts, and enjoyed time together. Elena and Ken enjoyed traveling with friends, many trips to Mexico with their dear friends Don and Marlene Miller, going to Trinity Lake, and being involved in the community, as well as the lives of those they loved.

Elena’s dedication, commitment and service to her community was unique and inspirational. She was an influential positive female role model for her generation. She started at Bank of America at the age of 16, as a part-time teller, and after 25 years she worked here way up to branch manager. Over the 40 years she worked at Bank of America, she held many roles, but her favorite role was helping the community and all those she met through working at the bank. Elena was awarded “Outstanding Young Women of America” in 1977. This program was designed to honor young women between the ages of 21-36 who had distinguished themselves in their homes, profession and communities, it is no surprise Elena was awarded, she far exceeded in all areas. In addition to her role at BofA, Elena served as Treasurer of the Italian Catholic Federation, held many positions within Soroptimist, Hospitality Chairman for Bloomfield PTA, Cheerleader Coordinator and Board member of the Arcata-McKinleyville Pop Warner, March of Dimes, United Way, Easter Seals, and was heavily involved in St. Mary’s Catholic Church her whole life. In 2001, Elena retired from Bank of America, though she didn’t let that slow her down.

Elena continued to serve the community through the various boards listed above as well as new ones, where she brought her financial expertise and background along. From November 8, 2004, to September 20, 2021, she served as a Director for the Arcata Fire Protection District Board Division 4, leading the way as the first female Board Member. During her time on the Arcata Fire Board, she was Vice President for 10 years. She also served as President for Soroptimist International for Arcata from 2000 to 2021. Elena was a board member for Clarke Historical Museum and joined Senior Citizens on Patrol (S.C.O.P), which she absolutely loved. She adored the Community and was always looking for a way to make an impact. Elena touched many people’s lives. Wherever she went or whatever board she was on, she made lifelong friends whom she loved, cherished, and always had so much fun with.

While staying involved in the community, she also did a phenomenal job staying involved in her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids lives. Elena was present in everything they did, up until her very last day. Her family was her pride and joy, she loved hosting family gatherings, attending sporting events, cheerleading competitions, bake sales and so much more. We as her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids feel extremely blessed to have had such an inspiring role model in our lives.

Elena is preceded in death by her husband Kenneth David; her parents, Angelo, and Mary Tanferani. She is survived by her brother Don (Vickey); son Brian David (Wendy), daughter Jan David-DeVore; grandchildren Lindsey Devore (Camron), Kaylee David, Cortney Fasnacht (Michael); great-grandchildren Jacob Steele, Cobe Duncan and Hali Fasnacht and many other relatives and close friends.

A public visitation will be held at Paul’s Chapel, Friday December 16, 2022, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., a public rosary will follow. Saturday December 17, 2022, a Formal Mass at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church will be held at 11 a.m., a reception will follow at Leavey Hall. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Mary’s Church, Arcata, Hospice of Humboldt, Soroptimist or your favorite charity.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Elena David’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Lillian Cornelia Vasquez passed away peacefully in her sleep in the late afternoon of November 15 at the Hospice House in Eureka. She was 65 years old.

She was born in Los Angeles on November 26, 1956 to Martha Garcia, of Native Ancestry from the Four Corners area. She suffered a life threatening accident at age 14 where she had to learn how to walk again and was told she’d not be able to bear children. Against all odds not only was she able to walk again, she was a great dancer, loved to roller skate, and was blessed with a baby girl in 1977.

She was an incredibly loving mother and was very active in her daughters schooling. She studied early childhood education and became a preschool teacher for the city of Los Angeles, where she received an award for her dedication. She also moonlit as a waitress and frequently maintained at least three jobs as a single mother to support her daughter and her mother. In the last 10 years of her career she worked for the Los Angeles Unified School district, focused on special needs students. As a result of the traumatic brain injury in her youth, she suffered from dyslexia and always advocated for those with special needs and the less fortunate.

In her retirement she was the primary caregiver for her mother and they both moved to Arcata in 2012 to be near family. In Humboldt, she spent time volunteering at Loleta Union School, supporting local charities, and assisting elderly neighbors. She loved the Samoa Cookhouse and could be seen there often with her dog Bambi.

In 2016 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Shortly after her diagnosis she adopted a rescue puppy from the Sequoia Humane Society, which brought her a tremendous amount of joy during her trying battle with cancer. She was incredibly giving, thoughtful and had strong faith with the Jehovahs’ Witness community. She led a life of service and will be missed dearly.

Private services will be held in the coming months. Donations can be made in her honor to the Sequoia Humane Society at sequoiahumane.org. She is survived by her mother Martha, 97; her daughter Cherrie, 45; and her dog Bambi.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Lillian Vasquez’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Paul Talayco Johnson, known by many as Jin, died November 13, 2022 in Clearlake, California, after a long battle with illness. His strength and friends kept him optimistic to the end.

Paul was born on December 20, 1953 in Michigan where he grew up. He attended a one-room schoolhouse in Washtenaw county. He became a master french horn player by the age of 15 and attended Interlochen Arts Academy, where he sat first chair. Music continued as a passion for his life.

He began studying Tai Chi, martial arts and healing arts under Gabriel Chin in Ann Arbor in the 1970s. In the 1990s, he moved to California, where he became a teacher and continued his studies of music and energy. He lived in Santa Cruz before finding his home in Arcata.

Jin’s energy continues to reverberate through his many students and the sound of his music. Recordings he made in the Great Pyramid on a visit to Egypt continue to be heard and can be found on the web at ruycenter. His dream was to start a yoga and healing center called Remember Universe Yoga.

Jin will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jin Johnson’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

From Cal Poly Humboldt:

The Cal Poly Humboldt men’s rugby team will bring home the 2022 National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Small College National Championship trophy for the first time in school history.

On Sunday, the Lumberjacks took on the Wayne State College Wildcats of Wayne, Nebraska from AVEVA Stadium for the title. Wayne State took down the Catholic University Cardinals in the semifinals on Friday 25-12, had a record of 16-0, and had beaten every team they faced in the postseason by 30 points or more before the semifinals. Cal Poly Humboldt, who were considered to be the underdogs, was also undefeated heading into the national championship match and most recently took down Endicott College of Beverly, Massachusetts in the semifinals 41-28.

Men’s Rugby Assistant Coach Vincent Celotto stated, “The coaching staff was confident the team was prepared and was going to surprise Wayne State in the final. We were big underdogs in the eyes of most but we knew our team was special. Confident, loose, and prepared was the team vibe. Also, when we woke up to rain on Championship day we all knew it was going to be a special day.”

The first half saw nothing but defensive pressure and dominance from the Jacks as they jumped out to a 15-0 lead.

“We knew it was going to be a battle. We just have to keep to the details and keep our fitness up in the next 40 minutes to close it out,” said head coach Greg Pargee.

When asked how Humboldt was going to maintain a lead and keep the Wayne State offense from coming back, Pargee stated, “The boys know just to keep their wits about them. Let’s see how the next 40 minutes goes.”

The second half saw an attempted comeback from Wayne State but the Lumberjacks prevailed and held on to win their first national championship with a final score of 20-15. Jason Uipi was named Tournament MVP of the Men’s Small College Rugby Championship.
“The entire Cal Poly Humboldt community is so proud of our student-athletes and coaches of the Men’s Rugby team,” said Cooper Jones, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports.

“Bringing home the programs’ first ever national championship and our first national championship since being designated Cal Poly Humboldt is truly a historic feat. On behalf of President Tom Jackson, the faculty, and staff of Cal Poly Humboldt we are thrilled to welcome home the NCR 2022 Small College National Champions.”

This year was the 49th season the men’s rugby team has played. With the 50th anniversary of the club approaching next year, there has been a long tradition of rugby at Humboldt. The club will look forward to defending their title next season as they look to make another championship run.

[Watch the whole championship game below]

A hearing on whether outgoing Arcata City Councilman Brett Watson will be under a permanent restraining order was rescheduled today for Valentine’s Day.

Judge Timothy Canning also ordered Watson to submit a written declaration swearing he has no firearms.

Watson.

The hearing was set for this afternoon, but Canning granted the city’s request to postpone it because one of the scheduled witnesses couldn’t attend. In the meantime Watson remains under a temporary order to stay 100 yards away from City Hall and several city staffers.

However, the judge granted Watson’s request — through his attorney Jay Jambeck — to allow Watson to approach within 10 yards of City Attorney Nancy Diamond’s office, which is downtown and near many businesses.

That was over the objection of attorney Kathryn Cox, representing the city.

“We strongly disagree with this request and think it should be denied,” Cox said.

She pointed out Watson has already been arrested once for violating the order by sending an e-mail to a city employee.

Also, Fox said, there is concern for employee safety because Watson at one point said he owned three guns he couldn’t find. He offered to allow police to search for the firearms but no search was done. Watson reportedly searched on his own, finding no guns and agreeing to sign a declaration.

Fox said she expects five witnesses to testify at the February hearing.

Watson recently lost his bid for re-election.

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