Everyone continues to hold their breath to see what these looming twin storms in the forecast will bring in terms of rain and snow. Even the wettest, snowiest outcome, though, won't do much to erase California's overall water deficit.
- It's not just farmers in the Central Valley worried about water these days. That other major industrial valley to the west, the Silicon Valley, is getting more anxious, too. Paul Rogers writes in the San Jose Mercury News that the Santa Clara Valley Water District is considering asking customers, who supply the likes of Google and Facebook, to voluntarily cut water use by 20 percent — double what the agency asked for last month. (Mercury News)
- Santa Monica is poised to roll out Silicon Valley technology to help residents keep track of their water use. David Mark Simpson reports in the Daily Press that Santa Monica City Council is considering a motion to spend nearly $100,000 on a digital app that lets residents track, compare and share their water use. (Daily Press)
- Meanwhile, KCBS is reporting the drought has touched off a case of gold fever among modern-day prospectors who pan for gold in the local mountains. (KCBS)
- Finally, our own Sanden Totten helps demystify just how we use satellites miles in space to keep tabs on water buried deep underground. (KPCC)