Northern Alabama Removed From Drought Advisory.
Every site in Norther Alabama and Southern Tennessee monitored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is flowing at a rate near or above average.
The consistent rainfall this week has been good for our water systems, which have spent the year recovering from the 2016 drought.
Overall, our water systems are doing so well that The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs finally lifted the Drought Advisory over Northern Alabama on May 24th.
In the last seven days Huntsville has received 2.34 inches of rain.
That leaves us with a rainfall deficit of 2.76 inches.
Huntsville’s deficit a week ago was 4.71 inches.
That means we took out 66% of the deficit in one week.
We’ll likely continue to chip away at the deficit for the rest of May.
We could see another 2 inches of rain by next Wednesday!

2017 South America winter forecast: Drought to worry Colombia, Venezuela; Frequent storms to strike Chile, Argentina.
Meanwhile, warm waters in the Pacific Ocean will help to spread rain across much of the western countries of South America.
Argentina to face more rain, mountain snow than last winter Rounds of rain will frequent Argentina this winter as storm systems move across the country on a regular basis.
“More storms are expected across central Argentina this year versus last year with near- to slightly above-normal rainfall in cities such as Buenos Aires,” AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.
Drought concerns to return to Colombia, Venezuela Drought has plagued Colombia and Venezuela in recent years, and this winter will bring little relief to the countries.
“Drought concerns will return along the Caribbean coast of the continent from northern Colombia and Venezuela to French Guiana,” Nicholls said.
Warm waters off the coast of Brazil may keep drought conditions from returning to far northeastern Brazil, Nicholls said.
While winter is not typically a wet time of year, drought conditions could develop in the Brazilian states of São Paulo to Minas Gerias, Nicholls said.
Wet winter on tap from Chile to Peru Frequent storms will bring rounds of rain and mountain snow to Chile this winter with the tracks of the storms shifting as the season progresses.
“The warm waters over the Pacific Ocean will lead to wetter-than-normal conditions from Ecuador and Peru into Bolivia,” Nicholls said.

Decimated by drought, salmon fishing teeters on the brink in California.
To receive it regularly, please sign up here.
Five dry years brought abysmal conditions for the hatching and survival of new fish.
The number of adult fall-run Chinook salmon has subsequently plummeted, with regulators this year expecting the worst return ever of fish to spawn on the Klamath River: 54,000, down from 1.6 million in 2012.
It’s a brutal blow for the salmon fishing industry.
State and federal officials have imposed severe restrictions, with ocean and river fisheries in the most northern swath of California closed entirely for the rest of the year, even for recreational anglers.
The Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture will try to bring further attention to the salmon fishing crisis with a hearing on its causes, impacts and possible policy actions, 1 p.m. in Room 2040 of the Capitol.
That issue, a symptom of the state’s broader housing crunch, will be the focus of the Joint Committee on the Arts’ annual review of the creative economy, 1:30 p.m. in Room 3191 of the Capitol.
Those who need help putting it all into context may want to check out the latest conference from the Independent Voter Project, the largely corporate-funded nonprofit that promotes a less partisan approach to politics, focusing on the state of health care in California.
They will present ACA 15, a proposed constitutional amendment requiring voter approval of enhanced pension benefits, 10:30 a.m. in Room 125 of the Capitol.

Montana’s current water year is expected to be the best in recent years, with minimal drought concerns for the growing season.
Water supplies are expected to be above normal, with all river basins receiving their full supply of water through the summer.
Montague said staff will continue to monitor conditions in the Sun, Judith and Smith river sub-basins, along with Hyalite Creek and the Upper Clark Fork, for any signals of returning drought.
Montague said flooding is a concern for some areas.
Here is the latest on the potential for flooding from a press release from the DWSAC: The May – July forecast for Yellowtail Dam on the Bighorn River is 278% of average flows.
As a result, 13,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) are being released from Yellowtail Dam in hopes of controlling flooding; Montague said those high flows will likely continue through July.
The Bureau of Reclamation is monitoring both upstream and downstream conditions in its management of Yellowtail Dam and is holding weekly stakeholder calls to ensure coordination.
Flooding on the Flathead River is also likely this spring and early summer.
Since then, Flathead Lake has filled to 2,890.5 feet, just under three feet from full.
However, localized flooding is anticipated this season and water users should be prepared.

Joe McComb will call to order his first city council meeting Tuesday as the newly elected mayor.
One of his top priorities, avoiding another water crisis.
On the agenda Tuesday, council members will hold public comment to the proposed changes to the drought contingency plan.
Under the new plan, stage 2 drought restrictions would not be put in place until the combined water supply levels of Lake Corpus Christi, Choke Canyon and Lake Texana drop to 40-percent capacity.
The goal of this plan is to avoid a situation where water may become stagnant in pipelines of the city, possibly leading to health issues.
This will be the first reading on the plan.
A second vote will need to happen for the plan to be put in place.
The city’s office of public works will present council members with the proposed speed limit change on Ocean Drive from Sand Dollar Boulevard to the NAS-Corpus Christi North Gate.
For this change to happen, council members will have to vote to change an ordinance that governs speed limits in urban districts.
The council meeting is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. at City Hall.

South Africa’s Western Cape declares drought disaster.
South Africa’s Western Cape province has declared a drought disaster as it faces its worst water shortage in 113 years.
Provincial leader Helen Zille said water will be harvested by drilling boreholes to serve key points like hospitals in Cape Town.
The alert will last for three months but could be extended if the crisis persists, she said in a statement.
Southern African nations are reeling from a two-year drought.
The UN estimates that over 40 million people have been affected by the drought that was caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon.
"The disaster declaration will accelerate… the province’s strategy to ensure that taps do not run dry," Ms Zille said.
Residents have also been urged not to use no more than 100 litres (22 gallons) of water a day.
Ms Zille said the disaster declaration will mean that authorities in the province can prioritise public funds for drought relief operations.
Two reservoirs in the Western Cape region are already completely dry according to official statistics.

Mediterranean drought leads to spike in olive oil prices.
The drought that hit major olive producers around the Mediterranean has had a significant effect on consumers all over the world with the price of extra virgin olive oil surging by nearly a quarter this year.
Olive oil production in Greece, Italy, Tunisia and, to a lesser extent, Spain is expected to decrease in 2017 sharply.
The International Olive Council (IOC) expects global output to fall 14 percent in this year, while in Italy production may be halved in the 12 months to September.
Greece will be down 20 percent and Tunisia 17 percent, while Spanish output is likely to face a drop of seven percent.
The limited supply along with the surge in prices has already reined in demand for olive oil in Europe.
However, demand in Australia, China and Brazil remains robust with imports increasing rapidly.
“We have had bad weather affecting production three years out of the last five,” said Vito Martielli, a grains and oilseeds analyst at Rabobank, the Dutch bank that specializes in food and agriculture financing.
Back that Hass up: Global demand for #avocados skyrockets, pushes prices to record highs https://t.co/htLU4DfJdfpic.twitter.com/hBYLQ1ixvk — RT America (@RT_America) May 1, 2017 The more persistent declines in output and decreasing inventory levels make the market extremely vulnerable to price rises.
Industry experts are warning that this year’s spike in wholesale prices is likely to reach consumers across the globe.

South Africa declares Western Cape province a drought disaster area.
Western Cape premier Helen Zille declared the province a disaster area on Monday and urged residents to manage their water supplies more efficiently as the South African region tries to cope with what she described as the "worst drought since 1904".
"The disaster declaration will accelerate the Western Cape Disaster Management Centre’s Project ‘Avoiding Day Zero’, the province’s strategy to ensure that taps do not run dry," Premier Zille said in a statement, adding that the declaration is no cause for panic.
The Western Cape, known for the port city of Cape Town set beneath Table Mountain and winelands in towns like Stellenbosch, does not have enough water tankers to supply residents despite recent heavy rains.
To deal with the water crisis, the drilling of boreholes will take place in hospitals and schools in high-risk areas.
Zille’s statement added that drilling into the Table Mountain aquifer will also take place.
"Funding will be reprioritized provincially and, should further assistance be needed, the province will approach National Treasury and the National Department of Water and Sanitation," the statement said.
The declaration comes a week after the City of Cape Town recommended a level-four water restriction after dam levels reached 21.2 percent.
The provincial government urged residents to continue with the current water saving measures and to adhere to the restrictions imposed in their respective municipalities.
(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

NEWS WORTH NOTING: New Sonoma County groundwater agencies plan first meetings, public hearings; LADWP honored as leading water utility in the world at 2017 Global Water Summit; Western Municipal Water District and the City of Riverside strike historic wat.
The hearings are one item on the agendas of the first meetings of the Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma Valley and Petaluma Valley groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs).
These agencies were formed to meet the requirements of California’s historic Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which went into effect in 2015.
The public hearings will include an opportunity for members of the public to speak.
(See chart for entities and the individuals appointed to represent each entity on the Board of Directors of each new groundwater sustainability agency.)
Each GSA board will create an advisory committee to provide input and feedback on policies, programs and projects, including groundwater sustainability plans.
The honor was given to LADWP along with five other water utilities as new members of the Leading Utilities of the World (LUOW), which aims to promote innovation within utilities and communication between utilities.
Western Municipal Water District and the City of Riverside Strike Historic Water Deal Water agreement brings benefits to all customers From Western Municipal Water District: A long-term water agreement to share surplus local water resources and pipeline capacity to benefit the customers of both water providers was approved at yesterday’s Riverside City Council meeting.
“It’s all about public agencies working together for the benefit of the region’s water customers – residents and businesses alike.” Water efficiency is up and water demand is down for both agencies because of the profound drought response by customers throughout the city.
Whether it’s partnering in water supply projects, cohesive communication to help our customers save water, or selling our surplus supply, the goal is to help our customers and keep rates as low as possible.” In addition to the sale of surplus water for 10 years, the agreement also permits Western to use the Riverside system at times when capacity is available for the next 20 years.

Fish Restoration Program Update: Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project, Real estate acquisition, Regional salinity monitoring, and Restoration RFP.
Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project Update The Department of Water Resources recently acquired approximately 9 acres of property on Prospect Island in Solano County, completing the purchase of the island.
DWR is finishing the process of reviewing and responding to public comments on the Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).
Restoration Real Estate Acquisition and Project Status Arnold Slough In 2017, the Fish Restoration Program acquired Arnold Slough, formerly known as Property 604, comprising approximately 280 acres of land adjacent to the Blacklock Restoration Site.
Bradmoor Island Bradmoor Island Tidal Restoration Project, previously referred to as the Overlook Club (Property 322) Tidal Restoration Project, is located within the Nurse Slough Complex of Suisun Marsh, Solano County.
DWR purchased the 245-acre Overlook Club in February 2013, the 257-acre Flying D Club (Property 329) in February 2016, and the 242-acre parcel (Property 330) in February 2017.
Two of the three properties will have lease agreements for recreational use of the property until early Spring 2019, at which time restoration actions on the property are expected to begin.
DWR seeks to better understand how collective restoration efforts are impacting salinity on a system-wide scale, and initial work on model calibration and scenario development is ongoing with a study report expected in 2018.
Fish Restoration RFP DWR posted an extensive Request for Proposals (RFP) for fish habitat restoration projects within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh.
Sign up for daily emails and get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM.