Skiers and riders are jubilant as winter has returned to the Sierra. Squaw Valley reported 32 inches at the top of the mountain while its sister resort Alpine Meadows got 28 inches. Northstar reported 16 inches; Diamond Peak 24 inches. South Lake Tahoe resorts reported 12 to 17 inches. This storm probably extends the 2014-2015 ski season until spring. Homewood Mountain Resort and Tahoe Donner Downhill remain closed for a lack of snow while Royal Gorge Cross Country has reopened 14 groomed trails and Tahoe XC in Tahoe City has also reopened. The resorts are celebrating the storm and its newfound snow. To review all the numbers, click on the Sierra Sun article, “Lake Tahoe storm brings 2 feet of snow, cross-country resorts reopen.”
The bad news is that the storm did little to ameliorate the drought conditions that existed before it. The Tahoe Basin’s snowpack increased one percent to 20 percent of normal; the Truckee River Basin two percent to 35 percent of normal. And there is no relief in sight as the state continues in a condition of extreme drought for the fourth year.
Tahoe City Public Utility District lauds residents’ efforts at water conservation. Last year the PUD pumped 413.3 million gallons of water for 4,100 connections, only slightly above the 408.4 million gallons pumped in 1980 for 2,900 connections—the lowest production amount on record. Similarly, the Truckee Donner PUD has experienced a decrease in production from 6,978 acre feet in 2008 to 5,149 acre feet in 2014. Both the Tahoe City PUD and the Truckee Donner PUD urge residents to continue their water-saving practices. While many users have decreased their water usage, some have increased it. Pam Emmerich, NTPUD, said “we need our customers to work harder to conserve water.” For a comprehensive review of the California drought situation as it affects the Lake Tahoe and Truckee areas, click on the Sierra Sun link for the complete article.
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