People from wetter parts of the US may not appreciate just how important water is in California. After all, Mark Twain wrote that in the west whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting. And in Los Angeles, even litigation is considered cheaper than the water itself.
Indeed, in Sacramento they're fighting over Central Valley water.
In Santa Cruz there is seldom any rain in summer, never a violent afternoon thunderstorm and lightening storm to bring some relief like in the humid east. (No need: no humidity here.) But the fire danger is real and grows throughout the summer. Plus this year is 3rd year of serious California drought. Water is what makes California lush. Winter is the wet season.
So the possibility of the first fall rain has been the subject of many overheard conversations. Apparently, some are so excited they've begun to wash cars, water lawns, hose down sidewalks despite drought conditions in effect.
Late Friday, I got the first email from coastal-watershed.org to prepare for First Flush, the volunteer program to take samples of water emerging from storm drains and flowing into the watershed and then ocean. Gunk, a precise scientific term, has been accumulating all summer on our roads, sidewalks, parking lots. It includes oils, paints, pet waste, bacteria, metals from car brakes and anything else that finds its into the storm drains (Right, the drains that often say something like "Don't dump, flows to the Bay."). So we'll be getting samples of the 'gunk' for lab tests. More info in a previous post.
I've been assigned to here, near Lighthouse field.
And here's the 'Yellow Alert', we're all watching the weather.
Hello ALL FIRST FLUSH VOLUNTEERS,
We are at this time on YELLOW ALERT and beginning to mobilize for the First Flush. This is the time to get your gear together and by the door!
At this time it looks like the real event may happen sometime between Monday, 10/12 evening and Tuesday, 10/13. Current weather models show the first storm coming through on Monday evening and the second stronger one early on Tuesday. This could be in the wee hours of the morning – but just think of driving through Santa Cruz without traffic! This alert could change to red at any time as the reports are getting more positive as the hours go by. Please check your email frequently over the weekend.
Here is the latest from our weather expert in Monterey:
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