On Monday, 90% of the state’s population was under a flood watch as another round of storms rolled through. And scientists warn that it has a long way to go to erase years unfavorable precipitation trends and water supply overuse. But the abrupt shift from drought warnings to flood warnings highlights the dilemma California faces: How do you manage an overwhelming amount of rain in a water-scarce state? And is it possible to harness that water so it’s available in the dry summer months? “We have to let our rivers flow differently, and let the rivers flood a little more and recharge our groundwater in wet seasons,” Peter Gleick, a climate scientist and co-founder of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, told CNN.

Source: CNN January 10, 2023 15:39 UTC