Irrigation Ditch

"Irrigation on the side of a mustard field. Cows graze in this pasture and drink from this water ditch that runs alongside."

This was submitted by Tommy N from Hollister, CA.

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Looking Out

" I'm at Redondo Beach looking out at the Pacific Ocean- stunning and calming."

This was submitted by Francisco T from Fresno, CA.

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Sandy Drinking Fountain

This sandy drinking fountain serves to hydrate the beach goers at Rio Del Mar beach in California.

This image was submitted by Susan M from Santa Cruz, California

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Twin Lakes State Beach

The beach has a mile of sandy shoreline, popular for swimming and picnicking. The park’s adjacent Schwan's lake is a good location for bird watching. The small craft harbor in downtown Santa Cruz is approximately in the middle of Twin Lakes State Beach, which extends for a distance parallel to East Cliff Drive and Portola Drive.

This image was submitted by Bernie O from Twin Beach State Park , California.

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Houseboat

A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities.

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Juneau

Juneau, Alaska has an average yearly rainfall of 62.27 inches which is 59% more than the national average rainfall of 39.17 inches.

 

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Night Fishing

"Believe it or not, night fishing is a sport enjoyed by many anglers.The methods for night fishing vary widely, from casting surface lures in the pitch black for large mouth bass to using glowing lures for deep salmon trolling to sitting in a lantern-equipped boat while fishing deep bait for catfish or trout.  The one commonality between fishing for anything at night is that you don't fish in the dark the same as you do in the daylight."

This was submitted by TJ from Washington 

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SPRING

"Celebrating all things spring at the ocean. Water is worth jumping for!"

This image was submitted by Marid and Alex in Carmel, California. 

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Sea Cliff State Park

"The last storm tossed giant logs on the shore like beached whales. The driftwood started somewhere up in the mountains and some how makes it way to the sandy beach." 

This was submitted by Frank M from Aptos California.

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World Water Day

"World Water Day is an international observance and an opportunity to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference. World Water Day dates back to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development where an international observance for water was recommended. The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day. It has been held annually since then. Each year, UN-Water — the entity that coordinates the UN’s work on water and sanitation — sets a theme for World Water Day corresponding to a current or future challenge. The engagement campaign is coordinated by one or several of the UN-Water Members with a related mandate."

www.unwater.org

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Angel Falls

"Thirty or so minutes from Yosemite. This water runs into Bass Lake. The area is beautiful and the water has created natural rock slides and pools on the mountain's surface. There is a hiking trail that connects Lewis Trail and the waterfalls."

This was submitted by Eva S from California

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Rain to Date

Interestingly, the water year does not follow the traditional calendar year. Rather,the water year begins on October 1 and continues through the following September 30. 

Santa Cruz,California as received 23.76 inches of rain to date.

This image was submitted by Chico from Santa Cruz, CA. 

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Cat Fish 

 Fish and cat share one thing in common, water.

This image was submitted by Kristen K from Hanford, CA.

Pond

 The sign reads "Do Not Put Anything In The Pond".. it's a small spot on campus that offers an escape from school pressures. I always wonder what someone put into the pond water that resulted in the creation of this sign. 

This was submitted by Jose M from Reedley College.

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Fire Hydrant

Hydrants evolved from fire plugs. The term stems from when water mains were made of wood, either from hollowed-out logs or wooden staves bound together, as in a wine cask. When there was a fire, firefighters would dig into the ground, find the main, then use an augur to drill a hole into the wooden pipe. The earthen hole would fill with water.The hydrants in some areas are known as dry-barrel hydrants. When the nut on top is turned, it opens a valve all the way down at the water main, below the ground, allowing water to come up to the hydrant’s nozzles. That way, water in the hydrant won’t freeze. Warmer climates such as Southern California use wet-barrel hydrants, where the water is right at street level.

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Hope for the Valley

"Snow on  the eastern Sierra mountains gives hope to the drought stricken farmers in the Central Valley"

This was submitted by Joaquin A from Parlier, CA.

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Conservation

The Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport is doing it's part to help conserve water by using recycled water in the toilets.

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Water Garden Fish

Koi or more specifically nishikig are a group of fish that are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp (Cyprinus carpio) that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens.

This image was submitted by Valeria from Parlier, CA.

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 Attention Anglers

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers an abundance of fishing opportunities.The National Wildlife Refuge System manages over 270 National Wildlife Refuge Fishing Programs that include everything from saltwater fishing to using ice tipups on high elevation lakes. You can learn more about refuge fishing opportunities by reviewing Your Guide to Fishing on National Wildlife Refuges as well as the Refuge System's Fishing page.

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Elevator Shaft

The recent rain in California caused flooding in an elevator shaft. As a result, the water was pumped from the shaft and into the storm sewer.

This image was sent from Fresno State University.

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Sprinkler Cap

"While moving a bench into the outdoor smoking area, these two men discovered a broken sprinkler system. A pool of muddy water was the harbinger of the leaky problem."

This image was submitted from Fresno. 

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Bass Lake

"Snow run off creates creeks which fill Bass Lake, a popular boating and recreation area in the Eastern Sierra foothills. Here we cross fallen tree that bridges one such creek, on an adventure."

This image was submitted by Mari S. from California.
 
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Praying for Rain

Even with the winter rain, California is still in drought.  

This image was sent from Fresno.

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Wading Birds

Flamingos are wading birds. They tend to enjoy regions where there is plenty of water or mud. in areas close to lagoons, lakes and swamps. They live in waters that are alkaline in nature so if the balance changes and there is too much acid they won’t be able to survive in it. They reside in both the tropic and subtopic regions. They need the salt in the water for the food sources that they consume- such as shrimp but they need to live in a region where there is access to plenty of fresh water.

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A Nation of Dams

The exact number of dams is not known. There are more than 79,000 dams in the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) National Inventory of Dams (NID), which is the most comprehensive inventory of dams nationwide. However, this inventory only covers dams that meet minimum height and impoundment requirements, so an unknown number of small dams are not included in the inventory. Of the 79,000 dams in the database, approximately 66,000 are located on rivers (the remainder impound water off-river).

Which state has the most dams?

According to the NID, Texas has the most dams of any state at 6,798.
- See more at: http://www.americanrivers.org/initiatives/dams/faqs/#sthash.H4n7RXvJ.dpuf

 There are more than 79,000 dams in the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) National Inventory of Dams (NID), which is the most comprehensive inventory of dams nationwide. However, this inventory only covers dams that meet minimum height and impoundment requirements, so an unknown number of small dams are not included in the inventory. Of the 79,000 dams in the database, approximately 66,000 are located on rivers (the remainder impound water off-river).

There are more than 79,000 dams in the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) National Inventory of Dams (NID), which is the most comprehensive inventory of dams nationwide. However, this inventory only covers dams that meet minimum height and impoundment requirements, so an unknown number of small dams are not included in the inventory. Of the 79,000 dams in the database, approximately 66,000 are located on rivers (the remainder impound water off-river). - See more at: http://www.americanrivers.org/initiatives/dams/faqs/#sthash.H4n7RXvJ.dpuf

My Your Our Water

There are more than 79,000 dams in the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) National Inventory of Dams (NID), which is the most comprehensive inventory of dams nationwide. However, this inventory only covers dams that meet minimum height and impoundment requirements, so an unknown number of small dams are not included in the inventory. Of the 79,000 dams in the database, approximately 66,000 are located on rivers (the remainder impound water off-river). - See more at: http://www.americanrivers.org/initiatives/dams/faqs/#sthash.H4n7RXvJ.dpuf

The exact number of dams is not known. There are more than 79,000 dams in the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) National Inventory of Dams (NID), which is the most comprehensive inventory of dams nationwide. However, this inventory only covers dams that meet minimum height and impoundment requirements, so an unknown number of small dams are not included in the inventory. Of the 79,000 dams in the database, approximately 66,000 are located on rivers (the remainder impound water off-river).

Which state has the most dams?

According to the NID, Texas has the most dams of any state at 6,798.
- See more at: http://www.americanrivers.org/initiatives/dams/faqs/#sthash.H4n7RXvJ.dpuf

 Safe Water

In the wake of Flint, Michigan water crisis  how do you know your water is safe? We rely on the government, cities, states and federal entities to protect us and warn us if the quality of our drinking water is not safe. What happens when the chain of protection fails?

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  Water - Art 

Artist Ana Teresa Borboza uses a variety of textile forms to create a visual conversation about the natural world. This piece from  the body of work "Tejiendo el Instante" or Weaving the Moment resonated with My Your Our Water.

 

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Making Snow

According to SMI Snow Makers, it takes about 75,000 gallons of water to create a 6-inch blanket of snow covering a 200x200-foot area. The system in a good-sized ski slope can convert 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of water to snow every minute. To learn more about a typical resorts snow making process click here.

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Winter Pool

"At the base of snow covered mountains, this heated pool beckoned to muscle sore skiers to soak and enjoy the liquid warmth." 

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Lake Pleasant

Lake Pleasant, is one of the important artificial reservoirs surrounding the Phoenix metropolitan area. Created by the Waddell (Pleasant) Dam, which was finished in 1927, the lake originally had a surface area of 3,700 acres and served as a private irrigation project. The lake was filled by the Agua Fria River, capturing a large watershed throughout Yavapai County. Construction of the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct, which began in 1973, diverted water from the Colorado River to the lake, converting the lake from an agricultural project into a storage reservoir for the project. Completed in 1994, the New Waddell Dam tripled the surface area of the lake, submerging the old dam beneath its waters. Shortly after the completion of the dam, the area experienced a prolonged drought, and while the lake grew considerably it would not reach full capacity until early 2005. Although still fed by the Agua Fria River, the CAP aqueduct is the primary source of water for the reservoir.

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