<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:18pt"><div class="" style=""><a href="http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060000680" class="" style="">http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060000680</a><br class="" style=""></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 24px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; " class=""><span class="" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; border-collapse: separate; "><header class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial;
font-size: 13px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><h2 class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; text-transform:
uppercase; position: relative; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">WEATHER:</h2><h1 class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">After summer fires, El Niņo could bring severe flooding to the West</h1><section class="" style="background-image: initial;
background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 0.25em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial;
font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">Henry Gass, E&E reporter</div><time datetime="2014-06-04 08:28:05 -0400" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px;
vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">ClimateWire: Wednesday, June 4, 2014</time></section></header><section class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><section class="" style="background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(bottom, rgba(255,
255, 255, 0), rgb(255, 255, 255)); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(239, 243, 247); border-top-width: 2px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 20px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; float: right; width: 302px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(152, 177, 203); border-right-color: rgb(152, 177, 203); border-bottom-color: rgb(152, 177, 203); border-left-color: rgb(152, 177, 203); background-position:
initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><ul class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; text-align: center; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><li style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent;
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transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ; font-style: italic; top: 13px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">EMAIL&NBSP</span></span> EMAIL </a></li><li style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;
margin-left: 15px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; word-wrap: normal; cursor: pointer; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class=""><a href="http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060000680/print" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class=""><span class="" title="Print" style="background-image:
url(http://www.eenews.net/application_assets/eenews_sprites.png); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 3px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: middle; box-sizing: border-box; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; display: inline-block; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 21px; height: 17px; font-style: italic; bottom: 1px; background-position: -435px 0px;
background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; "><span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ; font-style: italic; top: 17px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">PRINT&NBSP</span></span> PRINT</a></li></ul></section><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">Drought-stricken states in the western United States could face severe flash flooding later in the year due to the combination of an intense wildfire season in the summer and a strong El Niņo event the following winter.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style:
initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">An El Niņo is a complex weather event that drives warm ocean water from the Asian-Pacific east, raising ocean temperatures along the west coast of the Americas, invigorating regional weather systems and increasing the amount of precipitation in the American West. They occur about every four years, but the United States hasn't seen a strong El Niņo since 1998.</div><aside id="image_asset_layout_452" class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 20px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; max-width: 380px; width: 380px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img src="http://www.eenews.net/image_assets/2014/06/image_asset_425.jpg" alt="Carlsbad fire" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top:
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; width: 380px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-right-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-left-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class=""><div class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 3px; margin-right:
2px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 2px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">A firefighter is framed in the window of a Carlsbad, Calif., house destroyed by one of nine wildfires that raged in the area last month.<span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px;
padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Photo by Gregory Bull, courtesy of AP Images.</span></div></aside><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">A moderate El Niņo occurred in 2010, leading to the warmest year on record in the
United States, and Pacific Ocean temperatures increased at most 3 degrees Celsius, according to Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Scientists have already observed a 6 C increase in some areas of the Pacific, which hasn't occurred since the 1998 El Niņo, Trenberth said.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "
class="">"The question is will it be a weak or moderate event, or will it become a large event, and certainly this one has started off with the potential to be a larger event -- but it's still not fully clear," Trenberth said.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">Ocean temperatures off the coast of Peru and Ecuador just jumped 2.5 C above normal, he
added, and if the warm water moves farther north up the coastline toward the United States and Mexico, it's possible it could lead to increased rainfall, especially at the end of the year when the ocean and the atmosphere have the strongest interaction. A simulation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration <a href="http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/Requests/ENSO-1997-2000.mp4" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">shows</a> how the 1998 El Niņo developed along the North and South
American coastlines.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">For Western states currently mired in devastating drought and likely to be beset by wildfires through the summer, rainfall intensified by El Niņo may not bring relief. Instead of canceling each other out, the two extreme seasons could dovetail with major implications for people living near
scorched areas.</div><h3 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">When forest fire debris can fill reservoirs</h3><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width:
0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">The Mescalero Apache Tribe in south-central New Mexico is in its fourth consecutive year of exceptional or extreme drought and has experienced three of its four largest ever wildfires in the last four years.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px;
margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">The largest came last year, burning away the forest above the reservation's fish hatchery that would usually absorb rainfall. With the trees gone, Mike Montoya, director of the tribe's fisheries department, described what happened the next time it rained on the reservation.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;
outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">"Any regular rainstorm would become a flood event, and ashes would come into the water," Montoya said during a Department of Energy Web-based seminar in April. The ash would contaminate the hatchery water, leading to significant fish mortality (<a href="http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1059997761/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: underline;
font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class=""><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">ClimateWire</em></a>, April 11).</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">In burned areas, the soil chemistry is changed to such an extent that it becomes much more water-repellant. The roots and vegetation that typically absorbed rainfall have been burned away, and rainwater then runs straight downhill, often carrying whatever ash and debris is left on the surface with it.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px;
border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">"We really ought to be prepared for this and ought to have appropriate water management systems in place," Trenberth said.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom:
1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">Lester Snow, head of the nonprofit California Water Foundation and former leader of the state Department of Water Resources under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), said the wildfire and El Niņo combination this year could shorten the life span of some California reservoirs by building up sediment and decreasing the volume of water they can hold. At worst, he said, the debris and contaminant runoff from post-fire flooding could severely damage ecosystems and threaten properties.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width:
0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">"The state's going to see a great burden on it," he said, "and probably a significant impact on ecosystems from the fire, and then flood and debris impacts if in fact El Niņo hits in a classic fashion."</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial;
font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">There are numerous post-fire treatments that state and federal agencies already use to mitigate stormwater runoff in burn areas -- including installing water bars that divert storm water and laying down straw, mulch and seeds that can absorb water. With all of California now in a state of drought, Snow said the potentially widespread wildfire season and intensified winter rainfall could stretch state resources to an unprecedented degree.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent;
border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">"There's a chance we're going to see requirements for post-fire treatments that surpass anything we've had to do in the past," he said.</div><h3 style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 1em;
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">Early warning may be key</h3><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat:
initial initial; " class="">NOAA's Climate Prediction Center <a href="http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">estimates</a> there is a 65 percent chance of an El Niņo occurring this summer. The summer has also already seen a number of large wildfires, including large fires in Alaska and Arizona and two in California near San Diego and Camp Pendleton, a U.S. Marine Corps base (<a
href="http://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1059999631/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: underline; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class=""><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width:
0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">Greenwire</em></a>, May 15).</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">But fire treatment officials in the West
believe they are equipped to handle this year's fire-flood cycle.</div><aside id="image_asset_layout_453" class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; max-width: 380px; width: 380px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img src="http://www.eenews.net/image_assets/2014/06/image_asset_424.jpg" alt="El Niņo" class="" title="click to enlarge"
style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; width: 380px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-right-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-left-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><div class="" style="background-image:
initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 3px; margin-right: 2px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 2px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a class="" href="http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060000680#" title="click to enlarge" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial;
background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">[+] </a>Help may be on the way in the form of El Niņo, which could dampen California's drought-parched forests. <span class="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:
rgb(153, 153, 153); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Graphic courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.</span></div></aside><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">Janet Upton, deputy director of communications with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said that even with
the precipitation from a potential El Niņo year, they "wouldn't have to be reinventing the wheel." The agency is usually able to predict heavy rainfall events 48 to 72 hours in advance, which would give it enough time to take extra precautions if heavier rains were coming in.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">"We would just employ the resources
and mitigations we already have in place," Upton said. "We would do our normal suppression repair and then keep an eye on it, monitor it and respond accordingly."</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">The only additional threat an El Niņo event could bring compared with a normal winter is an increase in intense rainfall events. Jill Oropeza, a
watershed specialist with the City of Fort Collins Utilities in Colorado, has been helping treat forests in the area after the June 2012 High Park fire burned more than 87,000 acres. Oropeza said the agency only saw major debris flows after intense rainfall.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">"It would certainly be a concern to us if an El Niņo
produced higher intensity rainfall events, but at this point I think we would have to rely on the early warning alert systems that we have in place to kind of manage the situation. I don't think we would change what we're doing on the ground," Oropeza said.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">Penny Luehring, leader of the National Forest Service's
Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) program, said that an El Niņo event -- even if it does increase precipitation -- doesn't necessarily mean an increase in intense rainfall events.</div><div style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " class="">"Gentle precipitation coming more often is not going to be something we're extremely worried about," Luehring
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