SACRAMENTO – Quantifying drought impacts and managing California’s water resources during drought conditions using satellite remote sensing will be among the topics of a Feb. 25-26 workshop sponsored by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The workshop at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J. St., will begin at 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 and last until noon on Feb. 26.

The workshop is free to attend and is open to the public.

The workshop will highlight the partnership between NASA and DWR in the development and application of remote sensing research for water management purposes, with a special focus on drought preparedness and response.

Workshop topics will include a water outlook and update from the National Integrated Drought Information System; estimating acreage of fallowed agricultural land; monitoring Central Valley land subsidence; regional groundwater monitoring with orbiting satellite; monitoring and forecasting atmospheric river events; assessing snowpack conditions, and improving subseasonal forecasting of precipitation. Each uses remote sensing data and research to support drought preparedness and response.

Remote sensing offers unique opportunities for filling in data gaps over large geographic areas (such as mountain snowpack) that cannot be cost-effectively covered by ground-based measurements. It also may assist in long-term climate change adaptation.

DWR and NASA began examining opportunities for water resources applications of remote sensing data and research through a partnership established with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Ongoing collaborations have been evolving on a variety of projects ranging from levee monitoring to basic research on groundwater.

DWR projects such as an observing system for extreme precipitation installed as part of the enhanced flood response and emergency preparedness program are developing new data sources that will help support future activities.

NASA and the California Department of Water Resources
Remote Sensing for Drought Monitoring and Response Workshop

February 25th and 26th, 2014
Sacramento Convention Center, Room103
1400 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

Tuesday, February 25

9:30 – 11 a.m.: Press Conference

DWR-NASA Partnership, Jeanine Jones, CDWR & Lawrence Friedl, NASA Headquarters
Airborne Snow Observatory, Tom Painter, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Fallowed Area Mapping, Forrest Melton, NASA Ames Research Center-Cooperative for Research in Earth Science and Technology (ARC-CREST)

Subsidence Mapping, Tom Farr, NASA JPL

Atmospheric Rivers & Seasonal Forecasting, Duane Waliser, NASA JPL

Upcoming NASA Satellite Missions, Brad Doorn, NASA HQ

1 – 1:15 p.m.: Welcome and Introduction

Jeanine Jones, California Department of Water Resources
Lawrence Friedl, NASA Headquarters

1:15 – 1:30 p.m.: NASA Applied Sciences Program; Brad Doorn, NASA Headquarters

1:30 – 2:50 p.m.: Remote Sensing of Precipitation and Snow Water Resources; Airborne Snow Observatory, Tom Painter, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Satellite Monitoring of the Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, Jeff Dozier, University of California, Santa Barbara

Enhancing California's Water Resource Management and Decision Support Systems through Remote Sensing of Precipitation, Soroosh Sorooshian, University of California, Irvine

2:50 – 3:05 p.m.: Break

3:05 – 4 p.m.: Remote Sensing for Drought Impact Assessment and Mitigation

Remote Monitoring of Groundwater with Orbital Radar, Tom Farr, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Fallowed Area Mapping for Drought Impact Reporting and Decision Making, Jim Verdin, USGS / Forrest Melton, NASA Ames Research Center, Cooperative for Research in Earth Science and Technology (ARC-CREST)

Satellite Irrigation Management Support, Forrest Melton, NASA ARC-CREST

4:00 – 4:20: Sub-seasonal Forecasting

Atmospheric Rivers and the Madden Julian Oscillation: Key Phenomena for Predicting California Water Availability and Extremes, Duane Waliser, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

4:20– 4:45: Questions and Discussion

4:45 p.m.: Adjourn

Wednesday, Feb. 26

9 – 9:40 a.m.: 2014 California Water Outlook

2014 California Water Outlook and Update from the National Integrated Drought Information System Workshop, Kelly Redmond, Desert Research Institute

Real-time Satellite Estimation and Mapping of Snow Water Equivalent across the Sierra Nevada, Noah Molotch, University of Colorado, Boulder

9:40 – 10:20 a.m. Drought in the Context of Climate Change and Infrastructure

Adaptation Planning for Climate Change Impacts using Advanced Decision Support and Remote Sensing: Irrigated Agriculture in California's Central Valley, Jonathan Winter, Dartmouth University / NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Monitoring of California Levees with Airborne Remote Sensing, Cathleen Jones, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

10:20 – 11 a.m.: Satellite Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture and Groundwater

Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture: The Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission, Narendra Das, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Recent Observations from California and Future Directions for GRACE, Jay Famiglietti, University of California, Irvine

11 – 11:20 a.m.: Questions and Discussion

11:20 a.m.: Adjourn

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Homeownership Program of Habitat for Humanity Lake County is actively seeking qualified candidates.

You must be a “first-time buyer” in need of a decent place to live and be a low-income household.

Applicants will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Military veterans are encouraged to apply.

For full qualification information and homeowner participation requirements, or to receive an application, visit Habitat for Humanity’s Web site at www.lakehabitat.org , call the office at 707-994-1100 or drop by 16285A Main St. in Lower Lake.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Congratulations to Mary and John Sutton from Cobb, who recently joined the Friends of the Middletown Library and won a brand new Kindle Fire HD in the membership drive raffle.

The group thanked all who joined for the first time as well as those who renewed their memberships.

Memberships help support the local library and enable its to purchase books, magazines, newspapers, and other items that the library needs.

Memberships for the 2014 year are due now and are good through Dec. 31.

Come in and support the beautiful new library with your membership.

The next book sale will be in May and all Friends of the Middletown Library members will be able to preview and purchase books before the public sale.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around the North Coast during the coming week.

Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.

LAKE COUNTY

Highway 20

– Upgrades to the changeable message sign near Catholic Church Road will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Upgrades to the changeable message sign just east of the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Westbound traffic will be restricted to one lane. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

Highway 53

– Upgrades to the changeable message sign just south of the junction of Routes 20/53 will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 175

– AT&T of Santa Rosa has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs from the Cobb Post Office to Anderson Springs Road through Friday, Feb. 21. Work hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

MENDOCINO COUNTY

Highway 1

– AT&T of Fort Bragg has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for utility repairs near Lake Street beginning Monday, Feb. 24. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Bridge repairs at the Garcia River Bridge will continue. Work hours are 24 hours per day, weekdays. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Replacement of the Greenwood Creek Bridge will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seveb days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Golden State Bridge Inc. of Martinez.

– Guardrail repairs at various locations from Elk to Navarro Ridge Road will continue. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Coral Construction of Wilsonville.

– Bridge repairs at Blue Slide Gulch will continue. Work hours are 24 hours per day, weekdays. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Replacement of a culvert with a bridge at Dunn Creek will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays. Contractor – Shasta Construction of Redding.

Highway 20

– Bridge repairs at the East Fork Russian River Bridge will continue. Nighttime work hours are 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday evening through Friday morning. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

– Bridge repairs at the Cold Creek Bridge will continue. Nighttime work hours are 6 p.m. to 11 a.m., Sunday evening through Friday morning. One way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 101

– Caltrans will perform slide repairs near the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge (near Frog Woman Rock). Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists may experience minor traffic slowdowns.

– Upgrades to the message sign near Monica Lane will continue. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays, and 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 128

– Vegetation removal in preparation for culvert rehabilitation near the junction of Routes 1/128 will continue through Friday, Feb. 21. Work hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

Highway 253

– PG&E of Ukiah has been issued a Caltrans Encroachment permit for tree trimming from Slide Creek to the junction of Routes 101/253 through Friday, Feb. 21. Work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. One-way traffic control will be in effect. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.

The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.

For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – “Grandchildren Don’t Come with Instructions: Using Personality Typing to Improve Communication with Those You Love” will be held on Sunday, March 2.

The workshop will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and is offered as a community service by the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County, 3810 Main St., Kelseyville.

Workshop leader Bruce Maxwell is a certified master trainer of the True Colors Personality System, which he says is “a fun, informative communication system that uses colors to identify different perspectives and personalities.”

“We know that most grandparents find some areas of disconnect with their grandchildren, and some don’t connect with them at all,” said Maxwell. “This training will help participants understand their own and other personality types so that they can bridge gaps in communication and form closer relationships with grandchildren and others in their family.”

Maxwell added, “The workshop will be useful to everyone – grandparent or not – in their interactions with others.”

Advance registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Deon Pollett, 707-256-8134 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

A $10 donation is requested.

NICE, Calif. – The Sons of Italy club will hold a pasta feed on Sunday, March 2.

The dinner takes place from 2 to 5 p.m.

The meal will include pasta, salad, garlic bread and dessert for $8 per person. For meatballs or sausage, add $2. A no-host bar also will be open.

Everyone is welcome.

The Sons of Italy Hall is located at 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

For more information call 707-357-4488.