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Williams Floats Groundwater Safety Bill

A new bill by Assembly member Das Williams, AB 1882, would require the State Water Resources Control Board to monitor groundwater safety by closely reviewing underground injection control (UIC) wells. Such wastewater disposal wells are used to extract oil and natural gas, thereby producing brine water, which may contain fracking chemicals, said Williams’s office, which cited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s unfavorable review of California’s UIC program and alleged contamination from UIC wells within his district.

Opposition – and an Alternative – Key to Stopping Twin Tunnels, GOP Candidate Says

Politicians who oppose the plan of Gov. Jerry Brown for twin tunnels in the Delta lose labor money, a Republican candidate for the 3rd state Senate district said Wednesday – so an out is available for them to just state they don’t support the tunnels.

Greg Coppes said at the Vaca Valley Tea Party evening meeting that people should demand that politicians oppose the twin tunnels and have a plan to stop them.

OPINION: El Nino 101: What Everyone Needs to Know

If you have never heard the term “El Nino”, you might have been living under a rock.
The common informed person is probably somewhat aware that we are amidst a record-setting El Nino, and rumors of a possible switch to La Nina later this year have also danced into the public’s ear, particularly those with an interest in commodity markets.

But comprehension of such a scenario, and what it may mean, is quite difficult without an understanding of what El Nino and La Nina actually are and why they exist.

New Fence Hints Firm is Moving Forward with Gregory Canyon Landfill

The investment company that bought the site of the proposed Gregory Canyon landfill in North County appears to be taking steps to clear the land.

Sovereign Capital has put up fencing and erected a sign along state Route 76 that reads, “Future Home – Gregory Canyon Landfill.”

As California Enters a ‘New Era’ on Water, Cities Seek Their Own Solutions

For California, which has endured four years of extraordinary drought, the state’s wet season is off to an encouraging start.

High in California’s Sierra Nevada, the state’s mountainous spine, El Niño-driven storms have piled snow and the meltwater it represents to above-normal levels. At lower elevations, heavy rains are nudging the water in many depleted reservoirs back toward their historical averages.

Effort to Restore the Salton Sea Moving Forward

An effort to renovate a small corner of the Salton Sea is moving forward near Calipatria at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.
The sea is in trouble, slowly evaporating as it’s water sources are being diverted.

If allowed to dry up completely the shrinking sea could damage the Coachella Valley’s desert environment, health and economy.

More Water Saving Urged as MWD Temporarily Closes Plant

Foothills water customers are being asked to tighten taps further and refrain from watering lawns for up to 10 days starting Feb. 29, while Metropolitan Water District of Southern California temporarily closes a La Verne treatment plant for infrastructure upgrades.
MWD is in the process of switching its Weymouth Filtration plant from a chloramine-based treatment method to ozonation, in which ozone injected into raw water creates bubbles that carry away pathogens and contaminants, spokesman Bob Muir said in an interview Friday.

Forecasters at Aquarium of the Pacific: El Niño May Be Out, La Niña May Be in

It may be goodbye for El Niño and hello to La Niña.

The once-predicted “Godzilla” storm of El Niño has thus far turned out to be a little lizard in terms of Southern California rainfall, but weather experts on Thursday offered some encouragement to those pining for more wet stuff.

Several Years of Rainfall Needed to End California Drought, Say Santa Clarita Water Agencies

As the California drought continues despite recent rainfall, water agencies in the Santa Clarita Valley say that conservation is still essential and the drought is far from over.

Snowpack through January was “trending at 115 percent of normal,” but since February was dryer than usual, currently water inflow is about average, according to Mike Alvord, assistant general manager at Newhall County Water District.

UC Santa Cruz Researchers Evaluate Groundwater Supply and Management

Court adjudication of California’s groundwater basins is more often focused on resolving conflicts among water users and less on sustainable groundwater management, according to a UC Santa Cruz study commissioned by the State Water Resources Control Board.

The finding comes in “An Evaluation of California’s Adjudicated Groundwater Basins” scheduled for release today (Feb. 18).