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Ted Cruz Has a Delta Smelt Plan: Disco Ball, a Little Barry White

/in /by /The Sacramento Bee by By Christopher Cadelago

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, speaking at the state Republican Party Convention, dug into the state’s complex water policies Saturday, suggesting that it might be possible to replenish the Delta smelt population with a little romantic music and a disco ball.

More than a trillion gallons of fresh water have been dumped into the Pacific Ocean “because of a little three-inch bait fish,” Cruz said, saying the state’s environmental policies have overreached in protecting it.

 

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OPINION: State Officials Must Maintain Smart Water Policies

/in /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)

Coachella Valley water agencies are again making the case that the state should ease its drought restrictions, especially for those here in the desert.

Officials argue that this region’s unique circumstances – the hot climate, a varying tourist season/year-round population mix that distorts actual per capita usage and access to groundwater as well as surface water sources – should be considered in the decision-making process rather than following a more one-size-fits-all approach statewide.

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Weighing the Pros and Cons of Keeping Your Lawn Green

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by By Pat Setter

With the drought continuing in California despite El Niño, more and more homeowners are considering alternatives to thirsty lawns. But before pulling up the turf, consider your options and their advantages and disadvantages.

Grass typically uses about 60 gallons of water per week for every 10-by-10-foot area. That can add up in a hurry. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 30 to 60 percent of a household’s water usage goes toward landscape irrigation.

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OPINION: Inevitable Changes in California’s Water Supply

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby By Jay Lund

California faces major changes in its water supply. The sooner everyone realizes these changes are coming, the better the state will be able to cope with what lies ahead.

Today’s changes are driven by efforts to end groundwater depletion, by sea level rise and loss of snowpack, salts and nitrate accumulating in groundwater, new invasive species, population growth and California’s globalized economy and agriculture.

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Water Authority Plan Forecasts 14% Lower Water Use in 2020

/in /by /Times of San Diego by By Chris Jennewein Quoted: Bob Yamada

Thanks largely to conservation efforts, the San Diego County Water Authority’s latest water management plan envisions the region will use 14 percent less water in 2020 than originally forecast.

The latest draft of the 2015 Urban Water Management Plan was released for public review on Friday. It is available online. The water authority estimates that future water demands will be about 14 percent lower in 2020 and 15 percent lower in 2035 compared to projections in the 2010 plan.

 

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