Few people would be shocked to learn that the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District is once again preparing to raise water rates and property taxes for the next two years, given its history of similar increases. What alarms me most is that Metropolitan is doing so using methodology that a state Superior Court judge has ruled illegal to collect money that it does not need using a process that lacks public transparency.
The Union-Tribune’s report on regional and statewide water conservation efforts (“Water conservation skid worsens across state,” April 5) omitted an important fact about the months-long effort of local residents and businesses to increase conservation — a fact that deserves to be recognized. We, as a region, saved enough water to successfully meet the state’s mandate for the initial emergency regulation period of June 2015 through February 2016.
Together, we reduced potable water use by 22 percent over this period compared to 2013 levels, outperforming the state’s aggregate target of 20 percent for the San Diego region.
People have long predicted that California could eventually collapse into the ocean following a mega earthquake. Now, an eerily similar true-life scenario is playing out — but it’s thanks to the weather.
The Gold Rush State has sunk more than 45 feet since 1935 – something the U.S. government calls the “largest human alteration of the earth’s surface.” But earthquakes aren’t the cause. It’s happening because of excessive groundwater mining brought on by drought, and geologists say all the rain in the world won’t reverse cave-ins of dirt and rock in underground aquifers.
Like other financially sound organizations, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has a robust budget process that provides fiscal stability while addressing current needs and long term objectives. This approach has resulted in the kind of essential investments to ensure the Southland has had reliable water supplies during this historic drought and prevented untold regional economic hardship — projects such as new water storage, local supply development, conservation rebates and innovative technologies.
Over the years, many of these initiatives were supported by the San Diego County Water Authority representatives on our board, though some were not.
Last December, any swimmer attempting to blindly jump into Lake Shasta—the biggest reservoir in California—would tumble, Homer Simpson cliff-jump style, down a barren, bruising drop. Water levels in the lake had fallen to more than 100 feet below their historic averages but, thanks to recent rains, they’re doing remarkably better today.
Evidence comes from a series of NASA images made with USGS Landsat data, documenting a year in Shasta’s journey from dusty decrepitude to water-plump health. They begin on April 13, 2015, when the lake surface was at a low 995 feet, exposing hundreds of miles of new, tan-colored beach:
A year ago this month, Gov. Jerry Brown called for mandatory water conservation efforts throughout California’s 400-plus urban water agencies. This emergency measure calling for a 25 percent reduction statewide compared with usage in 2013 came during the fourth consecutive year of drought.
This week, the state announced that water users had slacked off, missing that target for the past five months and ending the nine-month cumulative savings at 23.9 percent—1 percent short of the target.
With indications that water tables rose during winter rains, the Perris-based Eastern Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors Wednesday decided to lift some restrictions on outdoor water use.
“The time was right for us to act,” said EMWD Vice President David Slawson. “We sincerely appreciate our customers’ continued efforts during this unprecedented drought, and we look forward to making further adjustments as conditions continue to improve.”
New proposed permanent charges on treated water by the big seller of the commodity to Southern California could have an impact on Valley Center ranging from “significant to devastating,” according to local water chief Gary Arant.
San Diego County residents who have responded to Governor Jerry Brown’s mandates for cutting water use could find their water bills going up dramatically as a result as the supplier, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD, “The Met), thrashes around for a way to make up the money it is losing.
Lake Shasta is nearly full, gasoline prices are under $3 a gallon, significantly down from a year ago, and the overall economy continues to improve.
So there was a good bit of optimism in the room at Thursday’s Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association Tourism Summit in Redding. The event at the Red Lion Hotel drew tourism officials from across the state as they gear up for what they hope is a busier 2016 summer season.
There has been a nice improvement for the Sacramento valley region regarding the serious 4-year drought.
El Niño rain has helped to fill the reservoirs in far Northern California and has helped reduce the drought by one category in the area. It’s worth mentioning that at the beginning of this water year, 46% of the state was in top-level drought and two years ago it was 58%. With the latest update we are down to 32% of the state, which is massive, but it’s a slow and steady march to improving our water situation.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
