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Growing Water Crisis in Borrego

The water crisis in Borrego Springs is as simple to understand as it will be difficult to solve. The elephant in the room is farming.

Citrus and palm ranches in northern Borrego Springs are sucking huge amounts of water from the underground lake beneath their land — far more than the state is likely to allow in the future. The problem: Borrego Springs, home to about 3,000 permanent residents in the desert of northeast San Diego County, has no feasible way to import water.

BLOG: Water Industry Must Adapt to Changing Weather Conditions

California has been experiencing drought conditions for five years. With La Niña expected this winter, these water-scarce conditions are expected to continue, and California is not alone. Other U.S. states as well as countries and regions around the globe, such as Australia and the Middle East, must contend with drought. In this issue, we feature an article on the four types of drought and ways consumers, water dealers and treatment professionals can help minimize or prevent drought conditions. This article also discusses how to conserve water when experiencing water scarcity in a region.

Wildfire Risks Still High Despite Wetter Winter

Even with the rains this past winter, wildfire risks still remain high. Fire officials sent out a strong reminder Monday that we all need to do our parts now.

“Going into this fire season, all bets are off on anticipated fire behavior,” Cal Fire director Ken Pimlott said. Crews will be dealing with even more challenges as California enters another drought-stricken year.

California: 12 Million Trees have Perished in the Last Year—Died from Drought ‘Heart Attacks’

Scientists in the US have identified the factors that make a tree more likely to perish in a drought, after conducting an exhaustive examination of 33 separate scientific studies of tree mortality involving 475 species and 760,000 individual trees.

The answer they come up with is that the deciding factor is how efficiently trees draw water from the ground to their leaf tips. This is not a surprising conclusion, but scientists don’t trust the obvious: they like to check these things.

 

Groundbreaking Levee Project to Restore Ecosystem

Ground was broken on a new levee Monday morning in Hamilton City. Leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District and Reclamation District 2140 joined Congressman Doug LaMalfa and John Garamendi, as well as state and local officials, during the ceremony.

The event kicked off nearly seven miles of expected levee improvements and 1,500 acres of ecosystem restoration. The Hamilton City community relies on the existing levee to contain Sacramento River flows. The levee does not meet current levee construction standards, as it was constructed originally in 1904. In the last 20 years, the community has had to evacuate six times.

 

Water Authority Plan Sees Reliable Water Supply for Decades to Come

San Diego County will continue to have a safe and reliable water supply for decades because of the development of drought-resilient water resources and emphasis on water-use efficiency, according to the San Diego County Water Authority’s draft Urban Water Management Plan.

The draft plan was released for public review, starting a public comment period that will include a public hearing on May 26 during the regular meeting of the Water Authority Board of Directors. The board will consider adoption of the plan during its regular meeting on June 23.

 

Sun Shines in San Diego, but Few Install Solar Hot Water

Nearly 40 years after California began offering inducements to people to heat their shower water using the sun, Brad Heavner of the California Solar Energy Industries Association still has to remind them the technology even exists.

When most people think about solar energy, they think about solar photovoltaic panels that make electricity. “But there’s also solar water heating systems that are very effective at using energy from the sun,” Heavner said. Panels that heat water are not sparkle blue. Instead, they are often a dull black inside. It’s all about absorption. And they are larger than panels for electricity.