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Delta Smelt: California Experiment Offers Hope For Fish Near Extinction

/in /by /The San Jose Mercury Newsby Denis Cuff

Offering a ray of hope in the struggle to save a tiny fish enmeshed in California’s water disputes, state officials say they have found a way to move around river water to produce more food for hungry or starving Delta smelt. The endangered fish, at record low numbers, has been hurt by a long-term decline in tiny water plants and creatures at the base of the food chain in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a source of water for 25 million Californians.

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California Water Guzzlers to Face New Penalties, Possible Public Disclosure of Names

/in /by /The San Jose Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

California’s top water guzzlers — the people who use tens of thousands of gallons more than their neighbors to keep lawns bright green during serious droughts — could soon be hit with higher water bills and their names made public if the drought continues. A law signed late Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown requires retail urban water suppliers with more than 3,000 customers to put in place rules that define “excessive water use” and impose them during drought emergencies.

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The Desalination Plant Is Finished But the Debate Over It Isn’t

/in /by /Voice of San Diegoby Ry Rivard Quoted: Mark Weston and Tom Kennedy

The country’s largest desalination plant is in the ground at Carlsbad and its water is in our pipes, but the debate over whether it was a wise or economical investment continues.The ability to turn salty ocean water into drinking water creates a dependable water supply for 3 million people in San Diego County. Even without a drought continuing across California, the ability to constantly sip from the ocean seems like an obvious plus. There are downsides, though: The desalination process is energy-intensive and its water is currently far more expensive than our other water supplies.

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Heat and Withered Brush Feed Wildfires Burning in Riverside, Orange Counties

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Joseph Serna and Matt Hamilton

Warm temperatures, low humidity and withered brush fed a wildfire in the rugged Orange County hills that charred 155 acres Wednesday as crews hustled to stop the spread of the flames. In neighboring Riverside County, firefighters continued to battle the Bogart fire, which grew to more than 2 square miles. The Holy fire started in the early morning just east of Trabuco Canyon in the Cleveland National Forest, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz. By late Wednesday, the blaze was 5% contained.

 

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Desalination Plant Serves 10 Billion Gallons of Water

/in /by /The CW6by Carlos Correa Quoted: Jeremy Crutchfield

Since the Carlsbad Desalination Plant went online last December, you have probably noticed the difference in your water bill. Well, that extra cash is going back into paying for the project.This project was in development for 16 years and even though it’s extremely expensive, more agencies are looking to build similar plants up and down California.The water at the Claude Bud Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is flowing about 10 billion gallons of fresh drinking water since it went online at the end of last year.

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