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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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California Almond Harvest May Break Records Despite Drought

/in /by /CNBCby Jeff Daniels

With the drought easing in parts of California, this year’s almond harvest is shaping up to be a record haul for the state that could help its growers crack the nut on more sales. The harvest underway in California’s San Joaquin Valley is expected to result in an estimated 2.05 billion pounds of almonds this season, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s up about 8 percent from last year and would shatter 2011’s record crop, which weighed in at 2.03 billion pounds.

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BLOG: Experts Weigh In: California’s Biggest Water Policy Priorities

/in /by /Water Deeply (New York)by Eline Gordts

Five years into a drought, California is facing essential decisions about its water future. It’s implementing new groundwater law, weighing the pros and cons of a large infrastructure project for water supply and beefing up its data collection. But there’s more to do. Water Deeply asked four experts who work in different arenas of California water issues what they think should be California’s biggest policy priority to address in the next year. Here’s what they had to say.

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California Farm Revenue Plunges in 2015

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

Farm revenue in California dropped by more than $9 billion last year as the drought forced farmers to scramble for water and crucial commodities declined in price, according to data released by the state and federal governments Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s economic research service said farm income totaled $47.07 billion last year in California. That compared with a record $56.61 billion in 2014. All through the drought, which has cut off deliveries of surface water supplies to large swaths of the Central Valley, farmers have been able to increase revenue by pumping more groundwater and switching to high-dollar crops such as almonds.

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Artificial Turf Fields Taking Shape in Encinitas

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Barbara Henry

Work is well under way on new artificial turf playing fields at Leo Mullen Sports Park in Encinitas, and kids should be able to play on the new surface soon if all goes as planned. Part of the project’s $1 million price tag is being covered by a $171,248 water rebate from the Metropolitan Water District, and in order to receive that money, the city has to have the construction activity “substantially complete” by Sept. 6. “We actually think we’ll get the project done before that,” said city Public Works Director Glenn Pruim.

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Brown Signs Bill Allowing Utilities to Fine Water Wasters

/in /by /SCVTV (Santa Clarita) Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

California water suppliers can begin warning and fining residential users for excessive water use during drought emergencies under a bill signed Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown. California’s more than 400 urban water suppliers will be tasked with creating a scheme that identifies water-guzzling water homeowners drought emergencies as well as implementing a system to hand out warnings and potential fines. Senate Bill 814 takes effect Jan. 1 and gives suppliers the authority to create new rate structures for high-volume water offenders. The law also authorizes fines of $500 per each 748 gallons used above the district’s maximum threshold.

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