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Huntington Beach Desalination Plant Is Among Trump Priorities, Leaked Document Shows

A document purportedly leaked from the Trump administration indicates that the proposed desalination plant in Huntington Beach is among 50 infrastructure projects nationwide that the president has designated as a priority. The Kansas City Star and The News Tribune reported Tuesday that the $1 billion Poseidon Water desalination plant is on a list of dozens of projects across the country that would cost an estimated $137.5 billion in public-private partnerships.

 

Storms Leave Bay Area Reservoirs Above Capacity, Spilling Over

The recent storms have created a lot of concern and catastrophe in the Bay Area. An example comes in Los Gatos, where a 100-foot tall eucalyptus tree slammed down next to Lisa Gonowski’s house. “We are sleeping in our living room because of these huge eucalyptus tree,” she said. But the storm has also reduced worries about our water supply. Last summer you could see the bottom of the Almaden Reservoir. Today it is nearly full because of the storms. In addition, the Lexington, Coyote and Uvas reservoirs are above capacity and spilling over.

 

SOME RELIEF | Notable Rainfall; Ventura Talks State Water

A series of strong storms over the weekend helped to relieve the drought-stricken lands known as Ventura County. Beginning on Thursday, Jan. 19, the first of three storms made its way into the county, followed by a stronger storm on Friday — a brief interlude on Saturday — and the strongest of the storms on Sunday through Monday morning. Areas of the county experienced small debris flows and localized flooding, with one family requiring rescue by the Ventura County Fire Department after their vehicle became stuck in flood waters at an intersection of Pleasant Valley Road in Camarillo.

CVP Remains Cautious On Water Allocation

As each passing storm delivers more snowpack to the mountains and fills many California reservoirs to above-average levels, operators of the federal Central Valley Project remain cautious about projecting agricultural water supplies for the coming year. In preparation for its initial 2017 water supply announcement, expected next month, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the CVP, released an update of water conditions for its reservoirs. The largest, Shasta Lake, stood at 82 percent of capacity and 124 percent of average as of last week.

Carlsbad Power Plant Won’t Open On Time; Clean Energy Challenges Will Continue

A long planned gas-fired power station in Carlsbad that squeaked through approval largely because it was the only source that could be up and running by the end of 2017 will not be complete by that date after all. David Knox, communications director with plant owner NRG Energy, confirmed construction has not begun and the powerhouse won’t be complete until the end of 2018, or later if there are further legal appeals. An inewsource examination of utility filings has also found the new plant will be much dirtier than its original design.

California Farmers Can’t Win As Monster Storms Threaten Crops

January’s monster storms and flooding in California inundated farmlands up and down the state, dealing a blow to crops of vegetables, citrus and nuts. While the series of tropical storms benefited some drought-stricken areas of the state, the heavy rains brought flooding to vineyards in Northern California and harvest delays further south for vegetable growers. Some citrus and nut growers were hurt too, including the loss of trees during strong winds.

California Storms: Why Aren’t We Storing More Of That Water?

State weathers storms but wastes the water. Regarding “Opposing views on the anti-Trump protests” (Jan. 24): The Sierra Nevada Mountains are 40,000 square miles — roughly 25 million acres. They are currently covered with five to 15 feet of snow, perhaps as much as 25 million acre feet of water that is worth more than $30 billion. However, our California politicians have not built one dam or created one new reservoir since 1979 while our population has nearly doubled. Instead we waste billions on a bullet train that is likely to become a boondoggle of epic proportions.

Desalination Plant Reportedly On List Of Trump’s Priority Projects

A document purportedly leaked by the Trump administration identifies the proposed Poseidon Water desalination plant in Huntington Beach as a priority project for the new president’s private-public partnership agenda. The document, titled “Emergency and National Security Projects,” lists 50 projects around the country that total about $137.5 billion. According to the report, 50% of the funding would come from private sources. The proposed $1-billion Poseidon Water desalination project, which would be built next to the AES power plant at Newland Street and Pacific Coast Highway, taking advantage of some of that facility’s infrastructure, is listed as No. 44 on the document.

When Will Soggy California Drop Water Restrictions?

Much of California has gone from withered to water-logged this winter, but the state’s top water regulator is not ready to lift emergency conservation measures enacted during the height of the drought. “It makes the most sense to continue steady as she goes,” State Water Resources Control Board chairwoman Felicia Marcus told The Associated Press after the latest in a series of storms brought more snow to the mountains and record-breaking rainfall to parts of Southern California.

Folsom Lake Less Than Half Full After Recent Rains. Residents Ask: Why So Dry?

Northern California is on track to break rainfall records. Water has gushed through a weir into the Yolo Bypass floodplain at levels not seen in more than a decade. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is nearly double historical averages. But you wouldn’t know the region has experienced an exceptionally wet winter looking at the steep, dry shores ringing the Sacramento region’s largest reservoir, Folsom Lake. On Wednesday, the lake was filled to just 41 percent capacity – 80 percent of its historical average.