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Balboa Park Upgrades Will Save 2.4 Million Gallons a Year

Recently completed upgrades to water fixtures in nine historic buildings in Balboa Park will save an estimated 2.4 million gallons of water a year. The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership in cooperation with the San Diego County Water Authority and San Diego Gas & Electric installed 365 high-efficiency water fixtures throughout the park. The $166,000 project,  completed last week, will cut water use in restrooms by more than half, and also save energy. In addition, new signage at the popular local and tourist destination promotes water-use efficiency.

 

Water Agency’s Davis Appointed New State Water Resources Chief

California Governor Jerry Brown has named Sonoma County Water Agency General Manager Grant Davis as the new director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The appointment, which requires state Senate confirmation, means Davis takes over Aug. 1 as head of the state agency that oversees California’s water supplies. Davis, 54, has been general manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency since 2010 when he took over after retirement of Randy Poole. The Davis era at the Water Agency has won praise for transparency and progressive policies in water conservation and environmental restoration of the Russian River watershed.

Schwarzenegger Joins Jerry Brown As He Extends Climate Bill

When Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California, he backed environmental legislation that led to one of the world’s most closely watched initiatives in the fight against global warming. On Tuesday, Schwarzenegger joined his successor, Jerry Brown, as Brown signed legislation that kept alive a cap and trade program that both men have urged the rest of the world to emulate. The program puts a cap and a price on carbon emissions, creating an incentive for polluters to reduce emissions.

 

BLOG: The Drought Is Over, But Sacramento Wants You To Reduce Lawn Watering Permanently

The drought is over, but Sacramento water officials want to make permanent some of the region’s most restrictive lawn watering rules. The Department of Utilities wants to change the city code to allow sprinkler system watering two days a week during the summer, down from three in typical rainfall years. It will also increase the fines for a second violation of the rules from $25 to $50.Sacramento has kept its twice-weekly drought restrictions in place while other cities have eased rules. The plan, which a City Council subcommittee will consider on Tuesday, isn’t just about slashing water use.

Lake Tahoe Nears Full Capacity For First Time In 11 Years

For the first time in 11 years, Lake Tahoe is nearing capacity thanks to snow melt coming off of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The lake level peaked at 6,229 feet on July 9, coming extremely close to its full capacity level of 6,229.1, which hasn’t been reached in over a decade, SF Gate reported. The waterway has managed to flourish despite increased evaporation on its surface. In the summer, evaporation from lakes like Tahoe is generally more efficient due to windier and warmer conditions, according to weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles.

Delta Tunnels Project Reaches Key Milestone As Opponents May Sue

The state has reached a key milestone in its $15.7 billion proposal to build tunnel bypasses around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta as an environmental group is threatening to sue to stop it.The twin tunnels, both 40 feet in diameter and 35 miles long, would be California’s most ambitious water project since the 1950s and 1960s. The project would enable Sacramento River water to be sent directly to southern and central California farms and cities, bypassing the Delta.

 

 

Speculation About Oroville Dam’s ‘Green Spot’ Grows

A new report from a UC Berkeley group researching what caused the Lake Oroville spillway to fail in February is concerned that a green spot on the nation’s tallest dam might mean it is leaking. This is not the first time the “green spot” on the southern end of Oroville Dam has been brought up. It has been asked and answered at community meetings, where state Department of Water Resources officials have said it is caused by rain or is a natural spring. Robert Bea and his team at UC Berkeley are far from convinced.

Speculation About Oroville Dam’s ‘Green Spot’ Grows

A new report from a UC Berkeley group researching what caused the Lake Oroville spillway to fail in February is concerned that a green spot on the nation’s tallest dam might mean it is leaking. This is not the first time the “green spot” on the southern end of Oroville Dam has been brought up. It has been asked and answered at community meetings, where state Department of Water Resources officials have said it is caused by rain or is a natural spring.