A flurry of lawsuits over Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels continued on Monday, with several Delta counties, farm groups and environmentalists joining the fray as expected. San Joaquin County invoked the draining of Owens Lake a century ago for urban Southern California, and the diversion of the San Joaquin River for agriculture, in support of its conclusion that the $17 billion tunnels would “devastate” the Delta.
A coalition of conservation groups on Monday sued the California Department of Water Resources challenging its approval of two 35-mile long tunnels that will divert water from the Sacramento River and a San Francisco area delta to Southern California. Filed in Sacramento County state court, the lawsuit said the so-called Delta tunnels project will significantly degrade the environment in an estuary east of San Francisco known as the bay-delta region and hurt the delta’s farming economy.
Two local water agencies announced today that more than 200,000 acre-feet of water has been imported into the Coachella Valley so far this year due to Californina’s wetter-than-usual winter, which should help prevent overdrafting of the aquifer. The Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency issued a joint statement touting the figure, which is more water than Coachella Valley residents and businesses are expected to use in all of 2017.
When a therapy dog refused to drink at a San Diego grade school, it was the first clue that something was wrong with the water. Tests revealed why the pup turned up its nose — the presence of polyvinyl chloride, the polymer in PVC pipes that degrade over time. But further analysis found something else that had gone undetected by the dog, the teachers and students of the San Diego Cooperative Charter School, and the school district: elevated levels of lead.
They have one of the most powerful legal weapons found in any courtroom – the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. But environmental groups, local governments and others face an uphill climb in their fight against the controversial Delta tunnels project. History suggests that suing under the California environmental law likely won’t be enough to kill the tunnels.
Now that there’s a list of projects vying for the $2.7 billion in Proposition 1 money dedicated to water storage, you’d think the chances of the proposed Sites Reservoir in Colusa County getting some of that cash would be clearer. Not so. There are few surprises in the list of projects. The uncertainty is because the decision will be made by the California Water Commission, a panel whose members are appointed by the governor, without a confirmation process so there’s no accountability. And, there is no real track record for such decisions.
When a therapy dog refused to drink at a San Diego grade school, it was the first clue that something was wrong with the water. Tests revealed why the pup turned up its nose — the presence of polyvinyl chloride, the polymer in PVC pipes that degrade over time. But further analysis found something else that had gone undetected by the dog, the teachers and students of the San Diego Cooperative Charter School, and the school district: elevated levels of lead.
Five months after California outlined a $383 million plan to slow the shrinking of the state’s largest lake, agencies will try to make sure officials honor the commitment, according to a report. The proposal announced in March involves building ponds at the north and south ends of the Salton Sea, a salty, desert lake that has suffered a string of environmental setbacks since the 1970s. The plan left agencies in the Imperial Valley unsatisfied because only $80.5 million has been approved so far — and they questioned whether the state would follow through and live up to its commitments during the next decade.
Five months ago, California outlined a $383 million plan to control dust and build thousands of acres of wetlands around the shrinking Salton Sea. But that plan left agencies in the Imperial Valley unsatisfied because only $80.5 million has been approved so far – and they questioned whether the state would follow through and live up to its commitments over the next 10 years.
In the heart of El Cajon, easily undetectable to the naked eye, lies a little slice of paradise and a great resource for those wanting to know more about San Diego County’s efforts in water efficiency. The Water Conservation Garden is a six-acre outdoor space and educational exhibit that showcases water efficiency through a series of beautiful and immersive themed gardens, such as a native plant garden and a vegetable garden, as well as how-to displays on mulching and irrigation techniques.
