When the National Weather Service announced that Hurricane Harvey had set a new rainfall record for a tropical storm in the continental United States — with 51.88 inches at Cedar Bayou, Texas — that seemed to epitomize just how massive and unprecedented Harvey was. In terms of sheer volume, Harvey’s rainfall could fill the Great Salt Lake twice over.
The State of California on Friday released data on dam safety in California which found nine percent of dams statewide fall below satisfactory and could pose potential hazards in severe storms or earthquakes—including nine dams in San Diego County. The data previously, kept secret due to terrorism concerns, was disclosed after the Oroville dam spillway failure triggered concerns raised by the public and media, including East County Magazine, which recently put in a request for dam safety data in San Diego.
A head of next week’s workshop regarding the draft stipulated order for the Salton Sea, the State Water Resources Control Board has already begun to receive comments urging them to move forward with the plan as early as possible. On Sept. 7, the water board will have a public workshop in which it will review the proposed plan formally called Draft Stipulated Order – which was negotiated between the Imperial Irrigation District, Imperial County, the San Diego County Water Authority, the California Natural resources Agency and others.
The 54 dams in San Diego County are in pretty good shape, though some could present dangers in extreme circumstances, the state Department of Water Resources announced Friday. The agency’s Division of Safety of Dams released assessment data on 1,249 dams under its jurisdiction that included downstream hazard classification and any reservoir restrictions. The information reflected the most recent physical inspections and “comprehensive re-evaluations” by DSOD engineers and engineering geologists, as well as technical analyses performed by dam owners, according to the agency.
A bill that would have created a major hurdle for a company trying to sell groundwater from the Mojave Desert died in a California Senate committee on Friday, despite Gov. Jerry Brown’s call for lawmakers to approve the measure. Senate leaders decided to hold the bill during the Senate Appropriations Committee’s final hearing of the legislative session. The bill’s failure apparently removed a substantial challenge that could have blocked or stopped Cadiz Inc.’s plan of pumping as much as 16.3 billion gallons of groundwater per year on land surrounded by Mojave Trails National Monument about 75 miles northeast of Palm Springs.
The headline on an Aug. 31 Voice of San Diego story about the San Diego County Water Authority’s efforts to navigate complex operational challenges was, well, all wet. VOSD proclaimed that “Water Officials Hope to Drive Up Water Usage” – an idea that runs counter to decades of water-use efficiency and conservation efforts by our agency. In fact, the Water Authority is not trying to drive up water usage. Rather, we are developing strategies to accommodate changes in water use, specifically demands that remain well below pre-drought levels. Those are two very different things.
The San Diego County Water Authority has asked a court to throw out a June lawsuit that aimed to open the door on private meetings long held by authority board members. A 245-page court filing submitted by the agency in July hits back at public-interest attorney Cory Briggs’ “unsupported” allegation that agency board members are holding secret meetings that should be opened to the public.
The heat wave that has gripped California for a week took a dramatic turn Thursday as lightning storms sparked brush fires, knocked out power to thousands and caused downpours across the region. Forecasters said the extreme weather will continue through the weekend, with some parts of Northern California flirting with all-time record high temperatures. Lightning strikes were reported in many areas Thursday, with some sparking a series of brush fires near the 5 Freeway in the Santa Clarita Valley.
A desalination plant planned for Huntington Beach and more than a decade in the making got a small step closer toward opening, this week, after its application with the regional water district was determined to be ready for consideration. The agency also has enough information to make a decision about whether the project complies with the state’s ocean plan.
By this time next year, Camarillo officials plan to have the architectural designs, the final environmental report and the finances squared away to build a groundwater desalinization plant on a plot of farmland just off Las Posas and Somis roads. The Camarillo City Council voted unanimously Aug. 23 to have the long-planned desalter built on a nearly 5-acre property east of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Las Posas Road. Brown and Caldwell, an environmental engineering and construction firm based in Northern California, will be paid about $3 million to design the plant.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
