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Tracing Water’s Path Through the Santa Clara Valley Aquifer

California governor Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency in January 2014, following years of wintertime rainfall levels dipping below historic averages. A lack of rainfall throughout 2015—precipitation was 20% below average—sustained the drought. Surface water levels got so low that residents had to increasingly tap into groundwater resources in order to meet agricultural, urban, and industrial needs. This usage put immense pressure on groundwater resources and made it extremely difficult to manage water resources across the state.

South Coast Board Poised to Make Another Decision on Doheny Desalination Facility

A proposed desalination facility producing 5 million gallons of drinkable water a day would satisfy the needs of all South Coast Water District customers, district General Manager Andy Brunhart said this week, though he added the agency would not rely completely on that source to serve ratepayers. The 5-acre Doheny Ocean Desalination Project would be built on 30 acres of district-owned property near San Juan Creek in Dana Point. “We would never want to be 100% desalinated water,” Brunhart said Thursday. “We always want to take some [imported] water so pumps do not rust and decay.”

Oroville Dam: Coalition, Politicians Say D.C. Lobbying Trip a Success

Representatives for Oroville and downstream communities affected by the spillway crisis said they got the attention they were seeking in Washington this week. Sen. Jim Nielsen, Assemblyman James Gallagher, and members of the Oroville Dam Coalition are seeking federal assistance on issues relating to the dam they say need to be resolved. They met with commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and representatives for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Dudek to Study Rainbow Municipal Water District Groundwater Recovery Potential

Dudek will be studying the possibility of the Rainbow Municipal Water District obtaining some of its water supply from the Bonsall Groundwater Basin of the San Luis Rey River. The board voted 5-0 to approve a $572,903 contract with Dudek, Oct. 24, to provide engineering services for studies which would bring a Bonsall Groundwater Basin desalter project closer to implementation. “This project is to evaluate what water rights we have in the Bonsall basin and the feasibility of extracting that,” Rainbow general manager Tom Kennedy said.

Academy Offers Emerging Leaders Foundational Lessons About Water

Few issues are more important to me than inspiring young leaders to become advocates for a clean, reliable supply of water that supports everything we do in San Diego County – from our manufacturing and biotech businesses, to our farms, to our incredible tourism industry. And there’s no better way to understand the complexities of water than the Citizens Water Academy, an award-winning, innovative program of the San Diego County Water Authority designed to educate up-and-coming professionals about our region’s most vital natural resources.