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Officials Scrambled To Seal Twin Tunnels Deal Out Of Fear Newsom Could Kill It

/in , /by /Voice Of San Diegoby Ry Rivard Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Water officials and members of Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration rushed to seal the deal on a multibillion-dollar plan to build two tunnels to move water south from Northern California partly out of fear that Gavin Newsom could undo the whole plan if he becomes governor, newly released documents show. In fact, the jockeying was so intense, watchdog groups have alleged the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California broke state open meeting laws when it approved the project two months ago, and now Metropolitan is planning to re-vote.

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OPINION: Can You Believe California Has Same-Day Laundry And Shower Limits? No, You Can’t.

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Luis Gomez

Is it suddenly illegal for Californians to take a shower and do laundry on the same day? And are Californians fleeing the state because of these “limits”? No. Seriously — no. A conservative columnist drew pushback and other reactions on social media on Wednesday when she made the declaration about ex-Californians in a column and tied it to a bogus claim that a new state law makes it illegal for people to shower and do their laundry on the same day.

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San Diego Is Getting A Future ‘WaterFix’

/in , /by /The Coast Newsby Adam Bradley

San Diegans are you ready for a WaterFix? Maybe you’d like water that is more reliable and tastes better? It’s on its way, but there are a few more approvals needed before this can happen, according to Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger. The project, called California WaterFix, is expected to modernize the state’s decades-old water delivery system by building three new water intakes in the northern Delta and two tunnels to carry the water under the Delta to the existing aqueduct systems in the southern Delta that delivers water to cities and farms.

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SoCal Water Giant Will Redo Delta Tunnels Vote Amid Pushback

/in , /by /Courthouse News Service (Pasadena)by Nick Cahill

Dodging claims that it violated open government and transparency laws before voting to spend $10 billion on a contentious water project, California’s largest water supplier said Thursday it will vote again. Despite acknowledging that some of its board members privately discussed the contentious project known as the Delta Tunnels before a critical April vote, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California insists it didn’t violate the state’s revered Brown Act.

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O.C. Water District Delays Vote On Huntington Beach Desalination Project’s Rate Plan

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Priscella Vega Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Orange County Water District delayed voting Wednesday on updated terms for buying water from the proposed Huntington Beach ocean desalination plant. Board members wanted more time to review the rate plan and gather additional community feedback on an updated rate sheet, which was made public Friday with the meeting agenda. Several community members, environmental activists and water district representatives raised concerns. The 10-member board voted unanimously to reconsider the proposal July 18. If approved, the non-binding, updated term sheet would shorten the length of the contract between the water district and Poseidon Water from 50 years to 30 or 35 years.

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House Backs $3 Billion Bill To Boost Ports, Dams, Harbors

/in , /by /Associated Pressby Matthew Daly

The House on Wednesday night approved a nearly $3 billion bill to improve the nation’s ports, dams and harbors, protect against floods, restore shorelines and support other water-related projects. The Water Resources Development Act would authorize a host of projects nationwide, including nearly $1 billion for a massive project to stem coastal erosion in Galveston, Texas, and restore wetlands and marshes damaged by Hurricane Harvey.

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Early outreach project at the Del Mar Fair in summer 1965, promoting 'pure Northern California water.'

1965: Outreach Efforts at the Del Mar Fair

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In the summer of 1965, the San Diego County Water Authority held one of its first outreach events at the Del Mar Fair – long before it was called the San Diego County Fair and before the Water Authority had a formal public relations department. For the Fair’s summer run, a 2,500-gallon stainless steel tank trunk was hired to deliver ‘pure Northern California water’ to 30,000 fairgoers from June 25 to July 5, 1965. The event was designed to showcase State Water Project supplies which would eventually be delivered through the California Aqueduct. A new brochure was also developed and distributed to 7,000 people.

Use a soil probe to test how well irrigation dispenses into your landscape. Photo: Courtesy University of Florida/Creative Commons use soil probe

Take the Test: Use a Soil Probe

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If you want to create a healthy, thriving landscape full of beautiful plants, you need to know how to use an important soil management tool: a soil probe. 

Irrigation is essential to keep your landscaping green and growing. But to do so, you need to know as much as possible about your soils. One way is to use the Jar Test.

You should also use a soil probe. A soil probe lets you determine a lot more information about the soils in your landscaping. It helps you learn whether your irrigation water is successfully reaching the roots of your plants, or even if it soaks in too deep past the reach of plant roots.  

Without a good picture of your soil profile, you can’t answer questions about effective irrigation. Variability across your landscape could result in different types of soils in different areas, or in soil layers extending different depths.  

A good soil probe will help you figure out when irrigation water has reached the right depth for landscaping plants. It is a simple process with the right tools. 

When your soil is moist, a soil probe should go into the ground easily. Your soil probe will stop when it hits hard, dry dirt and won’t go further.  

How Low Should Your Irrigation Go?  

If your probe stops, it could be hitting a rock, so you may want to reposition it a few inches away and try again. If you are confident you’ve just hit dry soil, put your fingers around the probe at the soil surface, and pull it out. Measure the depth in inches to learn how deep your irrigation penetrates the soil. 

To properly irrigate your plants, understand the depth of their roots. Trees send their roots much deeper into the soil than shrubs, and shrubs have deeper roots than bedding plants like annual and perennial flowers or vegetables.  

Most plants will do fine as long as the top foot of soil is filled with water when you irrigate. Shrubs should be irrigated to a depth of two feet, and trees irrigated to a depth of three feet.  

You can purchase a soil probe at any general hardware story or gardening center. A basic soil probe costs between $30 and $80, but there are high-tech probes costing up to $300.  

This article was inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook available at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. Hardcopies are available free of charge at the Water Authority’s headquarters, 4677 Overland Ave., Kearny Mesa. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.   

 

 

  

No, Californians, You Won’t Be Fined $1,000 If You Shower And Do Laundry The Same Day

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler

No, Californians, it’s not against the law to shower and do laundry on the same day — even though loud voices in the conservative blogosphere are claiming it is. Taking aim at two water-conservation laws signed last week by Gov. Jerry Brown, a conspiratorial far-right financial blog called Zero Hedge reported Sunday that Californians could be fined $1,000 a day if they bathe and wash their clothes on the same day. “If you don’t plan to comply it’s going to be way cheaper to move,” the blog post stated.

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Californians Approve Measure To Fund Parks, Conservation

/in , /by /Associated Pressby Amy Taxin

California voters have approved a ballot measure allowing the state borrow $4 billion for parks and conservation projects that proponents say will help ensure access to clean drinking water. Proposition 68 — one of five statewide measures on the ballot — passed Tuesday with 56 percent of the vote. The measure lets California issue general obligation bonds to fund parks in underserved neighborhoods and provide money for flood-prevention and clean drinking water projects. It also includes $200 million to help preserve the state’s largest lake, the Salton Sea, which has been evaporating since San Diego’s regional water agency stopped sending it water.

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