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On January 10, 1957, the Water Authority’s Board of Directors approved construction of the Second San Diego Aqueduct.

1957: Second San Diego Aqueduct Approved To Support Growing Region

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After completion of Pipeline 2, in the First San Diego Aqueduct in 1954, it soon became clear additional water would be needed to sustain the growing region. On January 10, 1957, the Water Authority’s Board of Directors approved preliminary plans for the construction of the Second San Diego Aqueduct. The general manager was directed to expand the engineering staff and prepare construction drawings and specifications for building another aqueduct, which eventually extended from the Metropolitan Water District’s delivery point in North County to the City of San Diego’s Otay Reservoir.

Over the next 25 years, three pipelines were completed in the Second Aqueduct, bringing the Water Authority’s total pipeline capacity to about 1 million acre-feet per year.

 

California WaterFix Start Dates Raise Red Flags

/in , /by /The Press (Brentwood) by Tony Kukulich

An application submitted by the Delta Conveyance Finance Authority (DCFA) seeking $1.6 billion in federal funding to support the California WaterFix project has raised some eyebrows.

The application indicates dates for the issuance of construction permits and the start of tunnel construction.

“They emphatically state that they’re going to have the permit in their hand on Dec. 14 and construction begins Dec. 15,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. “So either the permit in front of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is a fait accompli or these guys are just straight out lying to the federal government and marching in with a lot of hubris.”

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Arizona May Have To Cut Back On Water Use in 2020, Outlook Says

/in , /by /Arizona Republicby Joshua Bowling

Arizona will avoid a water shortage next year, but water users may be forced to cut back in 2020, according to a new federal report released Wednesday.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s outlook comes as Arizona managers and stakeholders work to finalize a drought-contingency plan in time for the next legislative session. Overallocation, climate change and long-term drought have contributed to Lake Mead’s decline, where water levels hover just a few feet above shortage triggers.

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State Water Board Won’t Vote Until Next Week on Controversial River Flow Plan

/in , /by /Modesto Beeby Ken Carlson

The State Water Board is making it clear that it won’t vote next week on a much-disputed proposal to require higher river flows for improving water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta.

Felicia Marcus, who chairs the water board, said in a letter Wednesday to the California Natural Resources Agency that final action will be taken at a board meeting later.

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OPINION: Unfinished Business On Water

/in , /by /Davis Enterpriseby Wade Crowfoot

In the latest Public Policy Institute of California poll, voters said drought, water supply, and water pollution are the state’s most pressing environmental challenge.

Californians recognize that water fuels our economy, grows our food, and sustains our natural places.

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81-Degree Reading Likely Sets Record For Highest Temperature Ever Measured in California Waters

/in , /by /SF Gateby Amy Graff

Two buoys off the coast of San Diego last week recorded what researchers believe could be the highest temperature ever measured in California waters.

A sea-surface temperature of 81.3 degrees was logged Thursday by both the Torrey Pines buoy (7.3 miles offshore) and the neighboring Scripps Nearshore buoy (.7 miles from the coast). The buoys are two of 25 managed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California.

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Great Groundcovers To Consider as Lawn Substitutes

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You may have decided to replace your thirsty traditional lawn in your new sustainable landscape. What options are available for  some kind of natural plant element rather than covering the same area with hardscaping?  

Consider replacing the lawn with a groundcover type plant. There are many good choices that make good lawn substitutes and grow well in San Diego’s six climate zones. Several of them fall into the very low or low Plant Factor categories, which means they require less water than the same amount of grass.  

Very Low Plant Factor choices include: 

  • Silver Carpet (Dymondia margaretae) 
  • Bluff California Lilac (Ceanothus maritimus)

Low Plant Factor choices include:  

Lawn Substitutes groundcovers

Bee’s bliss sage also attracts valuable pollinators.

  • Pink Yarrow (Achillea millefolium rosea) 
  • Gold Coin Plant (Asteriscus maritumus) 
  • Sundrops (Calylophus hartwegii)
    Carmel Mountain ceanothus 
  • Dwarf Mat Rush (Lomandra longfolia) 
  • Bee’s Bliss Sage (Salvia) 
  • Wooly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanguinosus) 
  • Blue Chalksticks (Senecio serpens) 

Moderate Plant Factor choices include: 

Beach Strawberry lawn substitutes

Beach Strawberry makes an attractive lawn substitute.

  • Creeping Manzanita ‘Carmel Sur’ (Arctostaphylos edmunsii) 
  • Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) 
  • Pink yarrow, sages, and lilacs also support the lifecycle of butterflies, which are important pollinators.  

This article was inspired by the 71-page Sustainable Landscapes Program guidebook available at SustainableLandscapesSD.org. The Water Authority and its partners also offer other great resources for landscaping upgrades, including free WaterSmart classes at WaterSmartSD.org.   

READ MORE: Inspiring Charge At The Water Conservation Garden

 

 

  

OPINION: If We’re Smart, We Can Find Enough Water For All Of Us

/in , /by /Modesto Beeby Patrick Koepele

The Modesto Bee has expressed a strong negative opinion of the State Water Resources Control Board’s proposal to require additional water to be left in the Tuolumne River and other San Joaquin tributaries to improve water quality and the environment.

Regrettably, what has received little attention in this debate are the opportunities for improving water management to meet the agricultural and environmental demands placed on these rivers.

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Unusually Warm Southern California Ocean Helps Break Temperature Records in San Diego

/in , /by /The Weather Channelby Chris Dolce

Sea-surface temperatures along the coast of Southern California have grown unusually warm in the last month, contributing to record-breaking temperatures and uncomfortable humidity in San Diego.

The ocean temperatures warmed from a hot weather pattern in place across California this summer, which vaulted the state to its warmest July on record. The hotter-than-average conditions are due to a persistent area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere.

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California Public Utilities Commission’s Proposed Decision Backs Cal Am Desalination Project

/in , /by /Monterey Heraldby Jim Johnson

In a major development for California American Water’s long-sought desalination project, the California Public Utilities Commission has issued a proposed decision recommending approval of the proposal known as the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project.

In a 223-page filing, a three-judge panel found that Cal Am’s desal project is the best option available to provide the Monterey Peninsula with a timely replacement water supply to offset the state water board’s Carmel River pumping cutback order and the need to reduce pumping from the adjudicated Seaside basin. Judges Gary Weatherford, Robert Haga and Darcie Houck also recommended certifying the project’s combined environmental review document, arguing that project impacts could either be mitigated or would be outweighed by the project’s benefits.

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