You are now in Agency News News category.

A new emergency generator kept water servicie running during recent wildfires in the Fallbrook PUD service area. Photo: Fallbrook PUD emergency preparedness

Emergency Preparedness Pays Off for Fallbrook PUD

/in , /by

When residents in De Luz were forced to evacuate about 100 homes during the Rock Fire in July, an emergency generator installed by the Fallbrook Public Utility District proved its value by providing water to help firefighters extinguish the blaze.

The generator was installed about a year ago at the Donnil Pump Station at a cost of about $140,000. Since then, several fires have sparked in the hilly backcountry community north of Fallbrook.

The quick-burning Rock Fire broke out mid-afternoon on July 28 near Sandia Creek and Rock Mountain just south of the Riverside County line. The blaze grew quickly to 74 acres within two hours. Nearby residents were advised to evacuate, affecting about 100 homes.

San Diego Gas & Electric shut off the power for safety to 530 residents in the area at 4:12 p.m., according to information on the SDG&E outage website. The outage cut power to the pump station. FPUD kept water running thanks to the new generator, which is among several recent district projects and upgrades designed to maintain water service during emergencies.

The fire grew to 225 acres, but by 7:30 p.m. the forward spread was stopped. Power was restored gradually through the night, and the evacuation order was lifted the next morning.

Important community safeguard now in place

“Now, we can cover nearly all of the De Luz area during a power outage,” said FPUD General Manager Jack Bebee. “Fire has the potential to quickly spread, so this is a very important safeguard to have in place.”

The Donnil Pump Station conveys water from the San Diego County Water Authority’s aqueduct to the high-pressure zone in De Luz. The station was built before FPUD merged with De Luz Heights Municipal Water District in 1990, and it serves as the principal pump station in that area.

The pump station was upgraded as part of the district’s capital improvement plan. Without an emergency generator, water supply to the area could be cut off during a power outage. If that occurs during a wildfire, it could reduce flows for firefighters when they need it most to protect the community.

 

 

Emergency Preparedness Pays Off For Fallbrook PUD

/in , /by /Water News Network

When residents in De Luz were forced to evacuate about 100 homes during the Rock Fire in July, an emergency generator installed by the Fallbrook Public Utility District proved its value by providing water to help firefighters extinguish the blaze. The generator was installed about a year ago at the Donnil Pump Station at a cost of about $140,000. Since then, several fires have sparked in the hilly backcountry community north of Fallbrook.

 

Full Story

Pacific Storm To Bring Rain, Mountain Snow To California

/in , /by /The Associated Press

California will see widespread rain and heavy Sierra Nevada snowfall through midweek, potentially bringing travel problems and raising the risk of damaging runoff from wildfire burn scars, forecasters said Tuesday. The wet pattern from a deep atmospheric fetch of Pacific moisture marks a significant change in the weather following conditions that contributed to disastrous and deadly wildfires up and down California, where hundreds of thousands of acres have burned this year.

 

Full Story

Dry And Getting Drier: Southwestern Water Scarcity The New Norm, Climate Study Says

/in , /by /KUNC (Greeley, Colo.)by Luke Runyon

The effects of climate change are not far off problems for future generations. They are existential problems for everyone alive today. That’s one big takeaway from the U.S. federal government’s latest roundup of climate science, the National Climate Assessment, now in its fourth iteration. Released the day after Thanksgiving, the newest report is unequivocal. In heavily footnoted, short declarative sentences it urgently tells readers that climate change is happening, it’s human-caused, and it could make life in the Western U.S. increasingly difficult.

Full Story

EPA Gives $614-million Loan To San Diego For Pure Water Project Development

/in , /by /CBS 8

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer accepted a nine- figure loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday to help the city finance phase one of the Pure Water San Diego water recycling program. Faulconer joined EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to formally claim the $614 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan. The city estimates that the first phase of the program will cost roughly $1.4 billion, including funding from the loan.

Full Story
Give new landscaping plants plenty of room to grow and thrive. Photo: Water Authority

Give New Landscape Plants Space To Grow

/in , /by

When choosing plants for new sustainable landscapes, it’s important to account for the height and the width of each plant species when it matures. This allows you to properly space plants in the landscape without having them feel crowded.  

Proper plant placement, taking into account the mature plant’s size, also should limit the need for future pruning, and reduce the amount of maintenance required in the long run. 

Natural plant shapes and sizes maximize habitat value, but wildfire prevention requires regular pruning and removal of dead plant materials.  

The spacing chart below helps to judge how many plants are needed per square foot, based on the mature size of the plants.  

Space plants on your landscaping plan at their full mature size, not the size when you first plant them. Graphic: Water Authority

Space plants on your landscaping plan at their full mature size, not the size when you first plant them. Graphic: Water Authority

Scale your plants at maturity 

On your landscaping plan, use circles to note the size of every plant at maturity using a scale in which one inch equals four feet. Use colored pencils to note different water needs of the plants selected. It will make it easier to group plants into their proper irrigation zones (hydrozones).

Wide canopy trees that grow to 20 or 30 feet in diameter will significantly change the landscaping over time. Consider whether a tree will cover a large section of landscaping with shade that is currently getting full sun. If plants that thrive in full sun are eventually covered in shade, the landscaping may need to be revised in the future.  

Small but mighty 

Select the smallest, healthiest plants possible, especially when choosing native plants. Once they are planted in properly prepared soil and watered wisely, small plants establish themselves more vigorously than plants raised in larger containers. Do not plant more than the space allows when the plants mature. 

Root depth matters 

Take note of the root depth of plants when they are placed into the landscaping. Note root depths on your landscape plan. Trees will be irrigated less frequently, but for a longer period of time. Groundcovers with shallower roots require more frequent, shorter periods of irrigation. Keep these types of plants in separate hydrozones.  

 

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.    

 

 

  

Trump Officials Announce $450 million Loan For New California Reservoir Project

/in , /by /Redding Record Searchlight by Damon Arthur

Trump administration officials were in California on Tuesday to announce a $450 million loan for the Sites Reservoir project in Colusa County. The money will be used to build a tunnel to carry water from the Glenn-Colusa Canal to an existing reservoir, giving farmers on the west side of the Sacramento Valley more access to irrigation water. The 12-foot diameter tunnel, called an intertie, will also be used to transport water to and from Sites Reservoir after it is built, said Jim Watson, general manager of the Sites Reservoir Authority.

Full Story

Imperial Irrigation District Fight Could Threaten Federal Colorado River Drought Plan

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Janet Wilson

A fierce local battle over water rights unfolding in a small Southern California courtroom Wednesday could threaten federal plans to replenish rapidly dwindling Colorado River water supplies. A third-generation farmer is seeking an injunction to block the Imperial Irrigation District from signing on to the seven-state compact.

Full Story

USDA Invests More Than $449 Million In Innovative Management Of California Water Supply

/in , /by /The Sierra Sun Times (Mariposa, Calif.)

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Tuesday announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $449 million to help build an innovative water management system that will increase the reliability of the California water supply and create more than 560 jobs in the Sacramento Valley. Secretary Perdue was joined by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Rickey “R.D.” James. The announcement follows on President Donald J. Trump’s memo to promote a reliable supply and delivery of water out west.

Full Story
Water reliability is vital to the region’s core industries including craft brewing. Photo: Water Authority Outreach program

Airport Ads Remind Travelers San Diego Is Brought To You By Water

/in , /by

The San Diego County Water Authority’s Brought to You by Water outreach and education program made its debut on advertising monitors at Lindbergh Field the day before Thanksgiving – just in time for the busy holiday travel season.

Through the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s community promotion program, the ads are expected to remain in the rotation indefinitely, reminding travelers about the importance of water reliability to the region’s quality of life. The electronic display ads are visible in multiple spots throughout baggage claim areas in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

Ads underscore important message about importance of water reliability

Water reliability is vital to the region’s core industries including craft brewing. Photo: Water Authority

The partnership between the Airport Authority and the Water Authority helps educate the region’s residents and visitors on the impact of something many take for granted – a safe and reliable water supply that sustains the region’s $220 billion economy and the quality of life of 3.3 million people.

The Water Authority is focusing on four core industries during the first phase of its Brought to You by Water program – manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and craft brewing. The initial airport ads highlight the craft beer industry, which has a $1.1 billion regional economic impact annually, and the tourism industry, which attracts 35 million visitors a year to the region.

Overall, access to reliable water supplies support $482 million per day in regional sales – the equivalent of nearly three Comic-Cons per day, according to a June report by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation.

In addition to the airport ads, the Brought to You by Water program has included the creation of the Water News Network, the inaugural Water Innovation and Efficiency Award, a partnership with the hotel-motel industry to promote water-use efficiency by guests, participation in numerous community outreach events, and many other efforts designed to enhance appreciation for the region’s most precious natural resource.

For more information about Brought to You by Water, go to B2UbyH2O.org.