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California’s Dry October Could be a Sign of More Concentrated Rainy Seasons

/in , /by /Capital Public Radioby Ezra David Romero

The first part of fall has been dry so far in California, and that trend might continue. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said it’s not unusual for rain to be scarce in October, but that dry conditions – like the ones forecast over the next few weeks – are increasingly being pushed deeper into autumn. “We expect there to be a further concentration of California’s already narrow rainy season into even fewer months during just the middle of winter,” Swain said, as laid out in his recent blog post. Swain’s research suggests this trend is already evident, especially in Southern California.

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Pipeline 5 Upgrades Begin in Fallbrook

/in , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

A $25.3 million Pipeline 5 relining project is under way in North County to improve the reliability of the San Diego region’s water delivery system. The project involves rehabilitating approximately 2.3 miles of one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s regional wholesale water pipelines in eight segments along a 9.5-mile stretch through the community of Fallbrook. Construction work will be done in phases and completed in summer 2019. When finished, the Pipeline 5 Relining Project will help extend the service life of this vital piece of infrastructure for more than 75 years. Generally, relining construction rehabilitates segments of pipelines based on their age and the need for improvements.

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OPINION: Untangling the Complexities of California’s Proposition 3 Water Bond

/in , /by /Water Deeply (New York)by Heather Cooley, Sonali Abraham, Sarah Diringer and Cora Kammeyer

On November 6, California voters will decide the fate of Proposition 3 (the Water Supply and Water Quality Act of 2018), which authorizes the sale of $8.9 billion in new general obligation bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects. This includes funds – most of which would be distributed through grants – for various projects related to water supply, watershed health, flood management, groundwater, facility upgrades and fish and wildlife habitat. Many are confused about the bond, and numerous organizations have taken positions supporting or opposing it. We at the Pacific Institute, a California-based think-tank focused on water, are taking no formal position on Proposition 3, opting instead to offer the voting public some insights into its complexities.

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Santa Ana Winds to Howl, Blowing Away Spooky Fog Before Halloween

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

Southern California is getting a taste of fall weather, with spooky dense fog early in the week and howling Santa Ana winds picking up just in time for Halloween. A low, dense fog blanketed much of Southern California on Monday morning, bringing cool weather from Los Angeles to San Diego. In the San Diego region, the widespread fog decreased visibility to less than a quarter-mile and prompted the National Weather Service to issue a hazardous-driving warning. The fog, caused by a shallow marine layer and a lack of wind, was less widespread in the Los Angeles area but was thick along the county’s coast.

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Embrace El Nino or Ignore it: Guess San Diego’s Rainfall

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Robert Krier

Lacking current polling data, it could be hard to determine if more people believe in El Niño or the Great Pumpkin. El Niño has fallen on hard times. Once considered a fairly reliable indicator of a wet winter in much of California, in recent years the periodic phenomenon has produced little rain and a growing number of doubters. And that puts participants in the Union-Tribune’s 17th annual Precipitation Prediction Contest, launching today, in a bit of a quandary. Should they maintain a sincere belief in El Niño, like Linus and the Great Pumpkin, or move on like Sally after she realized she had wasted Halloween night in the pumpkin patch? Because El Niño is coming. Again. Probably.

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Dry Lake Bed in Mojave Desert at Center of Water Debate

/in , /by /ABC 7 (Glendale, Calif.)by Leticia Juarez

Cadiz, a water supply company, wants to pump out and sell 50,000 acre-feet of water from an aquifer under the Mojave Desert. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is trying to stop them. “It’s those aquifers that keep the plant life growing which nourish the animals — the bighorn sheep and the desert tortoises,” the California Democrat said at a news conference at the Whitewater Preserve in Riverside County. Feinstein, along with Rep. Raul Ruiz and state Sen. Richard Roth, spoke out against the Cadiz Valley Water Conservation, Recovery and Storage Project. The project aims to pump the aquifer and pipe water from it across the desert to sell to Southern California cities.

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4 Years After a Corruption Scandal, West Basin Water District Still Wrestling with Ethics

/in , /by /Daily Breeze (Torrance, Calif.)by David Rosenfeld

When Ronald Smith became ensnared in a corruption probe and resigned in disgrace from an obscure South Bay water agency, his board colleagues quickly vowed to impose changes to combat such ethical lapses. The Carson-based West Basin Municipal Water District, which has a $200 million budget and supplies imported water to 17 mostly South Bay cities, performed an audit, overhauled codes of conduct for board members and eliminated individual community outreach funds, the same pot of money that Smith used to steer $20,000 of public funds through a Torrance nonprofit to pay for personal expenses. But that was three years ago.

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OPINION: State Water Grab will Devastate our Community

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby Dave Long and Jeff Marchini

Are you a mechanic? A food processor? A trucker? Do you work in a bank? Sell insurance? Much more simply, do you drink water in eastern Merced County? Assuming you answered yes to any of these questions, get ready: the State Water Resources Control Board will soon vote to take more than $230 million and about 1,000 jobs from our community. In July, the water board released its newest plan to require that twice as much water remain in the Merced River and flow north into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. After a series of hearings and delays, the board is poised to adopt this doomed-to-fail plan on Nov. 7.

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Flood of Distrust: A Deep Dive into San Diego’s Water Department

/in , /by /NBC San Diegoby Consumer Bob, Tom Jones, Dorian Hargrove, Mark Sackett and Erica Byers

What started as a trickle of billing complaints surged into a flash flood of allegations raised about the city of San Diego’s Water Department. NBC 7 Responds’ investigation into billing errors led to the discovery of faulty water meters and a lack of transparency over the city’s multi-million-dollar smart meter program. Some of the team’s findings have led to the department taking corrective action. “Flood of Distrust” will give you an inside look at the investigative journey from start to finish.

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Kelsey Ceccarelli (center), the Citizens Water Academy's 500th graduate, with Water Authority Assistant General Manager Dennis A. Cushman (left) and Board Chair Jim Madaffer (right). Photo: Water Authority

500th Community Leader Graduates from Citizens Water Academy

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The San Diego County Water Authority’s pioneering Citizens Water Academy celebrated the graduation of its 500th community leader Friday at the conclusion of the fall class series.

During the popular and award-winning academy program, civic leaders learn about visionary local efforts to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for the San Diego region. Participants get an in-depth look at how the Water Authority helps protect the region’s economy and quality of life through strategic planning, innovative programs, and cost-effective investments.

After the third and final class of each academy, graduates are given diplomas to the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” and congratulations from Water Authority executives – a tradition that took on special significance in light of today’s milestone.

“The Citizens Water Academy has profoundly improved the understanding of water issues across our region and demystified the critical work we do to sustain San Diego County’s $220 billion economy and quality of life for 3.3 million people,” said Jim Madaffer, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “Reaching 500 graduates is an impressive accomplishment – but we are not done.

“Anyone who aspires to civic or business leadership should invest the time to learn about this fundamental resource,” Madaffer said. “I guarantee that the Citizens Water Academy will change the way they think about this amazing place we call home.”

Citizens Water Academy graduates remain engaged in regional water issues

Kelsey Ceccarelli, the Citizens Water Academy's 500th graduate, displays her Certificate of Completion. Photo: Water Authority

Kelsey Ceccarelli, the Citizens Water Academy’s 500th graduate, displays her Certificate of Completion. Photo: Water Authority

The Citizens Water Academy launched in fall 2014 and produced a diverse inaugural class of 49 graduates. Over the years, 99 percent of participants said they would recommend the Water Academy to a colleague, and nearly 50 percent of graduates stay engaged through the Water Authority’s alumni program.

Participants said the class series helped them understand the physical movement of water into and around the region; the importance of the region’s water supply diversification strategy; how large-scale water projects are built and maintained; and how water managers are preparing for future water supply needs.

The Water Authority typically hosts three academies of about 50 participants each year. Classes have been held in Kearny Mesa, the South Bay and North County to promote regional participation. Class series include presentations by agency executives, role-play activities, and tours of world-class water facilities such as the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant.

In addition, the Water Authority maintains an active network of Water Academy graduates who participate in specialized tours, lectures and other events. They also stay connected through an alumni newsletter – part of the Water Authority’s commitment to supporting engaged and knowledgeable regional leaders.

The Water Authority received the Silver Bernays Mark of Excellence Award for the Citizens Water Academy from the San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America in 2015. The program also won the Communications Initiative Award from the San Diego Section of the American Planning Association in 2016.

The next Citizens Water Academy is scheduled for Spring 2019, though dates have not been set. The selection process is competitive, and acceptance is not guaranteed. For more information, go to www.sdcwa.org/citizens-water-academy. The site includes a link to sign up for notifications when future class dates are announced.