The largest dam removal project in U.S. history is set to begin in 2020 on the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, according to documents filed recently with federal regulators. The Klamath River Renewal Corp. plans to begin site work in two years to remove four dams on the Klamath River and deconstructing the dams will begin in 2021, according to the “Definite Plan for the Lower Klamath Project.”
Why is water is such a contentious issue? Water is a scarce resource, especially in California where rainfall is so inconsistent. Compounding capricious hydrological cycles, the southern part of the state gets very little precipitation. This means that nearly all water must be pumped in from Northern California or the Colorado River. Controlling that water is big business. There seems to be an endless stream of litigation concerning water rights and the cost of transporting supplies. It’s important to remember that water is not only crucial for taking showers and doing dishes.
If the most powerful water officials in San Diego get their way, the county will ratchet down to a trickle one of its cheapest sources of water in the next two decades. Local officials say ongoing efforts to secure alternatives to the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — known as the Met — have safeguarded businesses and residents against crippling cuts triggered during prolonged drought. However, the strategy of the San Diego County Water Authority to move away from Southern California’s largest wholesaler has come with a cost.
A classic summer heat wave will develop in San Diego County on Friday and Saturday with temperatures hitting 80 degrees at-or-near the coast and the upper 90s and low 100s across inland valleys, says the National Weather Service. “The week will start out mild, with temperatures going up a degree or two each day,” said James Brotherton, a weather service forecaster. “The big warmup will come right after the Fourth of July, with Friday and Saturday being the warmest days.”
Drought has crept back into Northern California. Despite a flurry of late storms in spring, precipitation for the winter season was below normal and the region is facing moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions once again, according to the federal government’s U.S. Drought Monitor. What’s more, temperatures were above normal throughout winter. The Drought Monitor’s weekly map, released Thursday, shows a large swath extending north of San Francisco through the Sacramento Valley to the Oregon border in moderate drought. The Bay Area and the North Coast went from normal to abnormally dry; parts of the northern Sierra remain normal.
A winter of exceptionally meager snowfall has revived California’s water woes. Snowpack typically supplies the state with much of its water during the spring and summer, but this year, snow is in short supply, spurring Gov. Jerry Brown to instate permanent conservation measures. Thanks to climate change, the problem is only going to get worse, leaving officials worried about the future of water in the Golden State. Huntington Beach, a seaside Southern California city, is taking the long view, investing in a new desalination plant that will turn seawater into clean, drinkable H20.
After a detailed – and dire – technical presentation from one of her experts, the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Thursday told an audience of water stakeholders that officials weren’t trying to scare people, only make plain the risks of historically low levels on Lake Mead. Commissioner Brenda Burman and other federal officials urged, cajoled and pushed Arizona to finalize a so-called Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan. The plan identifies earlier, steeper cuts to water users than those mandated by a 2007 agreement to decrease the risk of a rapid decline in lake level.
Wholesale water rates adopted Thursday by the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors include some of the smallest increases in the past 15 years due to successful litigation against the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and strategic use of financial reserves, the agency said. They also highlight a historic shift in water costs: The Water Authority’s independent supplies from the 2003 Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement are now less expensive for the region than supplies from MWD, and that difference will grow in the years ahead.
Wholesale water rates adopted today by the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors include some of the smallest increases in the past 15 years due to successful litigation against the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and strategic use of financial reserves. They also highlight a historic shift in water costs: The Water Authority’s independent and highly reliable supplies from the 2003 Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement are now less expensive for the region than MWD, and that difference will grow in the years ahead.
Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors honored Munira Coomber as OMWD’s 2018 winner of the annual Watersmart Landscape Contest at its June 20 meeting.
Coomber’s landscape features attractive water-efficient plants in both front and back yards as well as creative design ideas. The centerpiece in the front of the home is an old water fountain that was given new life by turning it into a beautiful succulent planter. A succulent wall and raised garden beds of strawberries and herbs create a relaxing outdoor living space in the backyard.
The centerpiece in the front of the home is an old water fountain that was given new life by turning it into a beautiful succulent planter. Photo: Courtesy OMWD
“We knew from the start that we wanted low maintenance and low water use landscaping,” said Coomber. “We’ve been very happy with our low water bill and the variety of textures and colors our waterwise landscaping has delivered.”
“Ms. Coomber’s inspirational landscape is both beautiful and water-efficient and has demonstrated how colorful and attractive watersmart landscapes can be,” said board director Robert Topolovac. “Eyecatching landscapes create enthusiasm for water-efficient gardens in the community.”
Raised planter beds and a living wall are features in this award-winning landscaping project. Photo: Courtesy OMWD
The Watersmart Landscape Contest is held annually by water agencies throughout San Diego County to showcase attractive landscapes that use less water than conventional turf-heavy landscapes. Contest entries are judged on curb appeal, landscape and irrigation design, and environmental considerations. More information and photos of winning landscapes are available at www.landscapecontest.com.
Olivenhain Municipal Water District is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity, and operation of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Organized in 1959, OMWD currently serves approximately 86,000 customers over 48 square miles in northern San Diego County.
