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Two California Projects Awarded Reclamation/CALFED Water Use Efficiency Grants for Reliability

/in , /by /California Water News Daily

The Bureau of Reclamation recently awarded two $500,000 in CALFED Water Use Efficiency grants to two California projects for what is expected to conserve approximately 4,000 acre-feet annually and improve infrastructure for fiscal year 2020. Along with cost-share contributions, these projects at the Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District (SWID) and the South San Joaquin Municipal Utility District (SSJMUD) are expected to implement about $2.7 million in water management improvements during the next two years.

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Cancer-Linked Contaminants Found In OC’s Drinking Water: Report

/in , /by /Patch by Ashley Ludwig

Most Americans don’t think twice about drinking a glass of water. A report released Wednesday, though, found more than 270 harmful contaminants in local drinking water across the nation, including in Orange County. The substances are linked to cancer, damage to the brain and nervous system, hormonal disruption, problems in pregnancy and other serious health conditions.

The nonprofit Environmental Working Group, collaborating with outside scientists, aggregated and analyzed data from almost 50,000 local water utilities in all 50 states.

The organization found a troubling discrepancy between the current legal limits for contaminants and the most recent authoritative studies of what is safe to consume.

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Weekend Power Shutoffs Lead To Water Shortage In Vallejo

/in , , /by /CBS SF Bay Area by John Ramos

As much of Vallejo struggles without power, officials have planned for such a problem by installing a backup generator at the city’s water treatment facility. That plant turns raw water from Northern California lakes into potable drinking water but over the weekend there was a water emergency that had nothing to do with Vallejo at all.

“We were getting close to about two days water left,” said Beth Schoenberger, Vallejo Water Department Operations Manager. “It’s not a situation that we are comfortable with and it’s relatively unprecedented.”

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Here’s How $500M New Reservoir Planned Near Patterson Would Work

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby Ken Carlson

A proposed reservoir in Del Puerto Canyon, just west of Patterson, promises reliable water deliveries for farms in western Stanislaus County and nearby counties.

It could serve to recharge groundwater for Patterson, a city of 23,750 residents, while other proposed benefits are water deliveries for wildlife refuges and flood control on occasions when storms threaten flash floods on Del Puerto Creek.

Proponents including Del Puerto Water District and the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority discussed the multiple benefits of the Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir at a press briefing Monday.

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Wall Street Spends Millions to Buy Up Washington State Water

/in , , /by /The Seattle Timesby Evan Bush

Follow the water and you’ll find the money.

That’s how it often works in the dusty rural corners of Washington, where a Wall Street-backed firm is staking an ambitious venture on the state’s water.

Crown Columbia Water Resources since 2017 has targeted the water rights of farms on tributaries of the mighty Columbia River.

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Winter Floods Are Coming: Here’s How to ‘Be Flood Ready’

/in , , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Chico Enterprise-Record

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Water Resources is encouraging Californians to prepare for a wide variety of potential flooding in the coming months, as the winter storm season quickly approaches.

More than seven million Californians in rural communities, urban areas and along the coast are at risk of flooding. Flooding can occur throughout the state and Californians need to be aware and understand the potential risks of flooding in their communities, the department said in a recent press release.

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Opinion: We Must Press California, Federal Officials to Clean Up Toxic Rivers

/in , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sun

Contamination of soil and groundwater takes a huge toll on California’s environment.

In 2017, the amount of untreated sewage and industrial waste dumped into Southern California rivers was equal to at least 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. More than 100 million gallons of untreated sewage were dumped into the Tijuana River near Imperial Beach in September 2019.

The problem is getting worse.

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Farmland Owners Look to Solar As Groundwater Restrictions Loom

/in , /by /Bakersfieldby John Cox

New solar energy installations may be headed to the valley portion of Kern County as investors, government officials and advocacy groups weigh options for reusing land that will have to be taken out of production as a result of state restrictions on groundwater pumping.

Photovoltaic solar arrays, for years an attractive investment for local farmland owners, would appear to align with California’s ambitious goal of meeting all its electricity needs with renewable energy.

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Planning for the amount of space your new plants will need when fully grown will help your landscape thrive. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Make Space for New Plants

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When choosing new plants for your landscape this fall, be sure to account for the space each plant will need as it matures. This will help avoid overcrowding in your landscape.

Proper plant placement, while predicting the mature plant’s size, also should limit the need for future pruning. This can help reduce the amount of maintenance required in the long run.

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

Plan for space needed 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 each plant. That 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. Be sure to avoid placing plants that will need full sun underneath these trees.

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 will allow for when the plants are fully grown.

Root depth matters

Take note of the root depth of plants when you place them. 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.

Did you know that fall is the prime time for plant sales in San Diego County? Check out your nearest nursery or farmers market for native plants to help grow your landscape!

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 Plan Could Bring Growers More Water. But Will It Harm California’s Rare Salmon?

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Alastair Bland

The Trump administration this week declared that pumping more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to supply farms will not jeopardize the endangered salmon and smelt that live in the estuary. This clears the way for the federal government to deliver more water, possibly as soon as next year.

The decision is a big and controversial step toward providing more water for people and less for fish. But the battle, yet another in a decades-long struggle for California’s water, has only just begun.

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