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Colorado To Make Tough Decisions When It Comes To Water Usage In Drought Contingency Plan

/in , /by /Summit Daily (Frisco, Colo.)by Deepan Dutta

The water battle is over, but the war has just begun. At the 26th annual Summit County State of the River conference at the Silverthorne Pavilion this past Tuesday, the mood was light because of robust snowpack in the mountains and the recent approval of a drought contingency plan to lower water usage during critical shortages among states in the Lower Colorado River Basin — Nevada, Arizona and California. However, when it comes to water, consistency is preferred over short-term victories, and the West is still in the midst of a long-term water shortage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, primary reservoirs that serve 40 million people.

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An irrigation map that clearly shows the layout of your irrigation system can be very helpful when you need to locate components for repair. Photo: Markus Distelrath/Pixabay

Make a Map of Your Irrigation System

/in , /by

It’s easy (and fun) to produce a landscaping plan showing where every shrub and flower is placed on site. Drawing what you can see is relatively easy.

But what about the irrigation system underneath your landscaping? Do you know the location of your water mainline, irrigation system clocks, valves and sprinkler heads?

Understanding the layout of your irrigation system is important so you can accurately locate components for seamless repair. If you plan on adding to or upgrading the system, you’ll want an irrigation map to guide construction.

Steps to making your irrigation map

First, locate all of the sprinkler heads on your property and mark their location on a copy of your landscaping site plan. Also mark the location of the following elements:

• Water meter or irrigation sub meter, and where the water comes from the street onto your property (the main line)
• Irrigation controller
• Shut off valve for turning off the irrigation system
• Pressure regulator – this may be for the irrigation system separate from the house. If your irrigation comes from a pipe that first serves the house, it may be located before it enters the house.
• Irrigation valves
• Hose bibs
• Backflow preventer – if you don’t have one, your sprinkler valves probably do, so don’t worry

Observe and color code which sprinklers go on at the same time when a valve is turned on.

Adapting your existing irrigation system to a new efficient system

Use your irrigation map to determine which parts will work with a new, more efficient system without abandoning everything and starting from scratch. If you’re removing or renovating most of your landscaping, you might need to alter the irrigation. In that case, starting from scratch can end up being the most cost and time efficient alternative.


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.

5 Takeaways From Newsom’s Revised Budget Plan

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Judy Lin

Buoyed by California’s strong economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent state lawmakers a revised budget on Thursday that boosts his already-hefty January proposal to $213.6 billion. Ka-ching! Public schools will reap most of the gains if the Democratic-controlled Legislature rolls with him. Newsom also upped his ante on the housing crisis with a proposed $1 billion more to combat homelessness. Still, Californians can expect some fiscal debate: Some Democrats want to go further on Medi-Cal spending, and others are leery of Newsom’s tax ideas, such as the sales tax break he wants to give on tampons. And Newsom acknowledged the lessons of past budget exuberance, sounding for all the world like a certain frugal predecessor. Here are five key takeaways:

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Millions For Climate, Environmental Priorities In Newsom’s May Budget

/in , /by /KQED (San Francisco)by Kevin Stark

California Gov. Gavin Newsom threw some more money into the environmental pot Thursday as part of the state’s May budget revision. The new funding includes about $250 million for climate-related programs, thanks to the state’s cap-and-trade program, and $75 million to fund an assessment of wildfire protection plans. The update of his January budget proposal, required by the state constitution, reflects tax revenue collected through April 15. The record $213.5 billion spending plan includes about $4 billion in additional revenue above his January budget. The Legislature now has until June 15 to pass a budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

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OPINION: How Better Wastewater Management Can Help California Adapt To Climate Change

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Caitrin Chappelle and Henry McCann

Our public health relies on wastewater management to treat sewage and remove pollutants coming from our homes and businesses. This system is fundamental to protecting our health. In California, treated wastewater also is a critical source of water for the environment, and, increasingly, a source for recycled water. Climate change is worsening water scarcity and flood risks. Advancements in engineering and technology can help prepare wastewater agencies for a changing climate. But significant shifts in policy and planning are needed to address these challenges. Wastewater agencies must reliably remove pollutants even as the quantity and quality of the water they treat declines during droughts, and when large storms push their equipment to the breaking point.

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Capitol-To-Capitol: Finding Better Water Management For California

/in , /by /Fox 40 (Sacramento) by Joe Khalil

When it rains in California, it pours. But when it doesn’t, California’s drought years can have a devastating impact on the state. California’s water experts are looking for ways to better store water during rainy years like 2019 so the state can have it during years when the rain and snow inevitably dry up. “The reality is our system was built for a significant snowpack. It was modeled on a snowpack that probably is not as reliable and won’t be in the future,” Public Policy vice-chairman Ed Manning said. Manning is one of the leaders on water police for this year’s Capitol-to-Capitol program, pushing lawmakers for more funding and better solutions for water storage.

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Paradise Asked For Aid To Deal With Toxic Water System. Gov. Newsom’s Budget Falls Short

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Tony Bizjak

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget leaves several Camp Fire-beleaguered agencies hanging, including a water district that has requested a $22 million state bailout while it deals with mass contamination of the Paradise drinking water. Newsom, in his announced budget Thursday, said he would provide $10 million in one-time funds to support Butte County “communities in their recovery from the unprecedented devastation of the Camp Fire.” That amount, though, is considerably less than the $30 million-plus requested by a handful of local governments who say they are struggling to maintain basic services in the wake of the November fire that destroyed most of Paradise, Concow and Magalia, and sent thousands of refugees to temporarily live in Chico, Oroville and other nearby towns.

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With Drought Plan In Place, Colorado River Stakeholders Face Even Tougher Talks Ahead On The River’s Future

/in , /by /Water Education Foundation (Sacramento)by Gary Pitzer

Even as stakeholders in the Colorado River Basin celebrate the recent completion of an unprecedented drought plan intended to stave off a crashing Lake Mead, there is little time to rest. An even larger hurdle lies ahead as they prepare to hammer out the next set of rules that could vastly reshape the river’s future. Set to expire in 2026, the current guidelines for water deliveries and shortage sharing, launched in 2007 amid a multiyear drought, were designed to prevent disputes that could provoke conflict.

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MWD To Replace Filter

/in , /by /Valley News (Fallbrook, Calif.)by Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will be replacing the filter valve gear boxes for Module 7 of the Robert A. Skinner Water Treatment Plant. The MWD board authorized the replacement of the filter valve gear boxes April 9. The board decision also found the project to be categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review although the work will include environmental documentation.

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Poseidon’s Restoration Obligations On Deck At Coastal Commission Meeting

/in , /by /The Log (Fountain Valley)by Parimal M. Rohit

Poseidon Water might be fighting for its desalination future in Huntington Beach, but the corporation’s representatives will be in front of the California Coastal Commission for an entirely different matter on May 9: the restoration and conversion of a 90.9-acre salt pond to tidal wetlands and 34.6-acrer Otay River floodplain site in San Diego.

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