You are now in Home Headline Media Coverage San Diego County category.

IID Approves Controversial Land Deal Near Salton Sea for Construction of ‘Inland Port’

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Mark Olaide

The Imperial Irrigation District board of directors voted this week to approve an option to sell 2,880 acres near Niland and Calipatria to a Moreno Valley-based developer for the construction of an “inland port.”

The board postponed action on the deal in December and called for more information and new terms, which IID staff presented before Tuesday’s vote. By a 4-1 vote, the board approved the amended deal, with President Norma Sierra Galindo as the lone vote in opposition.

Full Story

Trump Outlines Administration’s Work on Agriculture

/in , /by /Ag Alert (Sacramento, Calif.)by Dave Kranz

Saying he had kept his promise to do everything at his disposal “to protect the American farmer and restore the full strength of American agriculture,” President Donald Trump described actions his administration has taken on trade, regulatory reform and other fronts on behalf of farmers and ranchers.

Trump spoke Sunday to the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Austin, Texas—the third year in a row the president has spoken to the nation’s largest farm organization. He also pledged to return to next year’s AFBF convention, which will be held in San Diego.

Full Story

Opinion: Voluntary Agreements are a Better Plan for California

/in , /by /Association of California Water Agencies by Dave Eggerton and Mark Biddlecomb

Gov. Gavin Newsom has consistently expressed support for successful completion of voluntary agreements as a path forward in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta. The California Natural Resources Agency and California Environmental Protection Agency recently described collaborative, voluntary agreements as a “game changer” for the environment. We strongly agree, and stand ready in bringing proactive decision makers to the table for the management of water in the Delta and its tributaries.

Full Story

Could Sacramento Flood Like New Orleans? It’s Possible, but Water Managers are Trying to Make It Less Likely.

/in , /by /CapRadio (Sacramento, Calif.)by Ezra David Romero

Three years ago, water began seeping out of yards and pooling in roadways in the Sacramento Pocket neighborhood.

But the water wasn’t from a recent storm.

“It hadn’t rained for a couple of weeks,” said Rick Johnson, executive director of the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency.

Full Story

Rain and Snow Return, but it Won’t be Enough to Quench Northern California’s Needs

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

More rain and snow area headed to Northern California on Tuesday, although the storm won’t be nearly enough to make up for what’s been a relatively dry January.

The National Weather Service said rain is expected to start falling at around 7 a.m. Tuesday, just in time for the morning commute. Light snow should hit the Sierra Nevada a couple of hours later, said NWS forecaster Craig Shoemaker.

Full Story

Opinion: Cross-Border Sewage Spills Are an Emergency – It’s Time for the County to Treat Them Like One

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Rafael Castellanos

We all know what rolls downhill and smells bad. Nowhere is it more true than in the Tijuana River Valley in southern San Diego County, where for years toxic cross-border sewage spills have created the biggest ongoing water pollution and environmental justice crisis in the United States. While some progress has been made in recent negotiations with Mexico to fund solutions, it could take years to realize significant improvements.

Full Story

Water District Elects Officers, Approves Million-Dollar Contracts

/in , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

A new slate of officers were ushered in to the Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD) Jan. 14 just before its board of directors approved two construction contracts estimated to cost more than $1 million apiece.

RMWD Board President Jim Robinson was an easy choice to serve a second term as the board’s president. He quickly received unanimous support among the four directors present, with Vice President Jim Hickle absent.

Full Story

California Needs Clean Energy After Sundown. Geothermal Could be the Answer

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sammy Roth

After years of playing third fiddle to solar and wind power, geothermal energy is poised to start growing again in California.

Three local energy providers have signed contracts this month for electricity from new geothermal power plants, one in Imperial County near the Salton Sea and the other in Mono County along the Eastern Sierra. The new plants will be the first geothermal facilities built in California in nearly a decade — potentially marking a long-awaited turning point for a technology that could play a critical role in the state’s transition to cleaner energy sources.

Full Story