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Santa Rosa Orders Residents, Businesses to Reduce Water Use By 20%

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Omar Shaikh Rashad

The Santa Rosa City Council approved mandatory water-use restrictions for its residents and businesses starting Thursday, becoming the sixth city in Sonoma County to cut back on water.

The motion to approve the water-shortage contingency plan — which mandates residents and businesses reduce water use by 20% — passed with five ayes from Council Members Eddie Alvarez, John Sawyer, Tom Schwedhelm, Mayor Chris Rogers and Vice Mayor Natalie Rogers. Council Members Victoria Fleming and Jack Tibbetts were absent.

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Proposed Federal Grant Program Could Bolster Lake Mead Water Levels

/in , , , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journal by Blake Apgar

Water officials in Las Vegas are backing a federal bill that could help pay for a California project that would leave more water in Lake Mead.

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Historic Drought in the West is Forcing Ranchers to Take Painful Measures

/in , , /by /National Geographicby Sarah Gibbens

On Andrew McGibbon’s 90,000-acre cattle ranch south  Tucson, Arizona, the West’s punishing drought isn’t just drying up pastureland and evaporating water troughs.

“We’re having the death of trees like I’ve never seen in my lifetime. Thousands of trees are dying,” he says of species that have adapted to Arizona’s desert landscape, such as oak and mesquite.

Nearly 1,000 miles from McGibbon’s ranch, near Rio Vista, California, the drought on Ryan Mahoney’s ranch feels just as bad.

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Drought Has Pitted Farmers Against Native Tribes Protecting Endangered Fish

/in , /by /NPR

Along the California-Oregon border, the Klamath Basin is in the midst of a record drought, pitting farmers against native tribes with historic water rights who are trying to protect endangered fish.

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Report: Groundwater Overhaul Could Threaten Drinking Water Of More Than A Million Valley Residents

/in , /by /KVPRby Kerry Klein

As drought settles over the San Joaquin Valley, a new report warns of other circumstances that could result in entire communities losing drinking water. More than a million Valley residents could lose their public water in coming decades under the sweeping groundwater legislation known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), according to the paper published earlier this month by the non-profit Pacific Institute. Signed into law in 2014, SGMA aims over the next two decades to reduce California’s groundwater deficit by balancing water pumped out of the ground with the amount replenished.

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Ramona Water District Directors Discuss Water Rates, Rationing and Proposal for Meters on Wells at Forum

/in , /by /Ramona Sentinel by Julie Gallant Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Ramona Municipal Water District Board Directors Jim Hickle and Jim Piva delved into water issues and touched on emergency services at a June 26 meeting sponsored by the American Liberty Forum of Ramona.

About 50 people who attended the forum at the Ramona Mainstage had the opportunity to ask questions on topics related to water rates and services, proposed indoor residential water rationing of 55 gallons per person per day, proposed water meters on wells, and the response to a call for a third ambulance in Ramona.

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Sweetwater Reservoir-Sweetwater Authority-Expanded days

Sweetwater Reservoir Now Open on Fridays for Public Use

/in , /by

The Sweetwater Authority has added another day for the public to enjoy activities at the Sweetwater Reservoir in Spring Valley. Previously open Saturdays through Mondays, the Authority expanded operations to include Fridays to give residents more opportunities to get outside and experience nature this summer.

Starting Friday, July 2,  Sweetwater Reservoir will be open so that San Diego County residents can enjoy fishing, hiking, biking and bird watching. The reservoir hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shoreline Fishing Program

The addtional day also means another day for the Sweetwater Authority Shoreline Fishing Program.

“Our Fishing Program provides cost-effective, fun and educational recreational opportunities for San Diego County residents of all ages,” said Sweetwater Authority Board Chair Hector Martinez. “We’re pleased to expand this program to include Fridays and welcome residents to enjoy the beauty of our water and the environment this Independence Day weekend.”

In addition to the Sweetwater Reservoir, shoreline fishing is also available at the Authority’s Loveland Reservoir near Alpine.

Both lakes host a healthy population of bass, catfish, bullhead, bluegill, perch, rock bass and more. Catch and release is encouraged to avoid overfishing, and anglers must comply with California Fish and Game regulations.

Sweetwater Reservoir

The Sweetwater Reservoir provides shoreline fishing along a 2.5-mile stretch on the south side of the reservoir. Access is via San Miguel Road in Bonita near Sweetwater Summit Park.

Hours of Operation: 
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays
7 am to 5 pm, March – September
7 am to 4 pm, October – February

Daily Fees:  
$5 per adult
$2 per child under 16 (must be with an adult)
$3 per car for non-fishing visitors

Loveland Reservoir-Fishing-Sweetwater Authority

Shoreline fishing is available at Loveland Reservoir near Alpine. Photo: Sweetwater Authority

Loveland Reservoir

The Loveland Reservoir provides fishing along a five-mile portion of the shoreline. Access is via the Interstate 8 East to Tavern Road/Alpine off-ramp.

Hours of Operation: 
Open Daily
6 am to 6 pm, March – September
6 am to 5 pm, October – February

Daily Fees:
There are no fees to access Loveland Reservoir.

A California State Fishing License is required at both reservoirs for those 16 and older, and adult supervision is required for children under the age of 16.

(Editor’s note: The Sweetwater Authority is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)

Opinion: San Diego County Must Not Suffer if Fallbrook and Rainbow Leave Water Authority

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by Keith Lewinger and Mel Katz Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

With nearly 100 years of combined experience working on important regional issues across San Diego County, we wanted to share some observations about a proposal currently pending among our region’s water providers.

The Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District have filed applications to leave the San Diego County Water Authority and instead get their water from an agency in Riverside County.

First and foremost, this is a regional decision that has regional implications. Rainbow and Fallbrook’s plan for leaving for Riverside will raise water bills on every family and business in San Diego County, all while our economy is trying to recover from a recession caused by the pandemic.

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U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Michael Abatti’s Colorado River Water Case Challenging IID

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday unanimously declined a petition by Imperial Valley farmer Michael Abatti claiming he and a handful of other agricultural landowners, not the Imperial Irrigation District, held senior rights to Colorado River water that nearly 40 million people across the West depend on.

The decision likely is the last stop for a torturous legal battle that dates back to 2013. As the law stands, farmers have a guaranteed right to water delivery but not a special claim above other users like homes and geothermal plants.

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It’s Some of America’s Richest Farmland. But What Is It Without Water?

/in , , /by /The New York Timesby Somini Sengupta

In America’s fruit and nut basket, water is now the most precious crop of all.

It explains why, amid a historic drought parching much of the American West, a grower of premium sushi rice has concluded that it makes better business sense to sell the water he would have used to grow rice than to actually grow rice. Or why a melon farmer has left a third of his fields fallow. Or why a large landholder farther south is thinking of planting a solar array on his fields rather than the thirsty almonds that delivered steady profit for years.

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