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California Drought Takes Toll on World’s Top Almond Producer

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Terence Chea

As temperatures recently reached triple digits, farmer Joe Del Bosque inspected the almonds in his parched orchard in California’s agriculture-rich San Joaquin Valley, where a deepening drought threatens one of the state’s most profitable crops.

Del Bosque doesn’t have enough water to properly irrigate his almond orchards, so he’s practicing “deficit irrigation” — providing less water than the trees need. He left a third of his farmland unplanted to save water for the nuts. And he may pull out 100 of his 600 acres (243 hectares) of almond trees after the late summer harvest — years earlier than planned.

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City of Folsom Requiring People to Cut Water Use by 20% as Drought Worsens

/in , , /by /KCRA3

The City of Folsom announced Monday it will require residents to reduce water use by 20%. The water-use restriction will go into effect Aug. 30.

This comes as the water supply across the state continues to dwindle amid a crippling drought. Folsom itself draws water from the American River at Folsom Lake, which has lower levels than it did during the 2014-15 drought. This is the second driest year on record since 1977.

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Exceptional Drought: How Conserving Water Could Save a Town

/in , , /by /King5by Jeff Zevely

An Exceptional Drought has been declared in the Western United States. Extreme summer heat and a lack of Rocky Mountain runoff is affecting agriculture, livestock, and critical drinking water supplies for millions of people. In part three of a three-part series, reporter Jeff Zevely visits Page, Arizona, a town that depends on water and tourism to survive.

The small town has a population of 8,250. In 2019, an estimated four million people visited Page. The town was founded in 1957 to build a dam and supply the Southwest with water and electricity. Lake Powell is the town’s lifeline.

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Local Group Files Papers in Fight Over Kern River

/in , /by /GV Wireby SJV Water

A new player has entered the legal fray over the Kern River — the public. Actually, it’s a consortium of Bakersfield and other nonprofit, public interest groups that hope to sway the state Water Resources Control Board to, ultimately, re-water the mostly dry Kern River through town. The Flowing Kern Coalition made its debut Tuesday when it filed a notice of intent to appear at an upcoming proceeding on the Kern River. The Water Board’s Administrative Hearing Office announced in July it would begin the process of deciding whether the river has available water and, if so, how much on Aug. 17. This all stems from a 2007 court ruling that the Kern Delta Water District had forfeited some of its rights to the river.

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Metropolitan Water District, Source of Most of Pasadena’s Water, Considers Declaring Water Supply Alert as Drought Worsens

/in , , /by /Pasadena Nowby City News Service

In response to worsening drought conditions, the board of Southern California’s regional water wholesaler will consider declaring a Water Supply Alert tomorrow that calls upon residents to voluntarily conserve the precious resource.

According to officials with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), Southern California’s water supply has been severely impacted by extreme drought in both the Northern Sierra and the Colorado River, saying crucial storage reservoirs have never been lower.

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Watersheds-Rebates-New Partnership-WaterSmart

New Partnership Promotes WaterSmart Landscapes, Healthy Watersheds in San Diego County

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Residents and businesses in unincorporated areas of San Diego County are eligible for increased water-use efficiency rebates under a new partnership between the County’s Watershed Protection Program and the San Diego County Water Authority.

The County’s new Waterscape Rebate Program will save money for residential, commercial, and agricultural customers who make landscape upgrades that improve the region’s climate resilience and reduce the flow of pollutants into waterways. Sustainable landscapes produce multiple benefits for San Diego communities, such as reducing water use, enhancing habitat, increasing stormwater retention, and decreasing run-off.

Increased rebates with new partnership

The newly enhanced incentives include rebates that start at $3 per square foot for turf replacement, $60 per smart controller station, $65 per rain barrel and up to $450 per cistern. The agencies are also offering technical assistance to upgrade larger landscapes on multifamily and commercial properties, and a cost-share with agricultural growers to make water-saving upgrades.

Water customers in unincorporated San Diego County can determine their eligibility at: SanDiegoCounty.gov/WatershedRebates.

For the past 30 years, the Water Authority and its member agencies have promoted water-use efficiency through a variety of tools such as rebates, classes, and other resources available across their service areas. Landscaping upgrades are particularly important because more than half of all residential water use is outdoors. Some cities and water agencies in the region choose to increase the rebates like the County is doing for residents in unincorporated areas. Rebates, classes and incentives available to all residents in the San Diego metropolitan area are also at www.watersmartsd.org.

“Drought conditions across the West are a reminder of the importance of water-efficiency upgrades, and these rebates offer a great opportunity to get involved,” said Kelley Gage, Director of Water Resources for the San Diego County Water Authority. “With a WaterSmart approach, we can reduce water-use and maintain climate-friendly landscapes that help sustain our quality of life in San Diego County.”

Maximize your yard. Minimize your bills

The new partnership is part of the County’s new Waterscape Rebate Program, which helps to protect local waterways by reducing pollutants that enter storm drains. The program includes outreach and education to commercial, industrial, and residential properties in unincorporated areas of the county. In addition to the programs administered by the Water Authority, the County is offering programs with rebates for upgrades including rain gardens, gutters, permeable pavement, and regular septic system pumping.

Project Clean Water

“The County is committed to reducing stormwater pollution to help protect water and foster healthy communities,” said Scott Norris, Land Use Environmental Planning Manager at the County of San Diego. “Partnering with the Water Authority allows us to offer even more resources to help unincorporated residents and business owners upgrade their properties with incentives that can cover a large portion of the costs and actively contribute to protecting our waterways for everyone.”

To learn about how individual actions can promote clean water and healthier communities, and to take the “52 Ways to Love Your Water” pledge, go to: www.projectcleanwater.org/

New Partnership Promotes WaterSmart Landscapes and Healthy Watersheds in S.D. County

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August 17, 2021 – Residents and businesses in unincorporated areas of San Diego County are eligible for increased water-use efficiency rebates under a new partnership between the County’s Watershed Protection Program and the San Diego County Water Authority.

The County’s new Waterscape Rebate Program will save money for residential, commercial, and agricultural customers who make landscape upgrades that improve the region’s climate resilience and reduce the flow of pollutants into waterways. Sustainable landscapes produce multiple benefits for San Diego communities, such as reducing water use, enhancing habitat, increasing stormwater retention, and decreasing run-off.

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Western States Face First Federal Water Cuts

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Suman Naishadham

U.S. officials on Monday declared the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West, triggering cuts to some Arizona farmers next year amid a gripping drought.

Water levels at the largest reservoir on the Colorado River — Lake Mead — have fallen to record lows. Along its perimeter, a white “bathtub ring” of minerals outlines where the high water line once stood, underscoring the acute water challenges for a region facing a growing population and a drought that is being worsened by hotter, drier weather brought on by climate change.

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Young Artists Win Otay WD “Water is Life” Student Poster Contest

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Five young artists from Chula Vista area schools are the winners of Otay Water District’s 2021 “Water is Life” Student Poster Contest for illustrating the value of using water wisely.

Otay’s educational program invites students to create artwork depicting the importance of water conservation and stewardship. The students are encouraged to illustrate the theme “Water is Life,” with the message focused on using water efficiently at home, school, business, and the community, and for environmental, agricultural, and recreational purposes.

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Gary Croucher-Board Chair-San Diego County Water Authority-Primary

Historic ‘Level 1’ Shortage Declared for Lake Mead, Though San Diego Still Has Reliable Supply

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Federal officials on Monday issued the first “Level 1” shortage declaration for the massive reservoir of Lake Mead on the Colorado River, triggering major water cuts for Arizona, Nevada and Mexico.

The cuts for water users downstream from Hoover Dam will begin in October, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said in a statement.

“Today’s announcement of a Level 1 Shortage Condition at Lake Mead underscores the value of the collaborative agreements we have in place with the seven basin states, tribes, water users and Mexico in the management of water in the Colorado River Basin,” said Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Camille Touton.

But she warned that other reservoirs were short as well and “we have not eliminated the potential for continued decline of these critically important reservoirs” during what has become a historic drought.

Total Colorado River system storage is currently at 40% of capacity, down from 49% at this time last year.

Read the complete story from the Times of San Diego: https://bit.ly/3AOLUaE