Two dozen members of the San Diego County Water Authority, a wholesale water supplier in the county, will be collecting more than $10 million as part of a successful litigation against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
A total of $90.7 million has now been collected by water agencies from Carlsbad to Yuima in Pauma Valley through the SDCWA’s successful rate litigation.
As California increasingly slips into extreme drought and calls intensify to reduce water use, the state’s water savings in 2022 remain bleak.
The average Californian used 83 gallons of water per day in April, compared with 73 in April 2020. That’s far from the 15 percent decrease that Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for as our reservoirs and the snowpack dwindle. (This underperformance has persisted since January.)
The lack of available water supplies could increase the amount of agricultural land fallowing than previously estimated. Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, said that more is needed to ensure ample water availability moving forward. The state is looking at a significant economic impact due to dismal water supplies, which could have even further repercussions.
Scorching temperatures and desperately dry conditions set the stage for the rapid spread of several explosive wildfires that erupted over the weekend, forcing evacuations in California and Arizona.
The blazes are among dozens that have broken out across the US south-west early in the summer, including a ferocious fire in New Mexico that became the worst in the state’s history. Officials say it is a foreboding sign of what is shaping up to be another intense year of fire.
The Colorado River begins in the Rocky Mountains, collecting snowmelt as it meanders through an alpine valley. Across a vast swath of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, the river grows as it takes in major tributaries: the Gunnison, the Dolores, the Green and others.
The Colorado River Basin encompasses more than 246,000 square miles in seven U.S. states and northern Mexico. On its 1,450-mile journey, the river scours the Grand Canyon and flows into the country’s two largest reservoirs.
As drought continues to be a concern across California and Kern County, there is a new proposal in the state senate that could spend up to $1.5 billion to buy back the water rights that allow farmers to take as much water as they need from the state’s rivers and streams to grow their crops.
After decades of fighting farmers in court over how much water they can take out of California’s rivers and streams, some state lawmakers want to try something different: use taxpayer money to buy out farmers. It comes at a time when the state’s drought tracker says that almost 98 percent of California is currently experiencing yet another severe drought, which is resulting in low river levels.
Sacramentans should continue to water their trees regularly despite the city’s watering restrictions on lawns and landscapes.
While residents can only water their lawns and landscapes twice a week during the dry season until the end of October, trees are exempt from this restriction, according to the city.
Why are trees exempt from this rule, and how can I keep my trees healthy?
Twenty local elementary school students were recognized as top entrants of the Sweetwater Authority “Water is Life” Poster Contest. The yearly contest gives K-6 students the chance to demonstrate the ways water is a precious and essential resource. By creating water-related art, students enhance their understanding of the importance of water.
More than 100 students from four schools within the Authority’s service area submitted posters for this year’s contest. Of the 20 selected winners, six students will have their artwork submitted to the Metropolitan Water District’s regional contest for the chance to be featured in the agency’s 2023 art calendar.
2022 Sweetwater Student Poster Contest winner: Camila Hernandez, Allen Elementary School. Photo: Sweetwater Authority
2022 Sweetwater Student Poster Contest winner: Christina Parrish, Allen Elementary School. Photo: Sweetwater Authority
2022 Sweetwater Student Poster Contest winner: Roman Padilla, Allen Elementary School. Photo: Sweetwater Authority
2022 Sweetwater Student Poster Contest winner: Vanya Herroz, Allen Elementary School. Photo: Sweetwater Authority
2022 Sweetwater Student Poster Contest winner: Melanie Garcia, El Toyon Elementary School. Photo: Sweetwater Authority
2022 Sweetwater Student Poster Contest winner: Andres Moreńo Rañon, Allen Elementary School. Photo: Sweetwater Authority
Students recognized as winners also include Andreas Gonzales, Aryana Ojeda, Dylan Stevens, Elena Morales, Evelyn Avina, Iris Herrera, Jacob Macaspac, Kathryn Irvin, Naanalli Ulloa, Rebecca Garcia, Soffia Ong, Sydney Shatwell, Yaretzi Lopez, and Zoe Jauregui.
In 2021, Allen Elementary School fifth-grader Sydney Shatwell represented Sweetwater Authority in the 2022 MWD regional calendar with her artwork depicting the critical importance of water in everyday good health practices such as brushing your teeth, washing your hands, and staying hydrated.
Winners received art kits and gift cards delivered to their schools. All winning posters are available to view online at www.sweetwater.org/postercontest22.
The Authority’s annual poster contest challenges students to creatively showcase and celebrate the importance of water in daily life through their art. The contest is open to elementary school students who live or attend school in the Authority’s service area.
Chula Vista, Calif. – The Sweetwater Authority (Authority) Governing Board approved the $72.7M budget for fiscal year (FY) 2022-23 at its June 8, 2022 meeting.
The FY 2022-23 Budget provides a balanced approach to maintaining the Authority’s financial condition. The Authority’s volumetric, or commodity rate used to fund operations, will increase by an inflationary index and will be offset by use of reserve funds to minimize the impact to rate payers.
As the drought in California and across much of the western United States enters another summer season, several experts participated in a conference hosted by the California Department of Water Resources and the Water Education Foundation on Thursday to discuss issues of how modeling precipitation can impact decisions made by policymakers.
One of the main takeaways of the conference was that the current modeling programs are not effective as they should be in helping water districts, state water agencies and federal departments in planning water distributions.
Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019