In late April 1996, Lake Powell sat at an elevation of 3,673 feet — just 27 feet below its maximum capacity. At that time of plenty, Arizona lawmakers worried that the state wasn’t using its full share of Colorado River water.
Instead of potentially ceding those flows to California, the state opened a kind of liquid piggy bank, storing away a share of its water for an uncertain future.
The State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday approved a groundbreaking agreement that allows “senior” water rights holders in the upper Russian River watershed to share their supply with junior rights holders whose claims might otherwise be suspended due to drought.
The collaborative, community-first approach, negotiated over many months by agricultural, municipal, tribal and other stakeholders in the region, is the first of its kind to try to bring balance to the allocation of scarce water supplies in a state governed by what one board member called an “inherently inequitable” water rights system.
A proposal to use up to $1.5 billion to purchase farmer’s senior water rights has made its way into the budget negotiations between lawmakers and Governor Gavin Newsom, the Associated Press reports.
It comes at a time when 98 percent of the state is experiencing a severe drought and is part of the larger $7.5 billion Water and Drought Package “to build a climate resilient water system.”
In sweeping water curtailments stretching from Fresno to the Oregon state line, cities and growers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed have been ordered to stop pumping from rivers and streams.
The cutbacks, announced today by the State Water Resources Control Board, will affect 4,252 water rights in the Delta watershed, including 400 or more held by 212 public water systems, beginning Wednesday. But they’re concentrated around the San Joaquin River and its tributaries, where state officials expect “significant, very deep cuts.”
The U.S. EPA announced a settlement with California’s Imperial Irrigation District (IID) for violations of the Clean Water Act.
The violations include the pollution of local wetlands, reported EPA.
A Nov. 5, 2020, EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspection of IID’s construction of drain banks in the area discovered that activities resulted in the discharge of sediment to approximately 1 acre of wetlands.
A popular Joshua Tree park trail is now closed so that bighorn sheep can have easier access to water amid the state’s continuing drought conditions, park officials said.
The 49 Palms Trail was closed on June 1 and was expected to stay off limits until summer monsoon rains provide enough rainfall to make water more available to the animals, according to Joshua Tree National Park officials.
Kyle Swanson has been unanimously appointed by the Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors as the District’s new CEO/General Manager. He steps into his new role following the retirement of prior CEO/General Manager Allen Carlisle.
“I am excited about this opportunity to serve both the organization and the community as the new CEO/General Manager for Padre Dam Municipal Water District,” said Swanson.
Kyle Swanson has been unanimously appointed by the Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors as the District’s new CEO/General Manager. He steps into his new role following the retirement of prior CEO/General Manager Allen Carlisle.
“I am excited about this opportunity to serve both the organization and the community as the new CEO/General Manager for Padre Dam Municipal Water District,” said Swanson. “I look forward to sustaining the health of the District, providing the opportunity for employees to succeed in their roles within the organization, and achieving the numerous goals and initiatives before us to ensure Padre Dam continues providing the highest quality of service to our customers.”
Swanson’s tenure officially began Swanson’s on June 2, 2022, as Carlisle passed a symbolic baton to Swanson as part of the East County Advanced Water Purification Program groundbreaking ceremony on June 1.
Padre Dam CEO/General Manager Kyle Swanson. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District
Swanson has over 20 years of water industry experience focusing on operations and project management. He joined the Padre Dam team in 2013 as Distribution Maintenance Manager in the operations department and was promoted to Assistant Operations Manager soon after. In 2018, Kyle was promoted to Director of Advanced Water Purification.
During his time in that role, Swanson led the entire AWP team through major milestones that have moved the $950 million East County Advanced Water Purification Program forward into the construction phase it is now entering. He served as the District’s Assistant General Manager for the last nine months.
“Kyle embodies exceptional leadership and utility management skills that will lead this District into a very bright future,” commented Board President Bill Pommering.
Swanson has a bachelor’s degree in geography from San Diego State University, holds multiple industry operational licenses, and is a Certified Public Manager (CPM). He is a San Diego native and East County resident.
Padre Dam Municipal Water District provides water, sewer, recycled water, and recreation services to approximately 102,000 residents in East San Diego County, including Santee, El Cajon, Lakeside, Flinn Springs, Harbison Canyon, Blossom Valley, Alpine, Dehesa, and Crest.
Padre Dam serves as the administrator and operator for the East County Advanced Water Purification Program Joint Powers Authority. This collaborative program is a partnership between Padre Dam, the City of El Cajon, the County of San Diego, and Helix Water District. It will create up to 30% of East County’s water supply by 2026.
(Editor’s note: The Padre Dam Municipal Water District and the Helix Water District, are two of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
Vista, Calif. — The Vista Irrigation District (District) board of directors approved, by a unanimous vote, the appointment of Peter Kuchinsky II as the new representative for division 3 at a special board meeting. Division 3 encompasses central and northeast Vista and unincorporated areas of the county of San Diego.
He immediately fills the seat that became vacant when Paul Dorey passed away. Kuchinsky’s appointment as a director will last until the November 2022 election.
June 7, 2022 – Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors unanimously appointed Kyle Swanson as the new CEO/General Manager for the District. Swanson’s tenure as CEO/General Manager began on June 2, 2022 following the retirement of prior CEO/General Manager Allen Carlisle.
“I am excited about this opportunity to serve both the organization and the community as the new CEO / General Manager for Padre Dam Municipal Water District. I look forward to sustaining the health of the District, providing the opportunity for employees to succeed in their roles within the organization and achieving the numerous goals and initiatives before us to ensure Padre Dam continues providing the highest quality of service to our customers,” commented Kyle Swanson.
