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

Landscape Diversity Showcased By 2022 Olivenhain Municipal Water District Contest Winner

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Mike and Cathy Godfrey’s water-efficient landscape design is the winner of the Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest.

“Maximizing water efficiency outdoors is especially important as drought conditions remain in effect across the state,” said OMWD Board Director Neal Meyers. “Showcasing the diversity and beauty of California-friendly landscaping can encourage others to swap their grass for climate-appropriate designs and bring awareness to the benefits of sustainable landscaping.”

Full Story

U.S. Megadrought is Worst for Over 1,000 Years: How Long Could It Last?

/in , , /by /Newsweekby Aristos Georgiou

Droughts are periods characterized by abnormally dry conditions. But what are megadroughts, and how bad is the one currently affecting parts of the United States?

While there are no clear definitions of what a megadrought is, in general these events are defined as droughts that last for multiple decades, i.e. two or more, according to Ashok Mishra, a professor in the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering at Clemson University.

Full Story

In Wake of Poseidon Plants Denial South Coast Water Looks to Fill Hole in County’s Water Portfolio

/in , , /by /Dana Point Timesby Breeana Greenburg

As the State of California faces a record drought, ocean desalination has been highlighted as a potentially more reliable alternative to imported water.

Following the California Coastal Commission’s unanimous vote to deny permits for the Brookfield-Poseidon Desalination plant in Huntington Beach last month, the South Coast Water District is working to obtain all major permits for its own desalination plant near Doheny by the end of the year.

Full Story

Feds Seek Ideas on How to Manage a Drier Colorado River

/in , , /by /Tuscon.comby Tony Davis

For many decades, the Colorado River was managed with the attitude that its water levels would remain roughly stable over time, punctuated by alternating wet and dry periods.

But in the face of possibly the river’s driest period in 1,200 years, a new approach is now needed to managing the river’s reservoirs — one that can account for “deep uncertainty” about future climate and runoff conditions, says the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Full Story

California’s Drought Means Less Water to Go Around. Who is Winning the Pursuit for Water — and Who is Losing?

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander and Yoohyun Jung

After three years of drought, the massive state and federal water projects that serve California’s cities and farms have less water to distribute, forcing water managers to increasingly ration supplies.

Full Story

California’s ‘Broken’ Water Supply Forecast to Be Audited

/in , , /by /ABC 10

There’ll be an audit of California’s water supply forecast after the state overestimated and prematurely released 700,000 acre-feet of water last year, officials announced Monday.

A news release from Assemblymember Adam Gray (D-Merced) announced that Gray’s request for audit was approved. It aims to examine the impacts of the flawed forecasts and the Department of Water Resources and State Water Board.

Full Story

Burbank Tightens Water Restrictions After Usage Jumps 22% in March, 17% in April

/in , /by /CBS Newsby Darleene Powells

Burbank is tightening its water restrictions as the drought worsens, with a goal of cutting water usage by 15%.

Stage III of Burbank’s sustainable water use ordinance goes into effect immediately. City officials say water reduction efforts started out strong, with the city achieving targets in December and January. But Burbank’s water conservation efforts relapsed in a major way since then, with usage jumping to 22.1% in March and 17.0% in April.

Full Story

Renegade Sewage Flows Still Seep Across Border, but There Is Progress

/in , /by /KPBSby Erik Anderson

The big fix for the region’s border sewage problem remains several years away, but that does not mean sewage will flow unabated until then.

Some recent smaller-scale projects are already having an impact on the dry-weather flows coming through the Tijuana River channel. And planning for a large-scale fix continues moving forward.

Full Story

California Power Plant Deal: Fast-Tracking and Fossil Fuel Backups

/in , /by /CalMattersby Julie Cart

The expansive energy bill that so angered clean-energy advocates and city and county officials — negotiated last week behind closed-doors —  was softened somewhat over the weekend, restoring oversight of new energy projects to some critical state agencies.

But those hard-won concessions were nearly negated late Sunday night as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration added an entirely new and unexpected section.  It reopened the heated debate over the trailer bill, intended, in part, to prop up California’s overstretched power grid.

Full Story

As Drought Pummels Northern Mexico, Baja Weighs Buying Water from Mexicali’s Farmers

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer and Vicente Calderón

The drought is hitting northern Mexico so hard that the state of Baja will likely have to buy water from farmers in the agricultural region of Mexicali.

That’s what Vicente Calderón, my collaborator on the Tijuana River Pollution crisis series, reported last week. He tapped José Armando Fernández Samaniego, the Baja secretary for water management, sanitation and protection, for more details and here’s what he learned.

Full Story