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Where Colorado River No Longer Meets the Sea, a Pulse of Water Brings New Life

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Beside a canal that runs through farmland, rushing water roared through an irrigation gate and flowed down a concrete culvert toward a wetland fringed with cottonwoods and willows.

For decades, so much water has been diverted to supply farms and cities that the Colorado River has seldom met the sea and much of its delta in Mexico has been reduced to a dry riverbed, with only small remnants of its once-vast wetlands surviving.

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Three Lawn Replacement Myths Debunked

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Sentinelby Sentinel News Service

California is experiencing its third consecutive dry year, and while dry spells aren’t new, the current severe drought conditions call for an increase in water conservation efforts inside and outside of homes. Replacing the lawn with water smart plants is one way to take immediate water saving action and have a direct impact on the state’s ongoing drought.

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Desalination Can Now Be Owned and Operated by Private Entities in Monterey County

/in , , /by /Northern County Weeklyby Christopher Neely

With an extreme drought tightening its grip, drawing concerns about the future of water in Monterey County and throughout California, the county’s Board of Supervisors overturned a 33-year-old law to allow the private ownership and operation of desalination facilities within the county.

Previously, desalination facilities were limited to public ownership, a rule that was criticized as more of a political decision than anything else.

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Californians Finally Climbed on Water Conservation Wagon in May

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Kevin Winter

California Governor Gavin Newsom has been urging Californians to conserve water after another dry winter. And according to preliminary data from California State Water Resources Board, Californians cut their water use in May by 5% from the previous May.

Erik Ekdahl, deputy director of the water board’s Division of Water Rights, said a board meeting Tuesday that the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is gone for the season and the area will not see significant precipitation any time soon.

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Even in a ‘Megadrought,’ Some Eye New or Expanded Colorado River Dams

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Jennifer Yachnin

Even as a persistent drought strangles the Colorado River and threatens the viability of giant reservoirs and dams erected decades ago, Western states and local governments are eyeing more projects to tap the flow of the 1,450-mile river and its tributaries.

Whether those potential new reservoirs or other diversions would further tax an already overwhelmed system, or actually help states and municipalities adapt to a changing climate while making better use of their dwindling supplies, is a point of contention between environmentalists and water managers.

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In the Wake of Fires and Floods

/in , /by /High Country Newsby Jonathan Thompson

The image that popped up on my Twitter feed last week was beyond alarming, it was  surreal: An entire house, a big one, sliding off its foundations and floating slowly down the muddy, swollen Yellowstone River. It was such an unexpected sight, so bizarre, that I could do little more than gawk at it, mutter an expletive and scroll down to the next crazy image of disaster.

But then I read the caption, and that stopped me: This wasn’t just some random building, it was an apartment complex that housed several Yellowstone National Park employees and their families.

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

Encinitas Landscape Transformation Project Wins Local Contest

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors honored at its June 22 meeting Mike and Cathy Godfrey as OMWD’s winner of the 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.”

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Encinitas Water Agencies Agree to Repurpose Tank for Recycled Water

/in , /by /The Coast News Groupby Jacqueline Covey

The city is taking off its books an unused potable water tank and turning it over to recycled water experts to lessen municipal dependency on imported water.

The San Dieguito and Olivenhain Municipal water districts entered into an agreement on June 15 allowing the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority license and right of entry to the J.C Wanket Reservoir, a 3-million-gallon concrete water tank constructed in 1975.

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Lake Jennings 2022 Spring Photo Contest Winners Depict Lake Activities

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Sunsets, wildlife, and family fun inspired the winning photos in the 2022 Lake Jennings Spring Photo Contest, held by the Helix Water District. Winners were named this week and recognized at the June Governing Board meeting.

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Swanson Takes Over at Padre Dam and East County AWP

/in , , /by /East County Magazineby Mike Allen

Kyle Swanson responds to a question about the safety of the drinking water to be produced at the East County Advanced Water Purification Program (East County AWP) in a way that conveys a sure grasp and confidence in the science behind the $950 million project.

“There’s an extensive treatment process that will be taking place,” said the new general manager for the Padre Dam Water District and the AWP, explaining how the region’s sewage will go through a four-stage process that is well-tested, entails loads of regulatory oversight, and has proven effective in many other areas of the country.

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