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They Wanted Their Drought-Tolerant Yard to Spark Conversations. But Not on Nextdoor

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Lisa Boone

Susan and Steve Matloff are doing what they do most days when they are at home: spending time in their front yard with their kids, talking with neighbors, playing with their dog Blue and passing home-grown onions to random passersby.

When they installed raised vegetable beds alongside the sidewalk, they fantasized about living off the land despite warnings from friends that people might steal their produce.

“If someone wants to take a bell pepper, good on them,” says Steve, 49. “My office overlooks the garden, and every day I see people stop and look at our garden. Sometimes I run out there and talk to them. Our daughter Isabelle has been known to pull out a carrot and hand it to people walking by. The conversations start there. It’s part of what we wanted for our yard: to be a statement and community builder.”

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100 Years After Compact, Colorado River Nearing Crisis Point

/in , , /by /Associated Pressby Chris Outcalt and Brittany Peterson

The intensifying crisis facing the Colorado River amounts to what is fundamentally a math problem.

The 40 million people who depend on the river to fill up a glass of water at the dinner table or wash their clothes or grow food across millions of acres use significantly more each year than actually flows through the banks of the Colorado.

In fact, first sliced up 100 years ago in a document known as the Colorado River Compact, the calculation of who gets what amount of that water may never have been balanced.

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What the Western Drought Reveals About Hydropower

/in , , /by /EnergyWireby Jason Plautz

The relentless Western drought that is threatening water supplies in the country’s largest reservoirs is exposing a reality that could portend a significant shift in electricity: Hydropower is not the reliable backbone it once was.

Utilities and states are preparing for a world with less available water and turning more to wind and solar, demand response, energy storage and improved grid connections. That planning has helped Western states keep the lights on this summer even in severe drought conditions.

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‘Clairvoyant’ 2012 Climate Report Warned of Extreme Weather

/in , /by /Associated Pressby Seth Borenstein

Record high temperatures in urban Europe as heat waves bake the planet more often. Devastating floods, some in poorer unprepared areas. Increasing destruction from hurricanes. Drought and famine in poorer parts of Africa as dry spells worsen across the globe. Wild weather worldwide getting stronger and more frequent, resulting “in unprecedented extremes.”

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Rains, Mudslides Prompt Southern California Evacuations

/in , /by /Associated Pressby Stephanie Dazio

Thousands of residents were under evacuation and shelter-in-place orders early Tuesday after heavy rains unleashed mudslides in a mountain area east of Los Angeles that burned two years ago, sending boulders and other debris across roads.

Firefighters went street by street in the community of Forest Falls Monday night to make sure no residents were trapped. Eric Sherwin, spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, said crews hadn’t found anyone who needed to be rescued and no one was reported missing. Crews would canvas the neighborhoods again and begin cleanup efforts after sunrise, he said.

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Northstate Rice Farmers Struggle to Grow Crops as Drought Persists

/in , /by /KRCR TVby Jessica Shippelhoute

Dry, cracked rice fields can be seen driving along Interstate 5 in Glenn and Colusa counties. This year has been more than challenging for farmers as California continues its third consecutive year of extreme drought conditions.

KRCR spoke to fourth-generation farmer Chris Johnson on Monday about not being able to plant crop due to lower water allocation from the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID).

 

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Logo landscape design workshops

OMWD to Host Open House Celebration on October 8

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Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District invites the public to attend an open house celebration on Saturday, October 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event will be held at OMWD’s headquarters at 1966 Olivenhain Road in Encinitas.

The event is free of charge and will feature children’s activities, complimentary food and refreshments, a water-wise landscape workshop, San Diego Woodies mini car show, and informational booths from San Diego County Water Authority, Encinitas Fire Department, and Solana Center for Environmental Innovation. Drought survival kits will also be available free of charge, featuring water reuse buckets, hose nozzles, moisture sensors, and other water-saving tools.

Open House Celebration

The public event is one of the first at OMWD’s newly improved headquarters. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the new facilities, learn more about the ongoing drought, and get advice on water conservation practices and rebate programs.

OMWD Board President Larry Watt will lead a discussion about drought conditions. Steve Sherman of California Landscape Technologies will follow with an informative and interactive workshop that will feature methods to reduce outdoor water use and increase irrigation efficiencies. The free workshop will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Registration for the workshop is available at www.olivenhain.com/events.

Improvements to OMWD’s headquarters were completed in 2020. The facility, originally constructed in the 1960s, now offers a 200-person capacity community room for public use, public access to restrooms, fire sprinklers, and an accessible, secure lobby.

(Editor’s Note: Olivenhain Municipal Water District is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity, and operation of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Organized in 1959, OMWD currently serves approximately 87,000 customers over 48 square miles in northern San Diego County. OMWD is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)

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First place, high school: Michael Armenion, eleventh grade, Otay Ranch High School. Photo: Otay Water District Otay Poster Contest

Otay Poster Contest Winners Demonstrate the Value of Water Conservation

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Five students from Chula Vista and El Cajon schools have been selected from 123 submissions as the winners of Otay Water District’s 2022 Water is Life Student Poster Contest. The annual contest helps to promote water-use efficiency through student art programs. The winners were selected based on their creativity and awareness of the importance of using water wisely every day and in times of drought.

The Otay Water District’s educational program invites K-12 grade students in its service area each year to enter the contest by illustrating the theme “Water is Life.”  Entrants are encouraged to reflect on the importance of water conservation and stewardship and learn about this in the classroom prior to creating their posters.

“We are proud to see a young generation of students share their awareness about water conservation and stewardship when it matters most,” said contest coordinator Eileen Salmeron. “As California faces a drought, we hope students and their families understand that making small changes at home or school to conserve can make a big difference in building resiliency against drought.”

First- and second-place winners were selected from elementary and middle school categories. One winner was chosen in the high school category. The District’s board of directors recognized the winners at its September 7 meeting. Winners received prizes including a gift card, a certificate of recognition, an art kit, and a goody bag.

Otay Poster Contest Winners for 2022

 

First place, high school: Michael Armenion, eleventh grade, Otay Ranch High School. Photo: Otay Water District Otay Poster Contest

First place, high school: Michael Armenion, eleventh grade, Otay Ranch High School. Photo: Otay Water District

 

First place, middle school: Khilee Haull, seventh grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Otay poster contest

First place, middle school: Khilee Haull, seventh grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District

 

Second place, middle school: Fatima Altai, seventh grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District

Second place, middle school: Fatima Altai, seventh grade, Hillsdale Middle School. Photo: Otay Water District

 

First place, elementary school: Angie Zhong, sixth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

First place, elementary school: Angie Zhong, sixth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

 

Second place, elementary school: Christian-Kealoha Rogacion, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

Second place, elementary school: Christian-Kealoha Rogacion, fifth grade, Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. Photo: Otay Water District

The Otay Poster Contest winners compete for regional awards in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s annual student poster contest. Thirty-six posters are chosen from participating Southern California water agencies for inclusion in the 2023 MWD Water is Life calendar. This year, MWD selected Khilee Haull and Christian-Kealoha Rogacion to represent Otay Water District in MWD’s 2023 calendar.

(Editor’s note: The Otay Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)

Padre Dam Board Appoints Rocky Qualin to Division 5

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Padre Dam Municipal Water District Board of Directors appointed Rocky Qualin to the Board of Directors. He fills the vacancy in Division 5 as the result of the recent passing of James Peasley. Qualin took the oath of office at the Board meeting on September 7, and then participated in his first meeting. Randy Qualin will hold office for the balance of the unexpired term which expires December 2, 2022.

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WaterSmart Living Landscapes Come in Many Styles

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Using water efficiently is a way of life and an important responsibility in a beautiful, Mediterranean climate like San Diego County. WaterSmart landscaping is all about rethinking the way limited water resources are applied and making smart choices to reduce outdoor water use.

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