You are now in California and the U.S. Home Headline Media Coverage category.

Western US Cities to Remove Decorative Grass Amid Drought

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Sam Metz and Kathleen Ronayne

A group of 30 agencies that supply water to homes and businesses throughout the western United States has pledged to rip up lots of decorative grass to help keep water in the over-tapped Colorado River. The agreement signed Tuesday by water agencies in Southern California, Phoenix and Salt Lake City and elsewhere illustrates an accelerating shift in the American West away from well-manicured grass that has long been a totem of suburban life, having taken root alongside streets, around fountains and between office park walkways.

Full Story

In Arizona, One Utility Has a Front Row Seat to Colorado River Crisis

/in , , /by /KUNCby Alex Hager

Tobyn Pilot took a few crunchy footsteps through the rough red dirt near the edge of a towering cliff. Pilot, an operator at the water plant in Page, Arizona, pulled out a hefty collection of keys and unlocked a tiny plywood-paneled shed just a few feet from the brink. The building is barely bigger than an outhouse, but it’s a pivotal part of keeping the taps flowing.

Full Story

From the Air, Scientists Map ‘Fast Paths’ for Recharging California’s Groundwater

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

Thousands of years ago during the last Ice Age, rivers flowed from giant glaciers in the Sierra Nevada down to the Central Valley, carving into rock and gouging channels at a time when the sea level was about 400 feet lower. When the glaciers retreated, meltwater coursed down and buried the river channels in sediment.

Full Story

To Save Salmon, U.S. Approves Largest Dam Removal in History

/in , /by /Reutersby Daniel Trotta

A U.S. agency seeking to restore habitat for endangered fish gave final approval on Thursday to decommission four dams straddling the California-Oregon border, the largest dam removal undertaking in U.S. history. Dam removal is expected to improve the health of the Klamath River, the route that Chinook salmon and endangered coho salmon take from the Pacific Ocean to their upstream spawning grounds, and from where the young fish return to the sea.

Full Story

CWA Approves New Water Audit Contract With Mission RCD

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has approved a new contract with the Mission Resource Conservation District to administer the SDCWA’s WaterSmart Field Services Program. The Thursday, Oct. 27, CWA board action authorized CWA general manager Sandra Kerl to enter into a three-year professional services agreement with the Mission RCD which will pay $200,000 for administration of the WaterSmart Field Services Program through Oct. 31, 2025.

Full Story

Fishing Comes to a Halt at Sweetwater Authority’s Loveland Reservoir

/in , /by /KPBS-FM/TV/inewsourceby Jennifer Bowman / inewsource

Sweetwater Authority is again removing water from its Loveland Reservoir to meet customer needs during drought conditions, but the move will halt the lake’s free fishing program.

The agency, which serves roughly 200,000 South County customers, began moving water downstream to its Sweetwater Reservoir this week. Officials said its water supply took a hit because of the region’s lack of rainfall and that transferring the water is a cheaper option than importing.

Full Story

CWA Modifies PSAWR Calculation Methodology

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has modified its Permanent Special Agricultural Water Rate calculation methodology. The Thursday, Oct. 27, SDCWA board meeting included approval of the modification which allows participating agencies the ability to prescribe how their local supply is allocated under the PSAWR program.

Full Story
After a vote by Facebook followers the 2019 Elfin Forest Photo Contest "People's Choice Award“ went to "Red Jumping Spiderman” by Sabine Kurz-Sherman. Photo: Courtesy Olivenhain Municipal Water District Reserve Photo Contest Opens

Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve Photo Contest Open

/in , /by

The Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve photo contest gives amateur photographers more visual opportunities in its 16th year, accepting entries from Fall through early Spring 2023.

Designed to be a fun and educational way to showcase the natural beauty at Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve, the contest is open for entries from November 21, 2022 through April 23, 2023.

“This is the first year that we’ve held the contest over the fall and winter months, and we hope that it will inspire visitors to view and photograph the reserve in a new way,” said OMWD Board President Larry Watt.

Natural backcountry

Located west of Escondido, the 784-acre reserve celebrates 30 years of recreational opportunities in 2022. EFRR‘s 11 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails offer views of the Pacific Ocean, Olivenhain Reservoir, Escondido Creek, and the natural backcountry.

The 2023 Elfin Forest Photo Contest is open to all photographers from Nov. 21, 2022 through April 23, 2023. Photo: Courtesy Olivenhain Municipal Water District Reserve Photo Contest Opens

The 2023 Elfin Forest Photo Contest is open to all photographers through April 23, 2023. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

Photography prizes

Winners will be selected from six categories: Water Scenery, Scenic View, Plants, Animals, Youth (age 15 and under), and People’s Choice.

Winning photographers are eligible for prizes from contest sponsors, including $100 cash from the Escondido Creek Conservancy, Zoo/Safari Park passes from the San Diego Zoo, a 24″ x 36″ canvas print from PC-Photo.net, and gear from REI. Select winning submissions will be displayed at the Elfin Forest Interpretive Center Honoring Susan J. Varty.

Contest entries serve to help educate the public on local recreational opportunities and support EFRR’s mission to protect wildlife and natural resources. For official rules and to upload entries, go to: www.olivenhain.com/photo.

Supporting the mission to protect natural resources

"Reservoir Dogs" by CJ Edingfield-Murphy won the 2022 Elfin Forest Reserve Photo Contest Animal category. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

“Reservoir Dogs” by CJ Edingfield-Murphy won the 2022 Elfin Forest Reserve Photo Contest Animal category. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

In previous contests, talented amateur photographers turned their lenses on skies and streams, coyotes and cacti, and found hidden details in nature to produce winning images of the natural beauty protected at EFRR through a partnership between OMWD, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the San Diego County Water Authority.

Open daily from 8 a.m. to approximately thirty minutes before sunset, EFRR is located at 8833 Harmony Grove Road in Escondido. The interpretive center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., subject to docent availability. Admission and parking are free.

OMWD-Photo Contest-Elfin Forest

“Serenity” by Peter Montgomery was the 2022 Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve Photo Contest “Best in Show.” Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District

(Editor’s note: The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region. The Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve is an element of the Olivenhain Water Storage Project and the San Diego County Water Authority’s Emergency Storage Project. Owned by the Water Authority and managed by OMWD, the Reserve has been designed to unify the interests of domestic water supply development, natural resources management, and recreational opportunities.)

Cities Are Leaning on Proven Technology to Meet Climate Goals

/in , , /by /Denver7by Jessie Cohen Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

When you think about renewables, it’s natural that solar power and wind may come to mind. But have you ever thought about how to generate energy when the sun is down and the winds are calm? Neena Kuzmich, with the San Diego County Water Authority, explains with big climate goals on the horizon, cities like San Diego are tapping into the world of pumped storage hydropower.

Full Story

Water Agencies Unite and Commit to Reducing Demands on Colorado River

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Recognizing that a reliable water supply is critical to all economies and communities relying on the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin, more than 30 water agencies and providers have committed to take additional actions to reducing water demands and helping protect the Colorado River system.

Full Story