South Coast Water District plans to decrease its reliance on imported water by creating a local, reliable, drought-proof supply through the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project. The project would also provide emergency water should the delivery of imported water be disrupted by earthquakes or other natural disasters.
Ever since the late December and January deluge, California has been pretty dry.
Since the beginning of February, Sacramento Executive Airport has recorded 0.56″ of rain. The relatively dry weather since mid-January allowed the state to dry out and lowered flood risk, but another storm cycle heading into the dry season would be incredibly beneficial in terms of breaking out of drought.
California authorities face renewed pressure to preserve the valuable salty waters of the Mono Lake — as despite recent rainfall, a historic drought and demands from the Los Angeles area have depleted it.
In a workshop Wednesday, the state Water Resources Control Board discussed Mono Lake’s current conditions amid the impacts of severe drought and ongoing diversions.
Water levels in Lake Powell dropped to a new record low on Tuesday. The nation’s second-largest reservoir is under pressure from climate change and steady demand, and is now the lowest it’s been since it was first filled in the 1960s.
Water levels fell to 3,522.16 feet above sea level, just below the previous record set in April 2022. The reservoir is currently about 22% full, and is expected to keep declining until around May, when mountain snowmelt will rush into the streams that flow downstream to Powell.
Chula Vista, Calif. – Sweetwater Authority announced a new “Free Fishing Sundays” promotion at the Sweetwater Reservoir Recreation Program. Free access begins this Sunday, February 19 and will continue through the end of 2023.
Located at the eastern edge of Bonita, California, Sweetwater Reservoir’s Recreation Program is easily accessible to Authority customers and offers an abundance of outdoor activities, including shoreline fishing and a riding and hiking trail operated by the County of San Diego.
The program’s shoreline fishing access stretches along a 2.5 mile stretch on the south side of Sweetwater Reservoir. Anglers can catch a variety of fish, including bass, catfish, bluegill, red eared sunfish and crappie.
The program is currently open Friday through Monday, from 7 am to 4 pm. Beginning March 1st, the program will be open from 7 am to 5 pm. The entrance is located at 3203 Summit Meadow Road, Bonita, CA 91902. A valid California Department of Fish and Wildlife Fishing License is required. Regular fishing fees are still in effect on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays.
“We recognize that the recent closure of Loveland Reservoir has impacted recreation access,” said Authority Board Chair Hector Martinez. “We hope that by offering free access to the program on Sundays, customers and local residents will come out and enjoy these outdoor recreational activities located right here in our own community.”
Fifth grade students in the Authority’s service area were also provided free fishing passes for the year through their schools. For more information about the Authority’s Recreation Program, go to: www.sweetwater.org/recreation.
(Editor’s note: The Sweetwater Authority is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)
The Colorado River, which allows the desert to sustain itself and powers millions of American homes, is currently engaged in the fight of its life. The rapidly sinking river—victim of a nearly 23-year-long megadrought—stretches 1,450 miles, snaking its way from Colorado through Arizona, Nevada, and California, and finally into Mexico, where it should theoretically dump out into the Sea of Cortez.
With a much improved rainfall season and snowpack — at least for one year — the water allocation outlook for the area appears to be looking much better than in past years.
The federal Bureau of Reclamation has stated it’s requesting a 100 percent water allocation locally for Class 1 Friant contractors. In addition is stated it plans to request a 20 percent allocation for Class 2 contractors.
Following the driest three-year period on record, California experienced one of the wettest three weeks in January. But now those extreme wet conditions have activated a water quality standard in the Delta that, coupled with the extended dry period since then, could result in a sharp reduction in the amount of water that can be retained or moved into storage for both the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project.
The Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are working in real time to operate the state’s water system to maximize water supply while protecting species and the environment. However, California continues to experience unprecedented swings in weather impacting water management operations.
A California water irrigation district has launched Project Nexus, which is installing a 4 MW solar canopy on an irrigation canal in California.
ESS Inc., a saltwater energy storage system manufacturer, has announced the delivery of an Energy Warehouse system to the Turlock Irrigation District in central California. The energy storage company will deploy a few Energy Warehouse containers to pair with solar panels over irrigation canals.
The Valley Center Municipal Water District has been advised by its wholesale supplier, the San Diego County Water Authority, of the following aqueduct shutdown. The shutdown of the San Diego Aqueduct that delivers water to the District will be out of service for rehabilitation repairs and will begin at 1 a.m. on Sunday, February 26, through 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.
Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019