As early as midnight, scores of Mexicali residents with U.S. citizenship or legal status line up at the port of entry. They cross into Calexico, walking past darkened storefronts, and gather near a 24-hour donut shop. Before dawn, they board buses for fields across the Imperial Valley.
Every year, some 15,000 people legally cross the border to work on farms in the region. In the winter, they join local residents in harvesting as much as 90% of the nation’s vegetables.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-04-05 10:03:212023-04-05 11:12:27As River Runs Dry, Desert Region is at a Crossroads
On Monday, California water officials slogged through deep snow 7,000 feet above sea level, west of Lake Tahoe, to affirm what everyone already knew: A series of Pacific storms has generated record-level amounts of precipitation, filling reservoirs, inundating low-lying towns and fields and threatening more disastrous flooding as the Sierra snowpack melts.
Its negative aspects aside, the immense amount of rain and snow is welcome relief from drought that has plagued the state for the past three years.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-04-05 10:02:022023-04-05 11:12:38Opinion: California’s Water Battles Continue Despite Record Rain and Snow
Public health officials have long known that sewage-ladened coastal waters threaten the health of swimmers and surfers. However, new research shows that this common form of water pollution might also pose health risks to those who stay ashore.
Bacteria and pollutants found in sewage-tainted water can be ejected into the atmosphere via sea spray aerosols—tiny droplets that form when waves break—according to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-04-05 10:01:402023-04-05 11:12:47Spring and Sewage Are in the Air Near San Diego
Lake Hodges Dam has received the state’s worst possible safety rating, leaving the city with another delay in making repairs some say are decades overdue.
Last month, the state’s Division of Safety of Dams downgraded its condition from poor to unsatisfactory due to seismic issues, rating the hazard “extremely high.” The 105-year-old city dam is at the end of its lifespan.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Chelsea Camposhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngChelsea Campos2023-04-05 10:00:222023-04-05 11:12:58Rains Worsen San Diego’s Most Dangerous Dam
Santa Fe Irrigation District customers will see an increase in water rates this spring as the board voted on March 28 to approve the new rate hike. In the 4-1 vote, Director Sandy Johnson representing Rancho Santa Fe was opposed. The new rates went into effect on April 1 and customers will see the impacts on bi-monthly bills in June.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-04-05 09:58:442023-04-05 11:14:18Paso Robles City Council Greenlights Funding for Ambitious Recycled Water Project
If passed, a bill in the Nevada Legislature would urge the United States Bureau of Reclamation to consider more measures to protect and manage the Colorado River.
SJR 3 reads that the Colorado River is the most vital water source in Nevada, and much of the western states, including 22 Native American tribes and Mexico.
Ninety percent of Southern Nevada’s water supply comes from the Colorado River via Lake Mead, which is still facing unprecedented drought and aridification.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-04-05 09:57:392023-04-05 11:14:27Nevada Legislature Bill Would Urge Federal Government to Protect the Colorado River
A project announced by the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority on Monday, April 3, aims to capture more than 7 million gallons of stormwater per year and redirect pollutants from entering the San Elijo Lagoon, in addition to other water infrastructure improvements.
The $18.3 million project, recently approved by JPA directors, involves upgrades to drainage and water treatment infrastructure in Encinitas, according to a San Elijo JPA news release. Work is slated for 2024 and expected to take 10 months to complete.
The walls of the ozone contactors at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Robert A. Skinner Water Treatment Plant are experiencing cracks, and the March 14 MWD board meeting included the award of a contract to rehabilitate the structure walls of two of the contactors.
Californians gave their irrigation systems the winter off in much of 2023 thanks to above-average precipitation. As the weather warms, the U.S. EPA encourages everyone to perform a maintenance check in April as part of its “Sprinkler Spruce Up” effort.
A sprinkler spruce-up involves four steps: inspect, connect, direct, and select. Cracks in pipes can lead to costly leaks, and broken sprinkler heads can waste water and money. System maintenance can help save money and water, up to 25,000 gallons of water, and $280 over a six-month irrigation season. April is an ideal time to spruce up your irrigation system.
Look for leaks and breaks
Because most irrigation systems run in the early morning, missing or broken sprinkler heads may go unnoticed. This can cause overflow or flooding on landscapes or waste water on hard surfaces.
Inspect your irrigation system and look for sprinkler heads that do not pop up fully or are tilted. Flag them so they can be located and repaired later. You may be able to do it yourself but call on a WaterSense-certified professional who can replace the broken sprinkler heads.
Check all connections
Leaks can occur at the joints between sprinklers and the piping. Leaking joints can also be caused by too much water pressure or particles in the water. Check to ensure your pressure regulator is installed properly.
Between irrigation cycles, look for water pooling on the surface of your landscaping. This could be caused by an underground leak. Check the connections inside valve boxes to make sure all the valves and other components are securely connected. If the valves cannot close completely, your system could slowly seep water even when turned off.
Survey your irrigation coverage
Irrigation water spraying on hardscapes instead of landscape plants is wasted down the stormwater drain. While your system is running, note any overspray and adjust sprinklers toward your landscaping.
For best results:
Each sprinkler should be able to reach the sprinkler head next to it, called head-to-head coverage.
Direct sprinklers for uniform coverage to avoid dry spots.
Maintain consistent water pressure so that nozzles can operate efficiently.
Upgrade to a smart controller. Weather and soil moisture-based controllers can automatically adjust your watering schedule.
The greatest waste of water in landscape irrigation comes from watering too much, too fast. Observe how water absorbs into the ground during the watering cycle. If water begins running off your landscaping or pooling, run sprinklers in multiple shorter sessions with breaks. This allows water to soak into the soil and minimizes runoff.
Instructions to help homeowners check in-ground irrigation ground systems here: “It’s Time to Start a Sprinkler Spruce-Up!” The EPA’s checklist “Find It, Flag It, Fix It: A Checklist For Your Landscape” shows how to walk through your landscape to identify problems. The checklist also provides additional irrigation and landscape tips and suggestions about when to call in an irrigation professional.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ws-outdoor-ssu-connect-valve-box-Primary-845x450-1.jpg450845Gayle Falkenthalhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngGayle Falkenthal2023-04-05 08:39:002023-04-12 13:09:10Spruce Up Your Sprinklers in April
