An unrelenting heat wave that has blanketed the the Southwestern U.S. continued to break records Wednesday, inflicting misery in major cities and offering what experts described as a disturbing glimpse into the future as human-caused climate change increases the frequency and duration of extreme heat events.
For more than a week there’s been a beautiful waterfall spilling over Friant Dam.
That’s because Millerton Lake is full to the brim. A water volume of 1,650 cubic feet per second (CFS) is creating the water blanket.
Vista Homeowner Diane Krupnak redesigned her front yard to save water and won the 2023 Vista Irrigation District WaterSmart Landscape Contest.
The annual contest recognizes outstanding waterwise residential landscapes based on the criteria of overall attractiveness, appropriate plant selection, design, appropriate maintenance, and efficient irrigation methods.
Concerned by the severity of the last drought, Krupnak removed the water-thirsty grass from her front yard to reduce water use. She began her project by enrolling in the free WaterSmart Landscape Makeover series of workshops for homeowners offered by the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies.
The workshops gave Krupnak the knowledge to move forward with her makeover, including soil assessment, creating a landscape plot plan, and drip irrigation basics, and mulching.
Diane Krupnake wanted a landscape that would complement the Mediterranean aesthetic of her home. Photo: Vista Irrigation District
Krupnak started by researching the plants she wanted to add to her yard. She focused on the plants’ characteristics and water needs to make sure they would be compatible in her landscape.
She also wanted a landscape to complement the Mediterranean aesthetic of her home. Krupnak selected a base color palate in greens and whites highlighted with pops of color. Once the plan came together, she hired landscape professionals to install the new landscape and hardscape.
The green hues in her landscape design come from shaggy Cousin Itt Acacias, Wheeler’s Dwarf Pittosporum, dwarf daylilies, and Italian Oregano. Each plant provides contrasting textures and structure creating visual interest. A fruitless Olea Swan Hill olive tree stands as the focal point of her yard.
White tones include flowering Scaevola White plants adjacent to Krupnak’s new permeable walkways accentuating the earth tones of the pavers.
The base colors in the winning landscape design are accented with bright reds from plants like Caliente Deep Red Geraniums and Tecoma Stans Bells of Fire Esperanza, as well as yellow foliage from Sunset Gold Coleonema pulchellum.
The landscape makeover replaced grass with new low-water-use plants and a patio area. Photo: Vista Irrigation District
“I chose a landscape of moderate to low water use plants that complement the Mediterranean influence of my home,” said Krupnak. “I save money on my water bills and no longer pay to have my yard mowed.”
The hardscape included in Krupnak’s design plan provides functional living space. The patio replaces a flat lawn area near the home’s entranceway and transforms it into an inviting place to sit and admire the rest of her new landscape.
“Free regional WaterSmart landscape workshops are available online and in person to assist homeowners in upgrading their home’s landscape to reduce water bills,” said Brent Reyes, VID management analyst. “Additionally, turf removal rebates can help with the cost.”
Participating San Diego County Water Authority member agencies include the Vista Irrigation District, Helix Water District, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, Otay Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, San Dieguito Water District, Sweetwater Authority, Vallecitos Water District, Rincon Del Diablo Water District, and the cities of Escondido and Oceanside. Customers of California American Water also can access the workshops.
For more information about the contest and to see more examples of waterwise landscaping, visit www.landscapecontest.com. Visit the district’s website to learn more about free landscape workshops and incentive programs.
Vista Irrigation District is a public agency governed by an elected five-member board. The district provides water service to roughly 134,000 people in the city of Vista and portions of San Marcos, Escondido, Oceanside, and unincorporated areas of San Diego County.
(Editor’s note: The Vista Irrigation District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)
Six students from schools in the Otay Water District are the winners of the annual Student Poster Contest. More than 53 students submitted entries from schools in Chula Vista, El Cajon, and Spring Valley. The poster art depicts the value of water and using water wisely.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation laid down the planning process on the development of post-2026 operational guidelines and strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead during a podcast Tuesday.
Some of the reservoir and water management documents and agreements that govern the operation of the Colorado River basin will expire in 2026, so the planning process has begun to guide the way for a resource that 40 million people in the U.S — and more in northern Mexico — depend on.
The California Water Resources Control Board is accepting public comment through July 28 on new recommendations to expedite permits for seawater desalination plants in the state.
On a closely packed street in Inglewood, where single-family home after single-family home overlooks a manicured lawn, a spectacular garden filled with California native plants reaches to the sky and spills onto the sidewalk.
In Brian Bautista’s yard, upright showy penstemon, aromatic hummingbird sage, hardy toyon trees, and two types of milkweed — dramatic plants requiring little water — attract birds, butterflies and bees and flourish amid the Bermuda grass lawns.
Winter storms that have dented the drought across much of California have also boosted reservoir levels in several San Diego County lakes — especially those fed by storm runoff.
A University of Texas at Arlington civil engineering researcher is leading a nationwide study to find and assess innovative technologies for monitoring water assets.
Mohammad Najafi, associate professor of civil engineering, is using a $410,000 grant from the Water Research Foundation for the project.
“We hope to streamline water asset monitoring so water utilities can make timely decisions and optimize their maintenance activities,” Najafi said. “We will investigate the utilization of existing and innovative asset-monitoring technologies—such as drones, sensors, fiber optics and more—for both horizontal and vertical assets. Considerations for both large and small water utilities will be given.”
The San Diego County Water Authority is among water agencies involved in the project.
“We are happy to collaborate with the University of Texas at Arlington and the water utilities that have come together on this project,” said Martin Coghill, operations and maintenance manager with the San Diego County Water Authority. “It’s an exciting time to be in the water industry with new technologies being developed to help manage water assets more efficiently and effectively. Sharing our experiences and learning from others’ experiences has a huge value for us, our regional partners, and the industry as a whole.”
Other water entities involved in the project include DC Water, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, CDM Smith, Dallas Water Utilities, Greater Cincinnati Water Works, Dallas County, Tarrant Regional Water District, WaterOne, American Water, WSSC Water, Great Lakes Water Authority, Orange County Utilities and Underground Infrastructure.
Vinayak Kaushal, assistant professor of civil engineering, will serve as co-principal investigator. Zahra Borhani, program manager at the Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education (CUIRE), and Diego Calderon, a doctoral candidate, are part of the UT Arlington team for this project. Najafi leads CUIRE, a research, education and outreach organization that is part of UT Arlington’s Department of Civil Engineering. Since its inception, it has focused on assembling exceptional and broad-reaching engineering and technical talent to address the needs of underground infrastructure on regional, state, national and international scales.
As Angelenos wither under another hot summer, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is shrinking a discount program that helped low-income families pay their bills.
The utility has no choice; the subsidies that funded the DWP’s discounted water rates were declared illegal by a Superior Court judge in May. That discount will disappear Thursday, although others will remain in place, the DWP said in a letter to customers.
