California continues to make waves on climate. In some cases literally.
Over the weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed dozens of bills dealing with renewable energy, landscape conservation and water use — and vetoed many others.
San Diego was ranked the “greenest” city in the United States, thanks largely to clean energy sources and environmentally friendly policies, in a new study by WalletHub.
The Miami-based personal finance website compared the 100 largest cities using 28 indicators ranging from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita, green job opportunities and public transit to organic farms, bike lanes and air quality.
In Marin County, we have limited options when we face the next, inevitable drought. Recycled water, the reuse of purified wastewater, is one of the most viable options and belongs in the water supply of every urban area of coastal California.
San Vicente Dam, completed in 1943, was designed for ‘200-year extreme rainfall’ (the heaviest rain that will fall once every 200 years). However, when the worst drought hit California in 1991, the state government and residents agreed to prepare for climate change and decided to expand.
Scenic views, beautiful birds, and unusual weather are all featured in the winning photos in the Lake Jennings 2023 Photo Contest. The contest is held annually by the Helix Water District. Winners were named this week and recognized at the September Governing Board meeting.
The Helix Water District board recognized the 2023 Lake Jennings Photo Contest winners at its September meeting. Back row (L to R): Board members Andrea Beth Damsky, Dan McMillan, Kathleen Coates Hedberg, Joel Scalzitti, Mark Gracyk.
Front row (L to R): Chaylee Gregory, Billy Ortiz, Charles Ham, Aaron D’Souza, Debra Colwell. Photo: Helix Water District
The District runs the contest each year as a fun way to connect with its customers and recognize their achievements.
Now in its 12th year, the contest drew 60 entries from throughout San Diego County. This year’s entries depicted the wide variety of activities at Lake Jennings including camping, fishing, hiking, spotting wildlife and enjoying the view. The contest was open for photos taken between March 1 and August 31, 2023.
First Place – Billy Ortiz, “Reflection”
First Place: Billy Ortiz, “Reflections.” Photo: Helix Water District
Second Place – Charles Ham, “Bald Eagle”
Second Place: Charles Ham, “Bald Eagle.” Photo: Helix Water District
Third Place – Debra Colwell, “Quail Enjoying The View”
Third Place: Debra Colwell, “Enjoying The View.” Photo: Helix Water District
First Place – Aaron D’Souza, “Calm Before Tropical Storm Hilary”
First Place: Aaron D’Souza, “Calm Before Tropical Storm Hilary.” Photo: Helix Water District
Second Place – Chaylee Gregory, “Duck, Duck No Goose”
Second Place: Chaylee Gregory, “Duck Duck No Goose.” Photo: Helix Water District
The Helix Water District honored the winning photographers at an awards ceremony during its board of directors meeting on Wednesday, September 27.
The winning photos can be viewed on Lake Jennings’ Facebook page and on the District’s website.
Lake Jennings is among San Diego County’s most scenic parks. The lake is a drinking water reservoir located in Lakeside, California, owned and operated by Helix Water District.
Lake Jennings is named for William H. Jennings, an attorney who grew up on his family farm in Lakeside. He served as San Diego County Water Authority general counsel for 26 years and served on the California Water Commission. Jennings played a major role in the State Water Project in the 1950s and helped secure imported water for San Diego County in the 1960s. The lake was named in his honor in 1964.
(Editor’s note: The Helix 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 U.S. EPA recognized the San Diego County Water Authority with a 2023 WaterSense Excellence Award for advancing water efficiency through its Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper program, better known as QWEL. The Water Authority received one of 25 Excellence Awards on October 5 at the national WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas.
This is the fourth EPA WaterSense award won by the Water Authority. The 2023 award is for Excellence in Promotion and Outreach of the QWEL program.
California water regulators have released a long-awaited analysis of options for managing flows in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where fish populations have been declining and the ecosystem has been deteriorating.
The delta is the central hub of the state’s water system, drawing together rivers from a vast watershed and supplying pumps that send water flowing to cities and farms.
California’s water warriors have a new arena for their perpetual conflict over the allocation of the state’s ever-evolving supply – a nearly 6,000-page proposal from the state Water Resources Control Board.
The draft essentially calls for sharp reductions in diversions from the Sacramento River and its tributaries to allow more water to flow through the environmentally troubled Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
October 1 marked the beginning of the new Water Year in California. Water years here run from October 1 until September 30 of the next calendar year, and are named for the calendar year of the bulk of the water year (January-October). It is a good time to reflect on the last year and make largely futile predictions of precipitation for the coming 12 months.
October isn’t just the start of our spooky season — it’s also the official start of the new water year. Historically, our wet season has stretched from mid-October to April, and water managers across the state are gearing up for what could be an even wetter year than last year, given the El Niño climate pattern, and a changing water cycle driven by human-caused climate change.
