State water officials say a controversial plan to build a tunnel to take water from the north end of California to its southern regions is worth the costs, risks and protests from environmental organizations.
California’s weather was made for demagogues.
For as long as records have been kept, the state has typically experienced a series of dry years followed by a series of wet years. The weather lines up conveniently with election cycles. A few years of drought will prompt an excitable politician to declare that projections clearly show the end of the world is upon us unless California takes immediate action.
Earlier this week, a fire broke out near Sweetwater Authority’s (Authority) Loveland Reservoir in Alpine, California. Authority staff swiftly responded to assist emergency services with access and logistics in their effort to fight the wind-driven fire, which burned approximately 18 acres before being contained.
Loveland Reservoir, an important drinking water resource for Authority customers, served as a vital asset in providing water to firefighters during a recent wildfire response. Approximately 32,000 gallons of water were lifted from the near-full reservoir by San Diego Gas & Electric and San Diego Sheriff helicopters to aid with fire suppression.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFIRE) water trucks also used the reservoir property’s on-site fire hydrant for their fire-fighting efforts.
During the incident, the reservoir property was used as a staging area and incident command center.
“This shared effort between Sweetwater Authority and emergency services demonstrates the importance of community partnership in times of crisis,” said Board Chair Paulina Martinez-Perez. “We greatly appreciate the dedication and bravery of first responders and are proud to have been able to assist them during this incident.”
Loveland Reservoir is once again open for recreational activities. Photo: Sweetwater Authority
During the incident, the Authority temporarily closed its Loveland Recreation Program to protect the safety of those in the area. The program has since reopened to normal hours. View more information at www.sweetwater.org/recreation.
Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors recognized its top three entries in the 2024 North County Water Agencies Water Awareness Poster Contest at its May board meeting.
The theme for the 2024 contest was “Love Water, Save Water.” The contest teaches students the value of water as a limited resource and the importance of using it wisely while providing OMWD with locally produced artwork to reinforce this message to its customers.
Clara Brigden from Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary School, Aria Drelich from Stone Ranch Elementary School, and Maia McAllum from La Costa Heights Elementary School submitted the winning entries.
Fourth-grade students attending schools in OMWD’s service area participated in this year’s competition.
Poster contest winning artwork created by Clara Brigden from Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary School. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District
Clara’s poster showcases rain falling on planet Earth as it floats on the ocean under a rainbow and states, “Be kind and save water.”
Poster contest winning artwork created by Aria Drelich from Stone Ranch Elementary School. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District
Aria’s poster features the phrase “save our water to help our Earth grow” under a rainbow and a faucet flowing water into hands.
Poster contest winning artwork created by Maia McAllum from La Costa Heights Elementary School. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District
Maia’s poster depicts a large faucet with water flowing onto planet Earth, with floating hearts and the statement “grateful for water.
“Engaging our young community members lays the foundation for a sustainable water future,” said OMWD Board Vice President Matthew Hahn. “The student artwork not only reflects an appreciation for this precious resource but also reminds us all to protect our water supply for generations to come.”
This year marks the 31st year of the annual Water Awareness Poster Contest. The recognized posters will be featured in a 2025 Water Awareness Calendar.
The head of a South Texas planning group is proposing that a “water bank” be formed so smaller cities can get water from larger cities with surplus supplies and keep it flowing in South Texas.
Engineers at MIT, Nanytang Technological University, and several companies have developed a compact and inexpensive technology for detecting and measuring lead concentrations in water, potentially enabling a significant advance in tackling this persistent global health issue.
Wildfire weather has become more frequent in the Western United States over the past five decades, with some of the largest jumps in California, according to a new report by Climate Central, a nonprofit news outlet that reports on climate change.
When Noah Williams was about a year old, his parents took him on a fateful drive through the endless desert sagebrush of the Owens Valley — which the Nüümü call Payahuunadü — in California’s Eastern Sierra. Noah was strapped into his car seat behind his mother, Teri Red Owl, and his father, Harry Williams, a Nüümü tribal elder with a sharp sense of humor who loved a teachable moment.
California regulators have decided to ban fishing for chinook salmon on the state’s rivers for a second year in a row, in effort to help the species recover from major population declines.
A proposed water rights settlement for three Native American tribes that carries a price tag larger than any such agreement enacted by Congress took a significant step forward late Monday with introduction in the Navajo Nation Council.
