Erica Wolski, a former senior technical manager at Woodard & Curran, is the new general manager at Ramona Municipal Water District.
Wolski, 44, who starts in the position on Wednesday, has been a Ramona resident since 2019 and a San Diegan since 2010. She said she is looking forward to helping the water district develop its transparency and customer engagement.
Ramona Municipal Water District reported on the status of transferring the district’s oversight of fire and emergency medical services to the county and approved a two-year budget at the June 14 meeting.
The two topics are intertwined because transferring fire and EMS services to the San Diego County Fire Protection District would likely free up discretionary funds available from property taxes to spend on water, fire and parks services, said the water district board’s President Jim Hickle.
Lake Oroville, the largest reservoir in a state system that provides water to 27 million Californians, has already reached its peak level for the year, barely surpassing half of its capacity, according to the Department of Water Resources.
Officials had warned the lake — key to the roughly 700-mile State Water Project, which pumps and ferries water across the state for agricultural, business and residential use — was at “critically low” levels on May 8.
Water managers in the western U.S. are facing a monumental task. Federal officials have given seven states an August deadline to figure out a plan to conserve an unprecedented amount of water. Without major cutbacks in water use, the nation’s two largest reservoirs are in danger of reaching critically low levels.
In the face of a regional drought, many Orange County cities are trying to cut back on water consumption by rolling out conservation policies – echoing efforts from the previous drought that ended a few years back.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in October 2021 based on the state’s drought condition. In May, the State Water Board adopted regulations that require all local water suppliers to heighten water conservation policies.
Tearing out our lawns is a good start toward wiser water use in Southern California, but it’s not enough.
To do the job properly, we must also be ready to collect the rain that will someday fall out of the sky, advocates say. And these people have a vision that not only stores increasingly precious rainwater, but puts it to use for everything from drip irrigation to aquaculture to waterfalls surrounded by lush plantings and the soothing music of running (albeit recycled) water.
While the lingering La Niña climate pattern is expected to bring soaking storms and strong hurricanes to parts of the U.S., it’s a different story here in California.
La Niña is favored to stick around through the end of the year, according to the latest outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. While La Niña – and its opposite, El Niño – are characterized by the temperature of the Pacific Ocean, they have major impacts on the weather we experience on land.
An I-team investigation reveals that despite the statewide drought declaration and additional water restrictions, the Coachella Valley’s water supply is dramatically better off than most other areas of California right now.
It’s not the message you’re hearing from state leaders, but experts say our local water supplies are plentiful and well-managed as they have been for decades.
With the Colorado River’s depleted reservoirs continuing to drop to new lows, the federal government has taken the unprecedented step of telling the seven Western states that rely on the river to find ways of drastically cutting the amount of water they take in the next two months.
The Interior Department is seeking the emergency cuts to reduce the risks of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s two largest reservoirs, declining to dangerously low levels next year.
Construction has started on a $950 million water purification plant in Santee that will provide enough drinking water to serve an estimated 500,000 people and businesses in East County.
The East County Advanced Water Purification Program will daily produce up to 11.5 million gallons of potable water which amounts to about 30% of the drinking water used by East County residents and businesses.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
