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More Reservoirs May Run Dry and the Great Salt Lake Will Continue to Decline, State Officials Warn

/in , , /by /FOX 13 Salt Lake Cityby Ben Winslow

More reservoirs across Utah may run dry and the Great Salt Lake will continue to decline, state officials warned lawmakers on Wednesday.

During a briefing before the Utah State Legislature’s Natural Resources Interim Committee, lawmakers were told that 99% of Utah remains in severe or extreme drought. That’s actually an improvement over last year, when a huge chunk of the state was in “exceptional” drought — the worst category.

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Sweetwater Authority Recognizes Student Photography Showcasing Water

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Twelve talented photographers from South Bay schools won honors for their work creatively showcasing the importance and beauty of water in the Sweetwater Authority annual High School Photo Contest. The winners were selected from 65 students who submitted more than 150 entries in two categories: black and white and color photography.

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California’s Drought, Relentless and Inexorable, Takes its Toll

/in , , /by /California Weeklyby Will Shuck

With the rainy season come and gone, drought’s withered hand remained firmly fixed on California this month, as it has been, with few exceptions, for the last decade.

Woes pile up. Rain didn’t save us, the snowpack is all but gone, the Coastal Commission says no desalinating sea water, and urban-interface fires have already begun.

It’s almost summer in the Golden State.

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Opinion: Did Wastewater Recycling Help Defeat the Huntington Beach Desalination Plant?

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

For some time, California seemed well on its way toward a water future made more secure by desalination plants up and down the coast.  A dozen are currently in operation, including the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, which upon opening in 2015 became the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.  Ten more plants are being planned.

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Gov. Newsom Pushes Need for Conservation During Visit to SoCal Water Recycling Facility

/in , , /by /ABC 7

Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging Californians to find ways to reduce their water use in an effort to combat the historic drought and said upcoming conservation mandates are a priority.

The governor visited a water recycling facility Tuesday afternoon in Carson.

It was originally built as a demonstration project to recycle household wastewater and replenish groundwater supplies.

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East County’s $950M Water Recycling Project Could be in Jeopardy as San Diego Nixes Pipeline Deal

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith

East County officials fear a $950 million sewage recycling project could get flushed down the drain because of a pipeline deal gone awry.

Leaders spearheading the endeavor blame San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria — who signed off on building an eight-mile “brine line” as recently as last year but has since reneged on that commitment.

The pipeline would prevent concentrated waste generated by the East County project’s reverse osmosis filtration system from entering into the city’s own $5 billion Pure Water sewage recycling project now under construction. Instead the byproduct would be routed into the city’s larger wastewater system.

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North Bay Agencies Seek $83 Million to Expand Water Recycling Amid Drought

/in , , /by /The Press Democratby Guy Kovner

Petaluma, one of the driest corners of Sonoma County during the past two years of drought, is making a multimillion-dollar advance into recycled water.

Operator of a wastewater treatment plant that serves about 65,000 people and treats about 5 million gallons of effluent a day, Petaluma is seeking grants for four projects with a total cost of $42 million.

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Farmers Across State Face New Water Cuts, California Farm Bureau Reports

/in , , /by /Sierra Sun Timesby Christine Souza

With 60% of the state now in extreme drought conditions, state officials are warning water-right holders that they should expect more curtailments during peak irrigation season in June and July.

In a statement last week, the state Division of Water Rights said “curtailments are expected to increase progressively through the spring and summer and continue through the early fall until significant precipitation occurs.”

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Wags and Water Festival Brings Canines and Water Conservation Together

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Adoptable dogs and even a few cats found new homes and called attention to new water conservation measures at five San Marcos parks at the first “Wags and Water Festival.” The event was organized by the Vallecitos Water District and the City of San Marcos.

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California Still in a Drought: 3 Years and Counting

/in , , /by /Earth.orgby Alexander Pham

Climate change and water shortages are in large part responsible for causing the drought within California in the US, as well as other western states. This has been an ongoing trend for three years now, and in 2022 alone, California has experienced 1,402 wildfires that have consumed at least 6,507 acres of land. However, there is also a weather phenomenon known as La Niña, trade winds that blow across the Pacific Ocean that bring warmer and drier winters to the western United States.

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