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California Drought: Proposed Ballot Measure Would Fast-track Construction of Dams, Desalination Plants and Other Water Projects

/in , , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

California has not built enough new reservoirs, desalination plants and other water projects because there are too many delays, too many lawsuits and too much red tape.

That’s the message from a growing coalition of Central Valley farmers and Southern California desalination supporters who have begun collecting signatures for a statewide ballot measure that would fast-track big water projects and provide billions of dollars to fund them — potentially setting up a major political showdown with environmentalists next year shaped by the state’s ongoing drought.

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$1 Trillion Bill Brings Billions to the Valley. What Are the Projects?

/in , , /by /Greenwireby Bill McEwen

Two Fresno area Democrats who attended the signing of President Joe Biden’s $1 billion infrastructure bill into law on Monday say the package will improve the lives of Valley residents and strengthen the local economy.

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Fallbrook Fights for 70 Years to Use Water From Nearby River

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Joe Little Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Santa Margarita River flows through town but Fallbrook had to fight for 70 years to finally use it.

The narrow river winds its way from Riverside County, through Fallbrook, and eventually onto Camp Pendleton in northern San Diego County where it empties into the Pacific Ocean. For the longest time, the military base did not want to share the river’s water with Fallbrook. The federal government filed a lawsuit against Fallbrook in 1951. Since then, Fallbrook Public Utility District General Manager Jack Bebee said they’ve battled, negotiated, and pleaded with all levels of government.

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What La Niña Means for California’s Drought

/in , , /by /The New York Timesby Soumya Karlamangla

For California, the arrival of winter means the beginning of our rainy season, at least relatively speaking.

However much precipitation California is going to receive in a year, the bulk of it typically falls between December and March. And given the severity of our state’s ongoing drought, the amount of rain we get this winter couldn’t be of more importance.

Biden’s $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Could Bring New Jobs to San Diego

/in , , /by /Fox5by Megan Healy

Thousands of jobs in infrastructure — like clean energy and roads — could come to California and San Diego thanks to a $1 trillion package signed Monday by President Joe Biden.

The hard-fought, bipartisan package, inked into law by Biden on the White House lawn, makes major financial commitments into broadband internet, the power grid, airports and environmental cleanup efforts, among others areas. Its largest area of spending is in road and bridges where new spending over the next five years is expected to be $110 billion.

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A Water Crisis: Colorado Agriculture Facing Changes as Drought Continues

/in , , /by /KRDOby Bart Bedsole

An estimated 40 million people rely on water that originates in the Colorado River Basin, but the river can no longer keep up with demand, and it’s raising serious questions about the future of water in the west.

Surrounded by bright orange pumpkins and empty shanks of corn outside his store east of Pueblo, Shane Milberger surveys his field.

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How One California City Cut Its Water Use in Half

/in , , /by /NPR

Despite pleas to conserve water during a historic drought, Californians have not saved much at all this year. But there are exceptions. We look at how Healdsburg dramatically cut its water use.

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Biden Signs Historic $1-Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Erin B. Logan

President Biden on Monday signed a historic $1-trillion bipartisan bill that he said will overhaul the nation’s infrastructure and boost the nation’s economy, which has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Touting the legislation as a job creator, the president said it was also an example of him fulfilling a campaign promise to reach across the aisle to get things done.

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Update on Water Project in Mission Trails

/in , , /by /Mission Times Courierby Jeff Clemetson Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Construction continues in Mission Trails Regional Park to upgrade the San Diego County Water Authority’s untreated water supply system. The estimated completion of the project has been extended from mid-2022 to late 2022 due mostly to necessary design changes. The project will improve the delivery of a safe and reliable water supply to treatment plants serving the central and southern areas of San Diego County.

FRSII-Mission Trails Regional Park-Trail Closure Map

Trail closures will continue Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and reopen as soon as it is safe. The Water Authority’s work in Mission Trails Work will not affect the delivery of high quality drinking water to homes. Graphic: San Diego County Water Authority

For more information about the project including an interactive map showing the closed trails, visit sdcwa.org/mission-trails-FRS. Call 877-682-9283, ext. 7004, or email  with questions.

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$1 Billion Project to Expand Major Bay Area Reservoir Gains Momentum

/in , , /by /Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

The rolling hills and ranchlands of eastern Contra Costa County are known for wineries, cattle ranches, wind turbines and growing subdivisions.

But soon they may be known for something else: The biggest new water storage project in the Bay Area in years. And now, amid the current drought, nearly every major water agency in the region wants a piece of it.

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