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Stunning Photos Show Drought’s Impact on Huge California Reservoir

/in , , /by /Mercury Newsby Nhat V. Meyer

The California drought has been brutal over the past few years, but to see just how devastating it has been, you need to see before-and-after pictures side by side.

Bay Area News Group photojournalist Nhat V. Meyer went out to the San Luis Reservoir in Merced County this week and took pictures in approximately the same places that he did in January 2019. The reservoir is one of the largest in California.

The results are startling.

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Drought Tests Centuries-Old Water Traditions in New Mexico

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Susan Montoya Bryan

At the edge of a sandstone outcropping, Teresa Leger Fernández looks out on the Rio Chama. The river tracks a diverse landscape from the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains through rugged basalt hillsides, layers of volcanic tuff, and the red and yellow cliffs made famous by painter Georgia O’Keeffe.

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Water Authority Seeks Proposals for Pumped Storage System at San Vicente

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has issued a formal request for proposals to build a pumped-storage generating system at the San Vicente Reservoir by 2030.

The project would use excess solar and wind energy to pump water to a new reservoir above the current dam, and then release it through turbines to generate up to 500 megawatts of electricity when needed.

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Drought Haves, Have-Not’s Test How to Share Water in the West

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Gillian Flaccus and Brittany Peterson

Phil Fine stands in a parched field and watches a harvester gnaw through his carrot seed crop, spitting clouds of dust in its wake. Cracked dirt lines empty irrigation canals, and dust devils and tumbleweeds punctuate a landscape in shades of brown.

Across an invisible line separating Fine’s irrigation district from the next, it’s another world. Automated sprinklers hiss as they douse crops, cattle munch on green grass and water bubbles through verdant farmland.

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Sustainable Ramona Presents Water Conservation Zoom Series

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

Sustainable Ramona will kick off a series of free Zoom meetings on sustainability with a Water Conservation Resources series set for Sept. 20-24.

Future Zoom series will cover resources for homes and businesses; transportation, including electric vehicles and public transportation; agriculture, including information on farming using solar energy, called agrivoltaics; sustainable gardening, including composting and worm farming.

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Efficient Irrigation Delivers Water While Protecting Plants

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Due to the lack of rainfall in the San Diego region, even sustainable landscaping sometimes relies on artificial irrigation. Irrigation systems must be thoughtfully designed, installed, and programmed. Once in place, the many interconnected mechanical elements must be maintained properly for optimal performance.

“Irrigation efficiency” is a way of describing how well your irrigation system is doing its job delivering water for the beneficial use of the plants in your landscaping.

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Every Drop Counts in the Current California Drought

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1by Leah Freeman

California is in a drought, with almost half of the state in exceptional drought, the worst level of drought intensity.

With a situation this significant, many areas of the state are being asked to cut down on water usage. Water is one of Earth’s most valuable resources, and we can’t live without it, which is why every drop counts right now.

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Water Transfers Helped Farmers Survive This Year. Now, All Eyes Are on the Coming Water Year

/in , , /by /SJV Waterby Jesse Vad

Water transfers, trades and sales doubled this year as drought left San Joaquin Valley farmers scrambling for supplies.

“This has been kind of an exceptional year for transfers,” said Sam Boland-Brien, program manager at the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights. Boland-Brien said he’s seen about twice the amount of transfers this year compared to an average water year.

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Who Is to Blame for California’s Drought?

/in , , /by /UC Davis Magazineby Cody Kitaura

Social media users are playing the blame game when it comes to California’s drought. Read enough comments online and you’ll see many similar responses blaming the state government for its management of water: California should have more water storage. California dumps water into the ocean. Northern California sends too much water to Southern California.

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Cost Analysis for Desalination Presented to SCWD Board

/in , , /by /San Clemente Timesby Lillian Boyd

Ocean desalination has been named as one of the South Coast Water District’s top priorities—even more so as California undergoes an unprecedented water shortage.

In 2008, a Pilot Ocean Desalination Project was first initiated at Doheny State Beach, and the facility operated successfully for 21 months between 2010 and 2012. Subsequent to this effort, the District has proceeded with planning for an Ocean Desalination Facility.

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