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Hoover Dam, A Symbol of the Modern West, Faces An Epic Water Shortage

/in , , /by /USA Todayby Ian James

Hoover Dam towers more than 700 feet above Black Canyon on the Arizona-Nevada state line, holding back the waters of the Colorado River. On top of the dam, where visitors peer down the graceful white arc of its face, one of its art deco-style towers is adorned with a work of art that memorializes the purposes of the dam.

In five relief sculptures by Oskar Hansen, muscular men grip a boat’s wheel, harvest an armful of wheat, stand beside cascading water and lift a heavy weight overhead. Words encapsulate why the dam was built, as laid out in a 1928 law: FLOOD CONTROL, NAVIGATION, IRRIGATION, WATER STORAGE and POWER.

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Ditch the Bottled Water. MWD, Santa Ana Win Prizes for Best-Tasting Tap Water in U.S.

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times

In victories that make the state’s drought even crueler, two Southern California water districts have won the top prizes for best tap water in the U.S. at an international tasting contest.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California finished first and Santa Ana took second place for the nation’s Best Municipal Water on Saturday at the 31st annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting in West Virginia. Those two competitors finished first in the category in 2008 and 2018, respectively.

Third place went to the Southwest Water Authority of Dickinson, in North Dakota.

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San Diego Water War in the North County

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby Alexander Nguyen Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A water war is heating up in the North County.

Rainbow Municipal Water District and Fallbrook Public Utility District want to leave the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) because of rising costs. They want to join the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County, a move that could save their customers up to $5 million a year.

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Worsening Droughts Could Increase Arsenic Exposure for Some Americans

/in , , /by /Popular Scienceby Lauren Leffer

More than half of the continental US is currently experiencing some level of drought, and about a quarter is in severe drought or worse. In recent years, the western and southwestern US has been in a seemingly continual state of reduced rainfall and snowpack. Droughts have many well-known, potentially catastrophic consequences, from crop failures to water shortages to wildfires. Yet they can also have more direct human health impacts by not only affecting how much water there is, but also the quality of that water.

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San Marcos Interceptor Project Ready for Phase 2 Summer Start

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The San Marcos Interceptor Replacement Project remains on schedule, with Phases 1 and 1A completed according to the Vallecitos Water District. The project replaces the District’s 1960s era 21-inch diameter sewer interceptor with more than 12,000-feet of 42-inch diameter sewer pipeline between Twin Oaks Valley Road and Pacific Street.

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State Takes Action on Water Exports from the Delta

/in , , /by /The Press (Bay Delta)by Tony Kukulich

Construction of a temporary salinity barrier on the False River is underway after an emergency request by the Department of Water Resources was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board.

The barrier, necessitated by worsening drought conditions, is intended to help preserve water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by reducing saltwater intrusion. The declaration of a drought emergency made by Gov. Gavin Newsom on May 10 suspended the requirement that a project of this nature complete a California Environmental Quality Act assessment.

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IID Board Takes Action to Protect Water Rights and Address Coachella Valley Concerns

/in , , /by /The Desert Review (Imperial Valley)

The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors adopted a resolution Tuesday, June 1, to better serve IID’s Coachella Valley energy customers and better protect Imperial Valley’s water rights, according to a press release.

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Don Galleano, Winery Owner and Western Municipal Water District Board Member, Dies

/in , , /by /The Press-Enterpriseby Beau Yarbrough

Longtime Western Municipal Water District board member Don Galleano has died. He was 69.

Galleano, who died Wednesday, June 2, had served on the Western Municipal Water District’s board of directors since 2004, representing Eastvale, Jurupa Valley and Norco.

“He was truly a water icon in California, treasured board member, and pillar of the community who was known for his historic relationships with the agricultural community and for being a big picture water thinker,” board President Brenda Dennstedt is quoted as saying in a water district news release. “His support will be missed tremendously, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

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Latest Water War Over Kings River Involves Claim by Water District in Kern County

/in , , /by /Fox 26 Newsby Liz Gonzalez

A water war is under way in Sacramento right now that could have far-reaching impacts on families in the Central Valley. “We totally believe this is a water grab,” says Ryan Jacobsen, Board President for the Fresno Irrigation District.

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Scientists Said the West Was Entering a Megadrought. Now It’s Twice as Bad

/in , , /by /Forbesby Eric Mack

Lake Powell is within just a few feet of its low level ever observed since it was first filled. Early season fires have already torched over 400,000 acres in Colorado and California’s reservoirs are 50 percent lower than they should be at this time of year before summer has even officially begun.

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