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Aqueduct Project Brought Much-Needed Boon to 1930s Banning

/in , , /by /The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.)by Steve Lech

In 1930, while the Great Depression was worsening and the impacts of it were starting to be felt nationwide, the city of Banning received some good news. A major construction project was about to unfold in its backyard, and the city would benefit greatly. The project was the Colorado River Aqueduct of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Starting in the mid-1920s, there had been a series of studies done for bringing water from the Colorado River west to be used in the greater Los Angeles region. In December 1930, the district made the final decision to go with a route that included the San Gorgonio Pass and construction of a major tunnel under Mount San Jacinto.

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Final Judgment Entered in Favor of Water Authority in 2010-2012 Rate Litigation

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A Superior Court judge has awarded the San Diego County Water Authority $44,373,872.29 in a final judgment for two cases covering rates paid by San Diego County ratepayers during calendar years 2011-2014. The award included $28,678,190.90 in damages for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s breach of contract for the four years at issue, plus pre-and post-judgment interest.

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Student Art Brings Life to ‘Water Is Life’ Contest

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Eight talented East County student artists used their creative skills to depict the importance of water in Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s annual Kids Poster Contest.

The theme ‘Water Is Life’ asked students to express the value of water in their lives. They could draw, paint, color, cut, or paste original artwork depicting the theme in any way.

Students were honored at the June 17 Padre Dam virtual board meeting online, and the youngsters were featured along with their work in a video.

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US West Faces Reckoning Over Water but Avoids Cuts for Now

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Sam Metz

The white rings that wrap around two massive lakes in the U.S. West are a stark reminder of how water levels are dropping and a warning that the 40 million people who rely on the Colorado River face a much drier future.

Amid prolonged drought and climate change in a region that’s only getting thirstier, when that reckoning will arrive — and how much time remains to prepare for it — is still a guess.

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AWWA Lights the Way

/in , , /by /Water Onlineby Kevin Westerling

It’s been a helluva year, and we’re barely halfway throught it. The arrival of coronavirus and COVID-19 required so much of our focus and energy that it overshadowed a stockpile of existing problems. AWWA CEO David LaFrance shares insight and optimism for these turbulent times in the water industry.

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Meteorologists Forecast Drought-Producing La Niña Weather Pattern this Winter

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

Federal weather forecasters on Thursday predicted the development of drought-producing La Niña pattern that could to last through the winter.

There is a 60% chance that La Niña will develop during the Northern Hemisphere fall, with a 55% chance the pattern will continue through the winter of 2020-21, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in its monthly forecast.

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Climate Change Report Forecasts Hard Times for Kern Ag

/in , , /by /Bakersfield.comby John Cox

A new report warns Kern County agriculture will face tough challenges in the decades ahead as climate change makes irrigation water scarcer and weather conditions more variable and intense.

The study concludes these hurdles “ultimately challenge the ability to maximize production while ensuring profitability.” But it also predicts impacts will vary by crop, with almond production benefiting somewhat while growers of pistachios, grapes, oranges and carrots face overall difficult conditions.

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Rebates for WaterSmart Irrigation Devices

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Rebates for WaterSmart irrigation devices are available in San Diego County to help property owners reduce expenses by improving water efficiency.

The rebates, offered for a limited time by the San Diego County Water Authority, provide significant savings on devices for outdoor landscapes.

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Opinion: No One is Actually in Charge of Solving the Border Sewage Crisis

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Dianne Feinstein

For more than two decades, cleaning up the Tijuana River has been one of my top priorities. The wastewater, trash and sediment that continues to flow into San Diego County are a danger to public health and our economy and it must be addressed.

Over the past year we’ve made real strides to fix the problem of cross-border pollution. And last week’s introduction of the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act is another step toward achieving that goal.

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Environmental Groups say Newsom’s Water Plan Will Worsen Toxic Threat in the Delta

/in , , /by /Sacramento News & Reviewby Scott Thomas Anderson

At the end of July, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his revised plan for bringing long-term water security to all Californians. But his announcement was overshadowed by San Joaquin County and several Delta communities scrambling to confront the worst cases of toxic algae blooms ever seen on local sloughs and rivers.

These green, floating slicks brought a new level of criticism to Newsom’s agribusiness-friendly water proposal. That’s because the governor’s strategy relies in large part on the controversial Sites Reservoir proposal and the even more contentious Delta tunnel proposal. Conservation groups say both projects—particularly the tunnel—could worsen the problem of dangerous algae contamination in regional waterways.

Meanwhile, the state continues to spend large sums of money on both multibillion-dollar projects with little clarity on who will ultimately foot the bill as the COVID-19 pandemic drains evermore revenue from public agencies.

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