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Can a New Approach to Managing California Reservoirs Save Water and Still Protect Against Floods?

/in , , /by /Water Education Foundation (Sacramento)by Gary Pitzer

Many of California’s watersheds are notoriously flashy – swerving from below-average flows to jarring flood conditions in quick order. The state needs all the water it can get from storms, but current flood management guidelines require reservoirs to dump water each winter to make space for flood flows that may not come. However, new tools and operating methods could lead the way to a redefined system that improves both water supply and flood protection capabilities.

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Opinion: Newsom Must Stop the Westlands Water Grab and Save the San Francisco Bay-Delta

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Barbara Barrigan-Parilla

The San Francisco Bay-Delta, the largest estuary on the West Coast, was once the home to fisheries that produced five million pounds of canned salmon a year.

The Delta’s largest city, Stockton, is where children swam, rowed boats, and canoed after school in places made navigable through their parents and grandparents’ labor. Today, our children in Stockton will not enter a river or slough to swim, or fish, or row. Our urban waterways are stagnant, thick with algal scum and toxins.

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Poway Man is Saving Money by Saving Rain

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

Bob Raibert loved the green grass growing in his Poway front yard when he bought his home four years ago. The affinity wore off when he got his first water bill.

“For two months it was $600,” he said. “The front yard was all grass; about 5,000 square feet of grass.”

Raipert did some research and spoke to experts.

He redid his entire front and backyard. The grass has been replaced with drought tolerant plants and artificial grass.

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San Francisco Recycled Water Program Pushing Wastewater Towards Drinkability

/in , , /by /CBS San Franciscoby Wilson Walker

By design, the San Francisco Public Utilities Building is exceedingly green. It opened in 2012 and for years the building has been recycling its wastewater for things like flushing the toilets. Now, that water can be consumed.

“Everything that’s connected in this room to the transparent pipe is part of our research project,” explains Manisha Kothari, Project Manager for the SFPUC.

Down in the bowels of this building that houses some 900 employees, you will find the equipment that treats all of their wastewater.

 

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Helix Water Continues To Evaluate Local Drinking Water Project

/in , , /by /East County Magazine (San Diego, Calif.) Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

On November 5, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, city of El Cajon and County of San Diego formed a Joint Powers Authority to serve as the governing body for the East County Advanced Water Purification project.  A Helix Water District representative will serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the JPA board.

“The JPA board will be focused on the wastewater side of the project. Our role in the project if it moves forward, is on the drinking water side,” said Helix Water District General Manager Carlos Lugo.

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‘They’re Going to Dry Up’: Debate Erupts Over Plan to Move Water From Farmland to Suburbs

/in , , /by /azcentralby Ian James

A private company and the town of Queen Creek are proposing a water deal that would leave 485 acres of farmland permanently dry near the Colorado River and send the water used on that land to the fast-growing Phoenix suburb.

The company GSC Farm LLC is seeking to sell its annual entitlement of 2,083 acre-feet of Colorado River water — about 678 million gallons — to Queen Creek for a one-time payment of $21 million. The town and the company asked regulators at the Arizona Department of Water Resources to endorse the water transfer, and the agency is holding a series of four meetings this week to hear comments on the proposal.

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Newsom Blocks New California Fracking Pending Scientific Review

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Phil Willon

In a victory for critics of California’s oil drilling industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday stopped the approval of new hydraulic fracturing in the state until the permits for those projects can be reviewed by an independent panel of scientists.

Newsom also imposed a moratorium on new permits for steam-injected oil drilling, another extraction method opposed by environmentalists that was linked to a massive petroleum spill in Kern County over the summer.

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Otay Water District Kicks Off Pair Of Instagram Contests

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

The Otay Water District, which serves South and East counties, has launched its first-ever holiday-themed Instagram contests.

Participants do not have to be constituents from the Otay Water District, which provides water, recycled water and sewer service to nearly 224,000 customers within about 125 square miles of southeastern San Diego County. They do, however, need to be 18 years of age or over.

For the “Thankful for Water” contest, which has a Dec. 6 deadline, contestants must follow @otaywater on Instagram and post a thankful-for-water-themed photo to a public account with a caption, using the hashtag #Thx4OtayH2O

For the “Drink Tap December,” which has a Jan. 2 deadline, contestants must follow @otaywater on Instagram and post a tap water-themed photo to a public account with a caption, using the hashtag #DrinkTapDecember

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Freshwater Fishing Flourishes at San Diego Region’s Reservoirs and Lakes

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

San Diego County’s freshwater fishing in area reservoirs and lakes managed by the region’s water agencies attracts expert anglers and beginners alike.

Of San Diego County’s 24 reservoirs and lakes, 18 allow fishing. Bryan Norris, Reservoirs and Recreation Program Manager for the City of San Diego, oversees eight locations offering recreational opportunities, including fishing.

“We are the largest provider of recreation for the domestic water supply in California,” said Norris. “No other program provides recreation at eight different reservoirs. The City of San Diego is considered a pioneer in these offerings. It’s really something that gets overlooked.”

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West Basin Approves Desalination-Plant Impact Report — While Dozens of Foes Stand Against It

/in , , /by /Daily Breeze by David Rosenfeld

West Basin Municipal Water District took the next steps Monday night, Nov. 18, toward building a desalination facility in El Segundo, a project that has drawn fierce opposition from conservation groups — including some who staged a rally before the meeting.

Although not a go-ahead for the actual project, the board’s certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report in a 4-1 vote means the water district can move ahead in planning the next phases of the project.

Director Carol Kwan, who represents Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and parts of Torrance, was the lone dissenting vote.

 

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