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Tijuana River Valley Project to Start in Early 2024

A $5 million cleanup project in the Tijuana River Valley will begin in early 2024, with a completion date before the end of March, officials said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 in favor of dredging drainage channels and building a basin for sediment and trash control in the Smuggler’s Gulch and Pilot channels.

Biden Administration Seeks $310 Million for Border Sewage Treatment Fix

The Biden administration has set aside $310 million to expand a wastewater treatment in South Bay as part of an ongoing effort to tackle a cross-border pollution and sewage crisis.

The South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant was included in the emergency supplemental funding request at the request of a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Scott Peters last month.

Jeff Stephenson is New Director of Water Resources for San Diego County Water Authority

Jeff Stephenson has been appointed director of water resources for the San Diego County Water Authority, where he leads the department responsible for regional water supply planning and long-term facilities planning.

Stephenson brings more than 27 years of experience at the Water Authority to fill the position vacated by the department’s previous director, Kelley Gage, who was appointed assistant general manager in August.

San Diego Speeds Up Efforts to Shore Up Its Aging Dams — Including a Faster Schedule for Lake Hodges Dam Rebuild

San Diego is accelerating efforts to shore up the city’s aging dams, including moving up construction of the new Lake Hodges Dam from 2031 to 2029 and committing to comprehensively evaluating the eight other city dams by 2028.

Despite a Wet El Niño Forecast for Southern Nevada, Lake Mead Unlikely to See Water Level Rise

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting higher-than-usual rainfall for parts of Nevada, California and Arizona this winter, but that rainfall isn’t expected to translate to gains in the water level at Lake Mead, regional climate experts said.

El Niño’s southern oscillation cycle began changing weather patterns this month and will continue through the winter to bring wetter conditions to the southern United States, said Jon Gottschalck, the operational prediction branch chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Ashley Falls Water Quality Project Area to Be Restored After City Contractor Error

Residents in the Ashley Falls neighborhood were surprised last month when all of the landscaping in the water quality project in their community was removed, leaving behind an expensive dirt hole with cut-back weeds. After sounding an alarm to the city, the area’s vegetation will be restored.

A New Groundwater Storage Project Could Help Southern California in the Next Drought

The first stage of a new groundwater storage project in the Antelope Valley is now up and running after three years of construction.

The High Desert Water Bank, which is through a partnership with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency (AVEK), has the capacity to store and withdraw enough water to serve about 210,000 Southern California homes each year.

California Irrigation Bills 50/50 for Signature Into Law

For California, a mixed bag of results on irrigation regulation has occurred with the signature of Assembly Bill 1572 into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom, while Assembly Bill 1573 was ordered to the inactive file by the state’s Senate. 

The two bills each had different aims to address conservation measures in California and targeted various irrigation methods as a means of advancing that effort. 

San Diego County Supervisors Approve Project to Expand Removal of Debris in the Tijuana River

San Diego County will spend $5 million to expand removal of sewage and trash from Mexico that accumulates in the Tijuana River Valley.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan that involves building a sediment- and trash-control basin and dredging the drainage channels, known as Smuggler’s Gulch and Pilot Channel, that often build up with debris after storms.

Officials Urge California Residents to Brace for Flooding as El Niño Looms

With California facing the prospect of a second consecutive winter of heavy precipitation, state officials are urging residents to prepare for possible widespread flooding and evacuations in the coming months.

Barely a year after dozens of powerful atmospheric rivers pounded the state and triggered historic flooding, state officials gathered at a muddy berm and pumping station near the Sacramento River this week to highlight the threat of flooding in a warming climate.