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Fourteen Calif. Cities Water Agencies Receive Fed Funding for Water Efficiency and Reliability Projects

/in , , /by /California Water News Daily

Sixty-three projects throughout the western United States have been selected to share in $4.1 million from the Bureau of Reclamation for small-scale water efficiency and reliability grants. Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects are part of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program. Through WaterSMART, Reclamation works cooperatively with states, tribes, and local entities as they plan and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments to modernize existing infrastructure.

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New State Bill Would Require a PLA for Pure Water Project

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Ry Rivard

To end a labor dispute that’s halted work on one of the largest and most important water projects in San Diego history, Assemblyman Todd Gloria rolled out a bill Friday to require union-friendly terms for work on the project.

The project, known as Pure Water, would provide a third of the city’s drinking water in coming decades. After years of starts and stops, the first $1.6 billion part of the project looked to be on track, until a labor dispute put everything on ice this summer.

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A Giant Mass of Warm Water off the Pacific Coast Could Rival ‘The Blob’ of 2014-15

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Deborah Netburn

A large and unusually warm mass of water is threatening to disturb the marine ecosystem along the Pacific Coast from Southern California to Alaska, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.

They call it the Northeast Pacific Marine Heatwave of 2019, and if it doesn’t dissipate soon, researchers said it could be as destructive as the infamous “blob” of warm water that caused massive toxic algae blooms along the coast and wreaked havoc on whales, salmon, baby sea lions and other marine life in 2014 and 2015.

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Fleet Science Center Selected to Join National Effort to Train More STEM Teachers

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego

A national organization dedicated to addressing the STEM teacher shortage, 100Kin10, announced that a SanDiego museum will join 40 other new partners this year. In addition to the Fleet Science Center, the partners include the Chicago Public Schools and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

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OPINION: Valley Voice: Regional Effort Puts Water Solutions in Place for the Coachella Valley

/in , , /by /Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Berlinda Blackburn

Behind the scenes, the valley’s public water agencies have been working together to earn grants and improve water management for our entire region.

In 2008, they formed the Coachella Valley Regional Water Management Group (Regional Group) to:

  • reduce water demand;
  • increase our region’s water supply;
  • improve regional water quality;
  • serve as stewards of our shared water resource, and;
  • improve efficiency and flexibility.
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Farmers Concerned Over How Mandatory Water Cuts From Colorado River Will impact Agriculture

/in , , /by /Fox Newsby Benjamin Brown

Two western states are imposing mandatory water cuts because the Colorado River, which supplies water to 40 million people and about 5 million acres of land across seven states, has dropped to alarmingly low levels.

Nevada and Arizona, concerned that a 20-year drought has dried up much of the river, are trying to rein in water use in an effort to save the disappearing river.

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Making California’s Water Supply Resilient

/in , , /by /Phys.Orgby Michelle Horton

As with the stock market, climate change requires a diversified portfolio of solutions. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed an executive order to develop a comprehensive strategy for making the state’s water system climate-resilient. The order calls for a broad portfolio of collaborative strategies to deal with outdated water infrastructure, unsafe drinking water, flood risks and depleted groundwater aquifers.

In a related study published earlier this year, Stanford researchers Newsha Ajami and Patricia (Gonzales) Whitby examined effective strategies to rising water scarcity concerns. Ajami is director of Urban Water Policy at Stanford’s Water in the West program and a hydrologist specializing in sustainable water resource management.

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State Supreme Court Declines To Hear Desal Project Challenge

/in , , /by /Monterey Herald by Jim Johnson

Without explanation, the State Supreme Court has declined to consider a legal challenge backed by the Marina Coast Water District and city of Marina against the state Public Utilities Commission’s approval of California American Water’s proposed Monterey Peninsula water supply project.

Last week, the state’s high court issued notice that it had denied the petition for review of the CPUC decision in September last year certifying an environmental review document for Cal Am’s water project, including a 6.4-million gallon per day desalination plant north of Marina, and approving a permit for the proposal. The court did not include any rationale for denying the legal challenge and has rarely considered challenges to CPUC decisions.

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How California Wildfires Can Impact Water Availability

/in , , /by /Phys.Orgby Julie Chao

In recent years, wildfires in the western United States have occurred with increasing frequency and scale. Climate change scenarios in California predict prolonged periods of drought with potential for conditions even more amenable to wildfires. The Sierra Nevada Mountains provide up to 70% of the state’s water resources, yet there is little known on how wildfires will impact water resources in the future.

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How-To Replace Your Turf And Get Paid

/in , , /by /The Valley Business Journal

Did you know that outside landscaping consumes around 50-70 percent of water used at a single property? Not only does that take precious resources, but it also costs you, the homeowner, money. You may qualify for a rebate program that pays to save! Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California are offering a rebate program for removing grass turf and replacing it with a water-wise yard.

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