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Post-Tropical Storm Hilary Pushes into Nevada After Drenching Southern California

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Christopher Weber, Damian Dovarganes and Jordi Lebrija

Tropical Storm Hilary drenched Southern California from the coast to the desert resort city of Palm Springs and inland mountains, forcing rescuers to pull several people from swollen rivers.

By early Monday, remnants of the storm that first brought soaking rains to Mexico’s arid Baja California peninsula and the border city of Tijuana, threatened Nevada and as far north as Oregon and Idaho with flooding.

Southern Californians were battling flooded roads, mudslides and downed trees.

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Opinion: Climate Change Will Undermine Quest by Fallbrook and Rainbow for Cheaper Water

/in , , /by /Water News Network / Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The long-running debate over whether the Fallbrook and Rainbow communities should leave the San Diego County Water Authority to obtain cheaper rates ignores a very large elephant in the room — climate change.

If the two rural communities cast their lot with Riverside County, their agricultural economy will depend upon the Colorado River and the State Water Project, both of which have been reeling from increasingly severe droughts.

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Opinion: Lawyers, Votes and Money: New Developments in San Diego’s Water Wars

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Legislation that could block two small districts from getting cheaper water elsewhere hit a bump in the road in Sacramento.

And a controversial hire by a water district that supplies San Diego County with water is being eyed warily by some officials.

First, the good news. The massive snowpack from the winter storms has nourished the ailing Colorado River, a major source of water for San Diego and much of the Southwest.

The bounty is such that the federal government has eased water cuts in various states. (Those reductions didn’t affect San Diego, which over the years built adequate supplies through water purchases, infrastructure projects and recycling programs — at considerable cost.)

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Heavy Rain, Gusty Wind Seen as Tropical Storm Hilary Moves Out of San Diego

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

A diminished Tropical Storm Hilary moved out of the San Diego Sunday night as gusty winds and bands of heavy rain continued to drench the region. “Tropical Storm Hilary will continue to move north across Southern California tonight. Strong and gusty winds will continue mainly across the mountains and foothills. Widespread moderate to heavy rainfall will continue through much of tonight,” the San Diego office of the National Weather Service said in its 9:30 p.m. forecast update.

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How Climate Change Shaped California’s First Tropical Storm in Decades

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Chelsea Harvey

Tropical Storm Hilary made history Thursday, becoming the first storm of its kind to enter California since 1997. The state rarely sees landfalling tropical cyclones or hurricanes, thanks to a confluence of cold water and unfavorable atmospheric conditions off the coast. Experts say the occurrence will likely remain relatively rare even as the climate changes. But rising ocean temperatures mean the hurricanes that do happen to make it up the coast may be stronger and more damaging.

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Water Released From El Capitan Reservoir in Lakeside as Precaution

/in , , /by /East County Magazineby Miriam Raftery

The City of San Diego has announced that today it has begun releasing water from El Capitan Reservoir in Lakeside, in anticipation of a potential spill due to Tropical Storm Hilary. Flowing water will be visible downstream from the dam in El Monte Valley and beyond. The notice is posted on the city’s webpage for El Capitan Reservoir.

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Loveland Reservoir Expected to Spill Early Next Week Due to Tropical Storm, Flooding in Area Likely

/in , , /by /Sweetwater Authority

Chula Vista, Calif. – Due to expected heavy rainfall from tropical storm Hilary, Sweetwater Authority expects unplanned water releases, or spills, from Loveland Reservoir in Alpine, California may occur early next week. These potential unplanned water releases, together with expected abundant storm runoff, could cause flooding in areas downstream. Residents in the Sweetwater River flood-plain asked to prepare in order to reduce possibility of damage to property.

(Editor’s note: The Sweetwater Authority is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

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States Have Started Negotiating New Rules to Keep the Colorado River From Crashing. Here’s What They Want

/in , , /by /CPR Newsby Michael Elizabeth Salas

The states that share the Colorado River need to negotiate new rules to better manage the dwindling river so it can continue to meet the needs of millions of people across the Southwest. That means finding ways to keep more water in the river and reservoirs, which means less water to go around.

The high-stakes, multi-year negotiation process between the states — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico in the upper basin and Arizona, Nevada and California in the lower basin — along with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, officially kicked off in June.

By the start of 2027, the states and the federal government are expected to have a new agreement on rules to manage the river so that Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s largest reservoirs, don’t hit critically low levels. Climate change and overuse have stressed the river system and helped drive both reservoirs to drop to record-low water levels.

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Poway City Council Approves Plan to Issue $38M in Bonds for Water Storage Project

/in , , /by /Poway News Chieftainby Julie Gallant Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Poway City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to issue up to $38 million in bonds for construction of two 4 million-gallon concrete water tanks at the Lester J. Berglund Water Treatment Plant.

Building the tanks to replace an outdated 10 million-gallon water storage reservoir near Lake Poway is the city’s largest capital improvement program since it incorporated in 1980, said Shadi Sami, principal civil engineer of Poway’s public works department.

The new water storage system is needed to provide safe and reliable water service now that the existing system has reached the end of its useful life, she told council members. The new concrete tanks are expected to be durable and long-lasting, she said.

(Editor’s note: The City of Poway is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

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Charts Show Lake Mead, Powell Water Levels Change Amid Low Storage Warning

/in , , /by /Newsweek by Anna Skinner

Two charts show an improving trend in Lake Mead and Lake Powell water levels after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) issued a low storage warning for the former on Tuesday.

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