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New California Law Taps Science to Improve Water Management

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

Legislation signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom ensures the state has the science and weather forecasting tools it needs for more flexible reservoir operations. The bill, AB 30, makes breakthrough water management technology standard for the California Department of Water Resources.

The legislation was introduced by San Diego Assemblymember Chris Ward and co-sponsored by the Sonoma County Water Agency and the San Diego County Water Authority. The bill was supported by the Water Authority’s partner, UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

The strategy is called forecast-informed reservoir operations, or FIRO, and it complements Gov. Newsom’s California Water Supply strategy released in August 2022 calling for more reservoir storage capacity to capture runoff from big storms, often fueled by atmospheric rivers. The governor and Legislature have already provided funding for state water managers to integrate the strategy.

FIRO-Science-water management

Diagram illustrating the FIRO process to develop an adaptive water control manual. Graphic courtesy Scripps Institution of Oceanography Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes

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Sweeping California Water Conservation Rules Could Force Big Cuts in Some Areas

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith, Ian James, Sean Greene

With California facing a hotter and drier future — punctuated by bouts of extreme weather — state officials are moving forward with a new framework for urban water use that could require some suppliers to make cuts of 20% or more as soon as 2025.

Many of the suppliers facing the harshest cuts are located in the Central Valley and in the southeastern part of the state — large, hot and primarily rural areas that have historically struggled to meet conservation targets.

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El Niño is Coming This Winter. The Question is, Will It Be a Whopper?

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Phil Diehl

San Diego County’s fragile shoreline and vulnerable beachfront properties could be in for a rough winter, according to the California Coastal Commission, the National Weather Service and some top San Diego scientists.

“We are looking at an emerging El Niño event,” staff geologist Joseph Street told the Coastal Commission at its meeting Wednesday in Eureka.

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This Summer Broke the World Record for the Highest Temperature Officially Recorded

/in , , /by /APby Seth Borenstein and Jamey Keaten

Earth has sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

Last month was not only the hottest August scientists ever recorded by far with modern equipment, it was also the second hottest month measured, behind only July 2023, WMO and the European climate service Copernicus announced Wednesday.

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California Winemaker Sues Napa County Over Water Rights

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Law by Shayna Greene

Renowned winemaker Jayson Woodbridge is suing Napa County for well policies allegedly restricting access to groundwater at four of his vineyards.

The vineyards, Double Vee Properties LLC, Caldera Ranch LLC, Hundred Acre LLC and Hundred Acre Wine Group Inc., told the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday that Napa County violated their rights under the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits the taking of private property without due process.

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New California Law Bolsters Groundwater Recharge as Strategic Defense Against Climate Change

/in , , /by /Water Education Foundation / Western Waterby Nick Cahill

A new but little-known change in California law designating aquifers as “natural infrastructure” promises to unleash a flood of public funding for projects that increase the state’s supply of groundwater.

The change is buried in a sweeping state budget-related law, enacted in July, that also makes it easier for property owners and water managers to divert floodwater for storage underground.

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Olivenhain Municipal Water District Marks Milestone Recycled Water Anniversary

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

Water recycling reduces the need to import or develop additional drinking water supplies. It is a vital water management strategy to ensure a safe, reliable, and locally controlled water supply to support healthy environments, robust economies, and high quality of life.

Water and wastewater agencies in San Diego County are developing or expanding their water recycling infrastructure. Among those at the forefront is the Olivenhain Municipal Water District. OMWD marks a significant milestone in August: the 20th anniversary of its award-winning 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility, which began serving high-quality recycled water for irrigation in August 2003.

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Residential Water Use in Los Angeles Declines After Winter Rains

/in , , /by /Crosstownby Christina Chkarboul

Los Angeles saw its eighth wettest season in 145 years last winter. The torrential downpours did more than fill aquifers, shrink water waste complaints and ease drought concerns—they also led to the biggest cutbacks in regional residential water use in four years.

The average customer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power used 59.5 gallons per day from Jan. 1–May 31, according to publicly available water use and conservation data from the California State Water Resources Control Board.

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California Regional Water Usage Declines as Statewide Water Stores Remain Above Average

/in , , /by /California Globe by Evan Symon

According to new data released by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB),  average monthly residential water use sharply declined in the first half of 2023, with water stores in reservoirs and other places continuing to remain well above average.

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Opinion: 37,000 County Residents Want to Raise Water Costs for 3.3 Million San Diegans Without a Vote

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diego by Brigette Browning and Carol Kim Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Imagine going to dinner with a large group where everyone orders a full meal and one couple leaves just as the bill arrives. Unfortunately, this “dine and dash” is happening right now in San Diego County. Except it’s not just friends at dinner but rather two water districts attempting to leave us all with a tab of more than $200 million as they form a new partnership in Riverside.

What does this mean for the rest of us? All our water bills will go up as we’re forced to foot the bill.

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