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Another Day Of Dry, Gusty Fire Weather Ahead For San Diego Region

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

Dry conditions and gusty winds will increase the danger of fire in San Diego County on Tuesday, according to the local office of the National Weather Service.

A trough of low pressure moving in from the north will bring cooler temperatures throughout the workweek, but will also bring gusty winds blowing to the west, meteorologist Bruno Rodriguez said.

Humidity levels will drop to between 10% to 15% in the San Diego County mountains and deserts, forecasters said. Wind gusts could reach 35 mph in those two areas

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Governor To Act On Key Legislation For Farms, Ranches

/in , /by /AgAlert (Sacramento, Calif.)by Kevin Hecteman

A hectic week for the state Legislature ended with welcome news for California farmers and ranchers—Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he intends to veto Senate Bill 1, which sought to preserve existing California environmental and labor standards from federal changes initiated by the Trump administration.

Water-related provisions of the bill proved problematic for farmers, ranchers and water agencies. For example, SB 1 would apply the California Endangered Species Act to the federally operated Central Valley Project. That provision threatened negotiations to establish voluntary settlement agreements concerning water flows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems into the delta.

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OPINION: California Has A Chance To Make Water History

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Jeffrey Kightlinger

California’s contemporary effort to modernize the water system in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta officially began in 2006.

George W. Bush was president Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor. Their administrations signed a planning agreement. And the search for a solution was on.

Thirteen years, two governors and two presidents later, we are all still at it.

We have yet to find ways to stabilize important water ecosystems or the reliability of water supplies for the state economy. And we are going to reach a point where we either collectively fail to achieve these two important goals despite years of efforts, or we move forward in historic and meaningful ways that undoubtedly will not please everyone.

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OPINION: East Coachella Valley Residents Speak Out For A Healthier Environment

/in , , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Lesly Figueroa and Rebecca Zaragoza

The eastern Coachella Valley stands to benefit from a pair of Sacramento decisions. Now the state needs to hear from local residents.

In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-10-10. It directs the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to recommend actions to help create climate-resilient water systems and healthy waterways as part of California’s Water Resilience Portfolio Initiative. This is a major step toward sustainable and equitable access to this precious resource during this climate crisis.

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As Wildfires Worsen, U.S. Forest Service Seeks 1,500 Temporary Workers In California

/in , /by /The Sunby Steve Scauzillo

With temperatures rising due to global climate change and millions of forest trees dying from heat and pest infestations every year, the potential for more wildfires is real.

To combat this growing threat, the U.S. Forest Service on Monday, Sept. 16, began accepting applications for 1,500 temporary jobs to work in the 18 national forests across the state next spring and summer, said Brenda Kendrix, a USFS spokesperson for the Pacific Region in Vallejo.

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OPINION: California Must Not Fall For Marketing Scheme That Falsely Claims To Protect Tropical Forests

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Katie Valenzuela and Leila Salazar-Lopez

Imagine we were presenting you with an investment opportunity. It would cost a lot, and similar programs have failed miserably.

Human rights violations would very likely occur. There are more viable alternatives available with similar (or lower) costs, but we’re asking you to invest anyway because we are certain we could figure out a way to make a failed program work this time.

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City Breaks Ground On Water Desalter

/in , /by /The Camarillo Acorn by Hector Gonzalez

Nearly 25 years after first detecting problems with local groundwater supplies, city officials broke ground Wednesday on the $66.3 million North Pleasant Valley Groundwater Desalter.

Set to be completed in late 2021, the facility will include a treatment plant, three monitoring wells and 2,000 feet of pipeline on 5 acres of currently vacant land near Las Posas and Somis roads.

About 20% of the project’s total cost is being offset by federal and state grants, as well as Metropolitan Water District incentives.

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San Diego’s Climate Crisis: The Risks And Costs Of Living In The Backcountry

/in , /by /KPBSby Claire Trageser

Pete Beauregard squints in the morning sun as he thinks back to October 22, 2007.

“That wind hit us at about 120 mph, wind with fire,” he said. “It came head on and it was like a blow torch, it just cut everything to the ground.”

He’s talking about the Witch Creek Fire, which engulfed San Diego County that fall — scorching nearly 200,000 acres, forcing half a million evacuations and destroying more than 1,000 homes. Among them was the Ramona home shared by Beauregard and his wife Amy McQuillan.

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Will Climate Change Mean Less Farming in the West?

/in , , /by /Civil Eats by Twilight Greenaway

Colorado and California are rethinking water management for a hotter, drier future, while balancing urban water needs with the benefits agriculture brings to rural communities.

Most years, ranchers in Wyoming irrigate their land with water from the Green River—a tributary of the Colorado—in the summer so they have forage to feed their cattle late in the season.

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WateReuse Symposium Showcases City of San Diego’s Pure Water

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Locally-roasted coffee and home brewed beer made with purified recycled water from the City of San Diego’s Pure Water Demonstration Facility was showcased Sept. 10 in San Diego during two special events at the 34th annual WateReuse Symposium.

Pure Water San Diego presented two events featuring beverages made with a key ingredient: purified recycled water.

In the afternoon, symposium attendees were served hot- and cold-brewed coffee made by locally-owned Bird Rock Coffee Roasters. In the evening, a symposium reception featured a “Pure Brew” competition where attendees judged the best of 10 home brewed beers from members of San Diego’s Quality Ale and Fermentation Fraternity.

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