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Top 10 Tips For Saving Water This Summer

The start of summer brings the hottest, driest months of the year in San Diego County and a good time to remind residents of the Top 10 tips for using water more efficiently.Check it out. Inspect irrigation equipment to eliminate overspray. Monitor soil moisture using a spade or soil probe, and only water if the top inch of soil is dry. Irrigate turf if it doesn’t spring back when stepped on. Better yet, upgrade to a “smart” irrigation controller that automatically adjusts water times based on weather conditions.

Paying The Toll On Sea Level Rise

Defending San Diego County against rising seas would cost about $1 billion, according to a new study that estimated that the cost of coastal armoring would be at least $22 billion for California, and more than $400 billion for the United States as a whole. And that’s just a “minimum down payment for short-term defense against rising seas in California,” says the study released today by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Climate Integrity and the environmental engineering firm Resilient Analytics.

 

 

Port of Hueneme Installs Seabin To Clean The Ocean Of Unwanted Litter

Port of Hueneme is taking action to keep their waters clean. The port, over Memorial Day weekend, installed a revolutionary new device, known as a Seabin, to collect trash in the ocean. The Port of Hueneme announced on its official Twitter page: “The Seabin started operation this weekend at the Port – a “trash skimmer” installed in a water body and acting as a floating garbage bin skimming the surface of the water by pumping water into the device. Keeping our waters clean and our environment green!’

Controlled Burns Scheduled For MCAS Miramar

Several controlled burns will take place Thursday at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to help clear brush in the event of a wildfire. The prescribed fires were expected to happen between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., military officials said. Drivers along Interstate 15 and other roads near the base may see smoke and flames. MCAS Miramar Fire Stations 61 and 62, alongside local San Diego fire departments will conduct the burns.

IID Board Hears Plans To Pipe QSA Water Directly To San Diego

After false starts and real stops, the San Diego County Water Authority is once again trying to make inroads into taking their QSA transferred water directly from the Imperial Valley, bypassing its current deliverer, the Metropolitan Water District. Dan Denham, assistant general manager of the SDCWA, proposed several pipeline scenarios for QSA-conserved water at the meeting of the Imperial Irrigation District Tuesday, June 18. Denham proposed several pipeline routes, two southern and one northern from various points in the Valley to San Diego County.

DWR Gives $10 Million Grant To Monterey Peninsula Desalination Project

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced they will provide a $10 million grant to public utility, California American Water. The grant money is destined to help build the seawater desalination component of the Peninsula Water Supply Project. “We are extremely grateful to DWR for supporting our project,” said California American Water president Rich Svindland. The Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project is a $329 million project featuring a portfolio of water supply components to address the area’s water needs. Since 2005, DWR has completed three rounds of funding using Proposition 50 funds.

Make Room For More June Gloom

Summer heat is coming. Eventually. But for the next few days, cool, cloudy and perhaps drippy weather is in store for much of San Diego County. June gloom will get gloomier.
A trough of low pressure moving over the West Coast is expected to beef up the marine layer Thursday through Saturday. The coast should see little or no clearing on Friday, and light rain or drizzle is possible during the morning from the beaches to the mountains. Strong winds are expected in the mountains and desert, where gusts could reach 50 mph this afternoon and Friday afternoon. Blowing dust could reduce visibility in the desert.

OPINION: Broad Opposition To Trump Tariffs — From Almond Growers To Toilet Makers — Is No Surprise

President Donald Trump’s depiction of U.S. tariffs as a painless way to help U.S. exports get fair treatment has never jibed with reality. Now California’s almond farmers, who provide 80% of the world’s supply, are taking another hit as a result. India — the world’s leading importer of almonds — has imposed a retaliatory tariff of 70% on U.S. almonds and other U.S. imports. China — another major importer of almonds — imposed a 50% tariff on U.S. almonds last July.

Sweetwater Authority Approves $46 Million Budget For Next Fiscal Year

The Sweetwater Authority anticipates that it will buy less imported water and supply customers with more from its own water supply in the upcoming fiscal year than in 2018-19, thanks primarily to above-average rainfall. The South Bay water agency estimates that the amount it will spend to purchase water will drop from $15.2 million in 2018-19 to $10 million in the fiscal year that begins in July. The projected decrease is reflected in the $46 million operating budget adopted by the governing board last week. Among notable increases in expenses in the 2019-20 spending plan, the Sweetwater Authority expects an 11 percent increase in employer pension contributions and an 8 percent increase in health insurance costs.

Becerra On Trump Administration’s New Rule For Coal-Fired Power Plants: They’re ‘Backsliding’

The Trump administration has rolled back a landmark Obama-era rule that sought to wean the nation’s electrical grid off coal-fired power plants and their climate-damaging pollution. Its replacement gives individual states wide discretion to decide whether to require limited efficiency upgrades at individual coal-fired power plants. Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler calls it a sign that “fossil fuels will continue to be an important part of the mix” in the U.S. energy supply.