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Beach Pollution Surges After Massive Wildfires And Heavy Rains, Report Finds

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hannah Fry

If there was one upside to the severe drought that plagued California for seven years, it was how the lack of rain and dirty runoff improved beach water quality. But ocean pollution has surged once again at some Southern California beaches because of an unusually wet winter and the effects of the massive Woolsey fire, which added pollutants and worsened runoff. The findings, contained the annual Heal the Bay report card, underscore how much ocean water quality is tied to other environmental factors.

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Despite Water Levels, Spillway Release ‘Unlikely’

/in , /by /Oroville Mercury -Register

For those wondering if the gates to the Oroville Dam’s spillway will be opened this summer, the answer from the Department of Water Resources is “unlikely.” The DWR said Friday that levels for the reservoir are full, but stable. The current water elevation of Oroville reservoir is 895 feet. Snowpack from the Feather River has mostly melted, while use of the main Oroville Dam spillway to manage lake levels is “unlikely,” officials said in a press release. However DWR did confirm that if new circumstances arise, causing the department to activate the spillway, the public and media would be notified immediately.

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Scripps Scientist Explains Beach Nourishment And Sand Movement Along The Coast

/in , /by /Imperial Beach Eagle & Timesby Pete Laszcz

Bonnie Ludka, PhD, of Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO), spoke to about 40 people at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve June 15 as part of the their bi-monthly speaker series. Ludka presented the results of her research into the movement of beach sand along the coast and the impact of beach nourishment on the closure of the Tijuana River in 2016. Southern California beaches are experiencing a sand deficit. She explained that beach sand is normally created by sediment flowing from rivers and cliff erosion. Unfortunately, river sand that would normally flow into the ocean is now trapped behind dams that are present in every southern California river except the Santa Margarita river near Oceanside.

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Long Beach Is Home To The 4th Worst California Beach, According To Heal The Bay 2019 Report

/in , /by /Press-Telegram (Long Beach)by Martin Wisckol

Long Beach’s dirty ocean water at Coronado Avenue, north of Belmont Pier, makes in one of the 10 worst beaches in the state, according the 2018-2019 Beach Report Card released Wednesday by Heal the Bay. It’s the first time the beach has made the group’s “Beach Bummer” list. On the bright side, the report singled out the city’s long-term project to restore Colorado Lagoon North, a “chronic Beach Bummer” — on the 10 worst list until 2012 — but dramatically improving in water quality thanks to the work. Throughout Southern California, 95% of beaches received an “A” or a “B” for water quality in the summer. Of 33 Honor Roll beaches with perfect grades, two were in Los Angeles County and 10 were in Orange County. None were in Long Beach.

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Fire-Ravaged Paradise Water Agency Faces State Ultimatum: Fix Your Cracked Dam Spillway

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Tony Bizjak and Dale Kasler

Just months after California’s deadliest wildfire laid waste to the town of Paradise, hillside residents face yet another costly and potentially dangerous problem. State safety officials have downgraded the Magalia Dam on the hill above town to “poor” condition, and have ordered the dam’s owner to make interim repairs by November on the cracked spillway. It’s the latest in problem for the Paradise Irrigation District, which lost most of its revenue base in the Camp Fire and is still struggling to deliver potable water to its remaining customers. The fire tainted the district’s water supply with the chemical compound benzene, forcing almost all of the few thousand people who’ve returned to Paradise to drink bottled water.

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Morning Report: Pure Water Up In The Air Amid Labor Dispute

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diego

A project that is supposed to eventually provide a third of the city’s drinking water is now held up in court because of a dispute between anti-union contractors and a union-friendly city government.The city was about to open bids from contractors who want to work on the Pure Water project, which will take sewage and make it drinkable.

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California Regulators Propose 2 GW New Peak Capacity To Address Reliability Concerns

/in , /by /Utility Dive (Washington, D.C.)by Robert Walton

California regulators have launched a “procurement track” to address potential reliability questions between 2019 and 2024, including whether there are sufficient resources to meet the state’s peak system reliability needs. On June 20, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a commissioner’s ruling that recommends load serving entities (LSE) procure 2 GW of new peak capacity statewide, to come online by Aug. 1, 2021. The procurement track proceeding is a part of the state’s effort to overhaul utility integrated resource planning (IRP). Initial comments are due July 15.

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Water Payments Projected To Exceed Cash Reserves By $3.4M

/in , , , /by /Imperial Valley Press (El Centro, Calif.)by Michael Maresh Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The ag community at a Friday afternoon IID water conservation meeting wanted to know what the IID plans to change with water conservation payments projected to exceed the budget by $11.7 million. IID’s conservation needs under water transfer agreements with the San Diego County Water Authority and others are 303,000 acre feet. Of that, 103,000 acre feet comes from system conservation. The rest comes from on-farm water conservation.

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Despite Record Snow Melt, Toxic Algae Continues To Bloom In California Lakes And Ponds

/in , , /by /Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)by Ezra David Romero

California’s record snowpack is melting into significant runoff this summer, filling the state’s lakes and ponds with cold, fresh water. These flows usually help prevent blue-green algae blooms, which form in waterways and are toxic to humans and can be deadly to pets. But since mid-spring, there’s been reports of the dangerous — and stinky — algae blooms across the state. “It’s interesting — and maybe a bit surprising — that we do see these blooms even after these big winters,” said Keith Bouma-Gregson, manager of the California Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms Program.

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Poster Contest Winners Illustrate ‘Water Is Life’

/in , /by /Water News Network

The Sweetwater Authority 2019 “Water is Life” poster contest is one of many educational opportunities the Authority offers. The annual contest gives kindergarten through sixth grade students the chance to demonstrate how water is a precious and essential resource. By creating water-related art, students enhance their understanding of the importance of water. The Authority invests in the education of students in its service area to foster knowledge and appreciation for the value of water, and to bring awareness to the vital service the Authority provides to its customers and community. More than 130 students from 11 different elementary schools participated in this year’s poster contest.

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