Over the past two decades, the San Diego County Water Authority has paid $25 million to a single law firm. The firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, is known for its water law practice across the West. Locally, though, few people know of its influence.
Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District (Rincon Water) invites you to a special one-day rain barrel distribution event on Saturday, February 16, from 9 a.m. to noon at 1920 North Iris Lane, Escondido. This event is co-hosted by Rincon Water, the Solana Center, the County of San Diego, the Garden, and the San Diego County Water Authority.
Federal Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman has drawn a line in the sand for Arizona and other Western states: Finish a deal to take less water from the Colorado River by Thursday, or the federal government will be forced to step in and decide how to prevent reservoirs from falling to critical levels. With just four days until that deadline, many pieces have yet to fall into place for Arizona to finish its part of the agreement and join California and Nevada in endorsing the Drought Contingency Plan.
San Diego basked in summer-like weather on Sunday as a high pressure system sent the daytime high to 77 degrees, which is 12 degrees above average. But things are about to change.
A body was found by San Diego authorities in Lakeside’s San Vicente Reservoir Saturday. San Diego Fire-Rescue Marine Safety Lt. Rich Stropky said it was an Asian or Hispanic man in his 50’s.
Western states are watching with interest as Arizona comes up against a deadline to approve a plan to ensure a key reservoir doesn’t become unusable for the farmers, cities, tribes and developers that depend on it.
The Trump administration is laying the groundwork to enlarge California’s biggest reservoir, the iconic Shasta Dam, north of Redding, by raising its height. It’s a saga that has dragged on for decades, along with the controversy surrounding it. But the latest chapter is likely to set the stage for another showdown between California and the Trump administration.
Residents of Southern California will endure another round of winds strong enough to cause power outages and travel disruptions during the final days of January. “While there will be gusty winds that can cause sporadic issues for residents and motorists through Friday (during the late-night and morning hours), winds are expected to ramp up at the start of the weekend,” according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Maggie Samuhel.
Storms swept through California in recent weeks, drenching striking teachers and blocking roads with debris flows in recent burn areas, but they weren’t all bad: The state’s reservoirs are healthy and full, a good sign for the water supply. Nearly all California reservoirs are at or above average levels. Overall, 580 billion gallons of water were added across the state since Jan. 1. Some major water sources, such as the San Luis Reservoir in Merced County and Lake Perris in Riverside County, are near capacity.
Water issues are notoriously difficult for California governors. Just look at former Gov. Jerry Brown’s floundering tunnels proposal for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Yet two factors suggest that Gov. Gavin Newsom must make water a priority. First, California needs more climate-resistant water supplies. Climate change is making California’s weather more extreme. For the past decade, most years have brought drought or the risk of catastrophic floods. And looking forward, scientists warn that climate change will reduce the water we get from our rivers.
