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Winter Is Shrinking, Scripps Study Finds, Posing New Fire, Water Risks

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Deborah Sullivan Brennan

Across the mountains of the West, the landscape of winter is changing. Deep snowpacks that held fast through winter, then melted in a torrent each spring, are instead seeping away earlier in the year. The period of winter weather is shrinking, too, with autumn lasting longer and spring starting earlier. The findings by Amato Evan, a professor of atmospheric and climate science with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, show changes to Western hydrology that could jeopardize water resources, flood control, fire management and winter recreation.

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OPINION: 2019 Will Be The Year L.A. Starts To Wean Itself From Imported Water

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Mark Gold

It’s been hard to see 2018 as a good year for water in California. In November, voters rejected a bond that would have provided almost $9 billion for water resource infrastructure and protection projects across the state. Congress, with support from Gov. Jerry Brown and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, worked to sidestep important environmental protections for the San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. And the Trump administration rolled back protections for hundreds of miles of streams and rivers in the Southwest as well as thousands of acres of wetlands.

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California’s Droughts Hurt Fight Against Climate Change. Study Tells Us Why

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

Recent droughts across the West have belted drinking-water supplies, withered crops and fanned deadly wildfires. They’ve also squeezed hydroelectric facilities, with the less obvious side effect of hampering efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. A new study out of Stanford University finds that 10 percent of the total carbon dioxide spewed from California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho for power generation this century is the result of states turning to fossil fuels when water was too sparse to spin electrical turbines at dams.

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‘Women In Water’ Symposium Focuses On Career Opportunities And Advancement

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Debbie L. Sklar Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Girls and women interested in learning about career and advancement opportunities in the water and wastewater industry are encouraged to register for the Cuyamaca College Center for Water Studies’ second annual Women in Water – Exploring Career Pathways symposium on Jan. 17. The all-day conference comprises two tracks of speakers: one for women contemplating a career change, military veterans transitioning to civilian life, and women already in the water and wastewater industry who are seeking professional development opportunities; the second for scores of high school girls in the region wanting to learn more about career opportunities as they near graduation.

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Is Valley Drought Back? 2018 Ends As A Drier-Than-Normal Year

/in , /by /The Fresno Beeby Tim Sheehan

In a state where dead trees in the Sierra Nevada still stand as a testament to a severe seven-year stretch of dry weather that ended in 2017, some nervously wonder whether the state may slide back into a drought. In the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, ocean temperatures are pretty stable. That means there’s no El Niño or La Niña sitting out there to help drive a chain of storms to dump rainfall on the Valley and snow in the Sierra Nevada as the calendar closes on 2018.

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Water Veteran Kirby Brill Appointed Interim GM For Inland Empire Utilities Agency

/in , /by /California Water News Daily

With more than 30 years in water resource management and planning, Kirby Brill has come out of retirement to serve as interim general manager at Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA). The IEUA Board of Directors unanimously appointed Brill to the agency’s top management position at the board’s Dec. 14 meeting. Brill retired in mid-2017 after having served for 17 years as general manager for Mojave Water Agency (MWA) based in Apple Valley. Although he began his career in the private sector he transitioned to the public sector when he took a position with the Orange County Water District (OCWD).

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Water District Employee Honored

/in , /by /Valley Roadrunner (Valley Center)

Lee Hicks, Senior Water Systems Technician, was Valley Center Municipal Water District’s 2018 recipient of the Manager’s Award recognizing excellence among the District’s staff members. A 19-year employee, Hicks was nominated from among his co-workers for the award.  The nomination cited his commitment and willingness to go the “extra mile,” in doing his job.  The nomination also It also mentioned his willingness to fill-in for others on short notice.  

 

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Arbitrator Admonishes Water Authority After It Sued Five Tribes

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Ry Rivard Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority tried to interfere with the delivery of water to five local Indian tribes based on illegal actions and illogical arguments, a former federal judge has ruled. Last year, five San Diego Indian tribes got back the rights to water taken from them a century ago. In response, the San Diego County Water Authority this spring blamed the tribes for cutting into its bottom line and sued them for $2 million.

 

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OPINION: State’s New Voluntary Water Agreements Are A Good Deal For Delta Fish, Valley Farms

/in , /by /The Fresno Beeby Thomas Birmingham and Jason Phillips

Over the past three years, the State Water Resources Control Board has conducted a public process to increase the water flowing to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers Delta with the intent of improving declining fish populations. However, an increase in river flow means a reduction in supplies for Californians, who are dependent on them for their lives and livelihoods. There are two approaches to this: painful, mandatory cuts to water supplies or voluntary agreements among water users to achieve specific goals in the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan update.

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Gusty Winds May Raise Wildfire Risk Over Southern California Into Friday

/in , /by /Accuweather by Alex Sosnowski

A period of moderate Sundowner winds will rattle coastal areas of Southern California into early Friday. Gusts to 45 mph are likely with the potential for a few locally higher gusts from parts of Santa Barbara County to just north and west of Los Angeles. Gusts will be strong enough to make for difficult travel with lightweight and high-profile vehicles. The combination of dry air and gusty winds will raise the risk of wildfire ignition and quick spread of any existing fires.

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