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San Diego County’s Long-Time Water Chief Retires

/in , /by /KPBS (San Diego)by Erik Anderson Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority’s General Manager notified the region’s water board on Wednesday that she is retiring. Maureen Stapleton has held the top job at the agency for more than two decades. She led the Water Authority through the complicated settlement negotiations surrounding the Colorado River. That deal cleared the way for a huge water transfer with the Imperial Valley that provides a significant chunk of local drinking water. Stapleton also encouraged projects like the Carlsbad Desalination plant as a way to diversify the region’s water supply.

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Arizona, Other Western States Unlikely To Meet Colorado River Drought Plan Deadline

/in , /by /Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)by Tony Davis

The odds are looking increasingly poor that Arizona and other Western states will meet a March 4 federal deadline for wrapping up Colorado River drought plans. That’s not just because of the ongoing conflict over a now-shelved water rights bill for Eastern Arizona that prompted a threat from the Gila River Indian Community to bolt this state’s drought plan. It’s also not just because of a Southern California irrigation district’s efforts to secure $200 million in U.S. funds to shore up the dying Salton Sea. Without that money, the Imperial Irrigation District — which holds more Colorado River rights than anyone else — says it won’t sign onto the drought plan that is supposed to cover all seven river basin states.

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State Water Project Allocations Increased To 35 Percent

/in , /by /Lake County News (Lakeport, Calif.)

As a result of improved water supply conditions, the California Department of Water Resources on Wednesday announced an increase in 2019 State Water Project allocations. State Water Project contractors south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are set to receive 35 percent of their requests for the 2019 calendar year, up from 15 percent allocation announced last month. Allocations are reviewed monthly based on snowpack and runoff information and are typically finalized by May.

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See All That Water Flowing Into The Ocean? California Bill Aims To Save It

/in , /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Kevin Modesti

In stormy winters like this, residents of drought-prone Southern California fret about how much rainfall flows into the ocean, a reminder of the amounts of water the region is wasting instead of saving for good use. A new bill by a San Fernando Valley state senator aims to fix that. The bill introduced Monday by Sens. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, and Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would require huge reductions in the volume of treated wastewater discharged into the Pacific Ocean and California estuaries.

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OPINION: Delta Interests Should Seize The Opportunity To Cease Water Fights

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Ellen Hanak and Jeffrey Mount

The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is a major source of water for cities and farms across the state, and a major source of water conflict. In a Sacramento Bee commentary two years ago, we and our colleague Brian Gray promoted a grand compromise for the Delta. We suggested that the three broad interests fighting about its future—water users, environmental groups, and Delta residents—give up something in order to reduce conflict and make progress. During his first state of the state address, Gov. Gavin Newsom opened the door to just such a compromise.

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Water World Shakeups

/in , /by /The Voice of San Diegoby Sara Libby Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The longtime head of the San Diego County Water Authority announced Wednesday she is retiring after 23 years. We profiled Maureen Stapleton, the agency’s general manager, last year. She helped the region secure its own supplies of water, making her a respected civic leader. But amid a water war she helped launch and the bitter, personal disputes it’s set off, it became an open question whether Stapleton would be able to end her career on a good note. Last year, one of the Water Authority’s board members said an intoxicated Stapleton came up to him at an industry event and accused him of sleeping with an employee at a rival water agency. There’s no evidence such an affair happened.

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Before And After: See California’s Monster Snow Year By Satellite

/in , /by /KQED (San Francisco)

A rolling conveyor belt of storms this winter has left the Sierra Nevada blanketed in a thick layer of snow. The year started modestly, with the snowpack measuring around 70 percent of average on the first of the year. A robust January and February has brought the snowpack up to around 145 percent of normal for this time of year. April 1 typically marks the peak of Sierra snowpack accumulation and the start of the spring runoff. Move the sliders below to view the terrain before and after snowstorms.

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Maureen Stapleton Retiring; County Water Authority ‘Iron Lady’ Since 1995

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Ken Stone Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Maureen A. Stapleton, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority since 1995, is planning to retire, the agency said Wednesday. “The positive impact of Maureen’s leadership of the Water Authority and management of this region’s water supply cannot be overstated,” said Jim Madaffer, chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “She has also been an important leader in our civic affairs for three decades and has dedicated countless hours to the betterment of our entire region. She will be greatly missed.”

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SD County Water Authority General Manager Announces Intent To Retire After Almost 25 years

/in , /by /KUSI News Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Maureen Stapleton announced her intent to retire today after nearly 25 years at the agency’s helm. Stapleton was appointed general manager in December 1995. Since then, she has received awards from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Press Club and the Association of California Water Agencies for her efforts to keep the county’s water supply stable and healthy. Stapleton tipped her hat to the agency’s Board of Directors and the agency’s “unwavering support of the San Diego region’s civic leaders” in her announcement.

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California Wastes So Much Of Its Rainwater. Here’s Why

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hannah Fry and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

California’s wet winter has dumped an estimated 18 trillion gallons of rain in February alone. But much of it is simply going down the drain. In what has become a source of much concern in a state prone to droughts and water shortages, the vast majority of rainwater in urban areas flows into storm drains and is eventually lost to the Pacific Ocean.

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