You are now in California and the U.S. Media Coverage category.

Did Gas, Homeless People And Sick Kids Kill California’s Water Bond?

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow, Lewis Griswold, and Bryan Anderson

California voters on Tuesday rejected a water bond for the first time in almost 30 years, disregarding pleas from its backers that the money would fix crumbling infrastructure, bring clean drinking water to disadvantaged communities and kick-start badly needed environmental restoration projects. As of Thursday’s tally, 54 percent of voters had rejected the $8.9 billion Proposition 3 that promised funds to help repair Oroville Dam and aid Central Valley farmers facing groundwater problems, among a list of other expenditures.

Full Story

Red Flag Fire Weather Warning Issued For San Diego County

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

A red flag fire weather warning will be in place across San Diego County, with the exception of the coast, from 10 a.m. Thursday afternoon to 10 p.m. Friday due to a combination of moderate Santa Ana winds, low humidity and warm temperatures. The National Weather Service says the winds will arrive out of the northeast and will blow 20 to 30 mph, with gusts to 30 to 40 mph, mostly across the region’s valleys and mountains. A few gusts could reach the 50 to 65 mph range, especially in the Alpine area.

Full Story

State Board Again Delays Vote On Contentious River Plan

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Bettina Boxall

Under pressure from Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration, state regulators once again postponed a vote on a contentious plan to force San Francisco and several big San Joaquin Valley irrigation districts to give up some of their water supplies for environmental protection. On the eve of Wednesday’s scheduled vote, Brown and the man who will succeed him next year, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, asked for a month’s delay and promised to get involved in ongoing settlement negotiations.

Full Story

San Diego Unified Likely To Tackle Lead In Drinking Water And Security Upgrades With New Bond Money This Summer

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Kristen Taketa

Voters delivered a solid endorsement of the San Diego Unified School District on Tuesday when they approved a $3.5 billion bond measure for the school system, the district’s largest ever bond measure and the third approved since 2008. About 62 percent of voters said yes to Measure YY, despite critical media coverage of the measure, opposition from watchdog groups and residents and “no” endorsements from multiple organizations, including the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, which only disapproved of one other school bond measure on Tuesday’s ballot.

Full Story

$9 Billion California Water Bond Trailing In Early Returns

/in , /by /The Associated Pressby Don Thompson

Californians were leaning against borrowing $9 billion for water projects Tuesday in a state where water scarcity often pits city dwellers, farmers, anglers and environmentalists against one another. About 53 percent of voters opposed Proposition 3 with about 3.6 million votes counted. The bond measure devoted money to storage and dam repairs, watershed and fisheries improvements, and habitat protection and restoration. Much of the $8.9 billion was earmarked for conservancies and state parks to restore and protect watersheds, and to nonprofits and local agencies for river parkways.

Full Story

Brown, Newsom Send State Water Board Letter Requesting To Delay Wednesday’s Vote

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby Ken Carlson and Mike Dunbar

Those who depend on the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers for agriculture and drinking water may have received a reprieve Tuesday night. The State Water Resources Control Board was set to adopt a proposal to double the amount of water allowed to flow unimpeded down the rivers and out to the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta on Wednesday. Instead, the board received a written request from Gov. Jerry Brown’s office and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom to postpone the vote until Dec. 12.

Full Story

Trial Date Set For Oroville Dam Lawsuits Against DWR

/in , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa Johnson

A trial date has been set to hear several lawsuits against the state Department of Water Resources over the Oroville Dam crisis. The court scheduled the trial for June 1, 2020 during the second case management conference Friday in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Nearly all cases against DWR over the spillway crisis are being considered together through what is called a coordinated proceeding. A few new parties have been added to the proceeding since the last conference, including PG&E, Butte County and Mary’s Gone Crackers with Richard Wilbur Ranch, Inc.

Full Story

OPINION: Natural Resources Chief: California Is Fully Committed To The Salton Sea’s Future

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by John Laird

The Salton Sea has been an anomaly since its very formation. Created when the entire Colorado River flowed unchecked into the Salton Sink for two years beginning in 1905, the modern-day Salton Sea is a changed ecosystem that supports introduced fish and a major stop on the Pacific Migratory Flyway. Flows into the sea have declined over time, leaving higher concentrations of various contaminants. Coupled with evaporation, the result is a shrinking, increasingly saline lake. Previously submerged lake bed — known as playa  —  is being exposed, creating dust that can be hazardous as it dries and becomes airborne.

Full Story

Predicting San Diego Rainfall Cause To Rejoice

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Robert Krier

Correlation is not the same as causation. But it can be fun to play with correlation, especially when causation starts to grow cloudy. As the deadline nears for entry in the Union-Tribune’s 17th annual Precipitation Prediction Contest, here’s some correlation to chew on, if you haven’t already entered: Since 1850, San Diego has recorded at least 0.5 of an inch of rain in October 44 times, including this year (0.57). That’s a little more than one fourth of the years. Of those 44 years with a wet October, the entire season ended up wet 26 times, or about 59 percent of the time.

Full Story

SFID To Vote On Water Rate Increases Dec. 20

/in , /by /Rancho Santa Fe Reviewby Karen Billing

The Rancho Santa Fe Association is pushing back against the Santa Fe Irrigation District’s proposed water rate increases. The water district is proposing three percent water rate increases over the next three years and is scheduled to vote at a Dec. 20 hearing. If approved, the new rate would be implemented on Jan. 1. “The Rancho Santa Fe Association is protesting the rates,” said RSF Association Manager Christy Whalen at the Nov. 1 Association board meeting. “We are one of the largest users in the district and we are looking for a more equitable rate structure.”

Full Story