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Potent Winter Storm Brings Snow to the Mountains, Rain Everywhere Else

The tail of a potent Pacific storm is dropping snow across the San Diego County mountains and rain virtually everywhere else on what is expected to be the final day of nearly a week of cool, stormy weather. The National Weather Service predicted up to 8 inches of snow would fall in the mountains and as much as 6 inches in Julian. There could be up to 2 inches at the 2,500 foot level, forecasters said. The system also was expected to drop a quarter-inch of rain at and near the coast, and twice that across inland valleys and foothills, adding to the fall and winter bounty.

Joining 6 States, Arizona Agrees to Use Less Water From Colorado River

“Everyone will feel pain” was the mantra emanating from supporters of Arizona’s drought plan for the Colorado River as it wound through the Legislature. It is true that under the plan, now embedded in state law, the major water users served by the $4 billion Central Arizona Project — cities, tribes and farms — will all take a hit. But some users will be hurt more, and some will be hurt sooner, than others. Cities will lose the least amount of water and those cuts will not be noticed by their customers.

SCV Ratepayers Asked to Limit Outdoor Water Use – Not a Problem

As Santa Clarita Valley residents emerge from the second straight week of rain, local water officials have made a reasonable request to limit outdoor water use and to curtail lawn-watering. Specifically, SCV Water officials have asked customers to limit outdoor water use until Feb. 9 while they carry out annual maintenance on facilities at Castaic Lake. During the shutdown, SCV Water will also upgrade its connection to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Foothill Feeder, part of the system that delivers water from Castaic Lake to SCV Water for treatment and distribution for urban use.

More Rain? Storm Brings Mudflows, Rock Slides, a Blizzard to Southern California

Rams fans won’t have Southern California’s blue skies and sunshine to comfort them after the team’s 13-3 Super Bowl loss to New England on Sunday. Scattered showers and snow in the mountains are expected throughout the Southland through Tuesday night as back-to-back cold troughs of low pressure move over the area, according to the National Weather Service. By noon, the heaviest rains had passed through Ventura and Los Angeles counties and a flash flood warning issued from Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills to Pacific Coast Highway had been lifted.

Montecito Water, Sanitary Districts Signal Readiness to Work Together on Recycled Water Project

Recycled water may be on its way to Montecito. The Montecito Water District’s long-range plans set goals of having 85-percent of its supplies come from “local, reliable, drought-proof” sources by 2025, including desalination, groundwater banking, and recycled water. It depends heavily on surface water now, from the State Water Project, Lake Cachuma, and to a lesser extent its Jameson Reservoir. Lowered allocations during the drought have caused MWD to purchase supplemental water from outside the region.

Environment Report: County Penalized for Sewage Spill Into Local River

San Diego County has agreed to pay nearly $700,000 for a pipeline rupture that dumped raw sewage into a San Diego River tributary. The spill sent about 760,000 gallons of sewage into Los Coches Creek in February and March 2017, violating the federal Clean Water Act, among other state and federal rules. Those rules allowed the Regional Water Quality Control Board to penalize the county up to $7.8 million, but instead the county and regulators agreed to settle. The resulting fines amount to less than 90 cents per gallon of the spilled sewage.

City Won’t Say How $3B Pure Water Project Will Affect Customers’ Bills

San Diego is in the midst of spending roughly $3 billion on a massive new water treatment system, but city officials can’t or won’t tell customers how that will affect their water bills. New water recycling plants will eventually purify enough sewage to provide a third of the city’s drinking water. In November, the City Council approved the first, $1.4 billion phase of the project. Water bills will rise, that much is certain. Yet, officials in Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s administration are refusing to estimate by how much.

Scattered Showers, Wind and High Surf to Impact San Diego County Ahead of Third Storm Cell

Scattered showers are expected to continue Sunday as the second storm moves out, making way for a third storm system to move in Sunday evening. According to the National Weather Service, rain will continue throughout the afternoon Sunday before a third storm cell brings lighter precipitation Monday and Tuesday. “The showers could linger into Wednesday morning. When all is said and done, we could see up to 1.5″ of rain along our valleys and coast,” the 10News Pinpoint Weather Team said.

With Colorado River Water Shortage Looming, U.S. Threatens to Impose Cuts

The federal government has moved closer to imposing water delivery cuts along the drought-depleted Colorado River after California and Arizona failed to meet a deadline for inking a broad agreement on how the seven states that depend on the river would cope with shortages. The federal official who manages the lower Colorado River had set Thursday as the deadline for the states to agree on a drought plan. Without a deal, the Interior Department would step in and begin to develop its own shortage plans, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman had warned.

Wind-Packed Storm Topples Trees and Dumps Upwards of an Inch of Rain in San Diego County

One of the windiest rainstorms of the winter blasted San Diego County Saturday, downing trees — including one in Balboa Park that crushed cars — stranding drivers on flooded freeways, and trapping a hiker on a water-swept cliff in La Jolla. The winds gusted to 68 mph on Palomar Mountain, 60 mph in Coronado, 53 mph on North Island, 52 mph in Solana Beach and Carlsbad, and 50 mph on Silver Strand. The National Weather Service issued a special wind warning for San Diego International Airport out of concern that the storm would affect flights. The airport got gusts up to 46 mph.