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Why This Winter’s El Niño Will Not Bring More Rain To California

/in , /by /Pacific Standard (Santa Barbara)by Matt Weiser

An El Niño is forecast for the winter ahead, and we all know what that means. Or do we? El Niño—that cyclical warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean—has long been associated with wet winters across much of the West. Which is always welcome news across the chronically water-short region. But in reality, whether El Niño actually delivers greater-than-normal precipitation is strictly a toss-up, says Jan Null, owner of Golden Gate Weather Services, a consultancy based in Saratoga, California.

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Officials Still Urging Residents To Stay Away From The Salton Sea

/in , /by /KYMA (Yuma, Ariz.)by Billy Khang

Imperial County officials are still warning residents to not go near the Salton Sea after dangerous bacteria was found there. The Imperial County Public Health Department announced last week that cyanobacteria were detected in a water test that was conducted earlier this month. Public health officials said residents are not in danger as long as they don’t drink the water. “So there’s not any evidence that anyone has been harmed. The levels that had been detected, although they alert us to pay attention, they are not levels that are expected to be harmful,” said Dr. Stephen Munday, Imperial County Public Health Officer.

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OPINION: Yes On Measure W For Clean Beaches And Oceans — And, Possibly, ‘New’ Drinking Water

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby The Times Editorial Board

Los Angeles County Measure W is a parcel tax to pay for cleaning up stormwater — the dirty runoff created when rain hits the streets and other paved surfaces, picks up toxic urban gunk and carries it downstream to foul the beaches and pollute the ocean. Depending on how you look at it, the measure is either a hard but necessary pill to swallow or an exciting step into the future. In either case, it’s the right move, and The Times urges voters to say yes.

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OPINION: State Water Board’s Proposed Cutbacks Will Affect All Californians

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Mike Wade

Our state is in a fight over water policy that could hit all Californians squarely in their grocery carts. If the State Water Board’s unimpaired flow policy is adopted, significant additional amounts of water will be diverted away from farms and others and left in our rivers under the assumption that it will help native fish. Not only does science show this approach doesn’t work, we also know it will cause a variety of new problems. California families should reject this approach.

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OPINION: In California, Prop. 3 Is A Billion-Dollar Fix For Stubborn Water Woes

/in , /by /Water Deeply (New York)by Jerry Meral

In 2012, the California Legislature passed a law stating that it is a human right to have safe drinking water. But it provided only meager funds for that purpose. Proposition 3, a water bond on the November ballot, includes $750 million for safe drinking water and safe wastewater disposal in disadvantaged communities, and to eliminate lead from water fountains in schools.

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San Diego County Has Enough Water For 2019, Water Authority Says

/in , /by /KPBSby City News Service

San Diego County will have enough water for 2019 in spite of low rainfall and high temperatures over the past year, the San Diego County Water Authority announced Monday. Rainfall during the 2018 water year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, totaled slightly more than three inches at San Diego International Airport, the county’s precipitation measurement site. SDCWA officials say that’s 67 percent lower than normal and the county’s second-lowest annual rainfall total since 1850.

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Padre Dam Board Freezes Water Rates

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

With one of the highest costs for water in San Diego County, Padre Dam Municipal Water District has faced a lot of pushback from residents tired of expensive bills. But some relief is in sight. As of July 1, the district said, the average customer in its service area paid the third-highest cost for water in the county — just over $100 per month.

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California Utilities Restoring Power After Intentional Cuts To Tens of Thousands Due To Extreme Fire Danger, Santa Ana Winds

/in , /by /The Weather Channel (Atlanta)by Jonathan Erdman

California utilities are restoring power to tens of thousands of customers after intentionally cuts due to extreme fire danger and Santa Ana winds, which may persist into Tuesday. Just over 31,000 customers remained without power in California early Tuesday morning, according to poweroutage.us. A woman was killed Monday morning when high winds blew a tree on a vehicle the woman was inside in Tustin, about 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles in Orange County, KABC-TV reported.

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The Santa Ana Winds Spare San Diego. But Don’t Get Cocky

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

The “devil winds” whipped San Diego County Monday, then quickly and mysteriously moved on, sparing the region the sort of hellacious horrors that the Santa Anas often bring in autumn. Having been told to brace for trouble, San Diegans collectively shrugged, sighed and went about their business. Most were unaware that the region was the beneficiary of timing and topography.

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San Diego Expected To Have Enough Water For 2019

/in , /by /CBS8

San Diego County will have enough water for 2019 in spite of low rainfall and high temperatures over the past year, the San Diego County Water Authority announced Monday. Rainfall during the 2018 water year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, totaled slightly more than three inches at San Diego International Airport, the county’s precipitation measurement site. SDCWA officials say that’s 67 percent lower than normal and the county’s second-lowest annual rainfall total since 1850.

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