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California Water Agency Gets Scolded: Speed Up Spending Billions On New Reservoirs

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

With California facing another potential drought, legislators demanded Wednesday that a state agency release $2.7 billion in bond funding for dams, reservoirs and other water storage projects. Assembly Republican Leader Brian Dahle, pulling a child’s red wagon, arrived at a meeting of the California Water Commission with a stack of petitions with 4,000 signatures supporting the two largest reservoir projects seeking bond money: Sites Reservoir north of Sacramento and Temperance Flat in the San Joaquin Valley. “Farmers like myself are concerned about the shortage of water – we’re seeing another drought cycle,” he told the commission.

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Water Bill Investigation: Angry San Diegans Want Answers About High Water Bills

/in /by /CBS8by Shannon Handy and Chris Gros

San Diegans got a chance to hear from the Public Utilities Department about concerns about their soaring water bills Wednesday evening. A forum with Public Utilities Deparment officials was held at the La Jolla Riford Library after people across the county have been opening their water bill to see rates in the thousands. While officials attempted to answer questions, a number to water customers tried to dive right in to getting their bills in question resolved. Officials said they understand the raw emotion and confusion.

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Snow Falls In San Diego Mountains

/in /by /NBC 7

Scattered showers and a bitter cold combined Wednesday to create winter weather for San Diego that by the day’s end had brought snowfall to the mountains. Temperatures were in the mid 20s to mid 30s for much of San Diego County in the morning, though the increasing cloud cover helped mitigate the cold. The high temperature was forecasted to reach 59 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The mountains in the East County will see a lingering chance for snow flurries throughout the next several nights and days, according to NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh.

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California Officials Consider Permanent Water Wasting Restrictions

/in /by /CBS8by Heather Hope

Even though there is rain in the forecast, is it enough to ease California’s drought problem? California officials are debating making once temporary water restrictions, permanent. Some of the the restrictions include not watering outside for 48-hours after it rains and not using a hose to wash sidewalks. Offenders could be fined up to $500 per violation. The State Water Resources Control Board delayed a Tuesday vote on the restrictions so there would be more time for public comment. This comes a week after U.S. Drought Monitors declared nearly half the state is now back in a drought.

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Resident Requests More Transparency From Water District; Board Elects Robinson President

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Julie Gallant Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Jim Robinson is returning to the Ramona Municipal Water District Board as board president. The longtime Ramona resident, appointed to fill a vacancy left when Joe Zenovic resigned, began representing Division 4 on the board on Feb. 13. At that meeting, board directors unanimously elected Robinson president; Jim Hickle, Division 2, vice president; Bryan Wadlington, Division 5, secretary; Jeff Lawler, Division 1, treasurer; and Thomas Ace, Division 3, director at large.

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Water Use Surges In San Diego, Parts Of Southern California As Drought Conditions Loom

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith Quoted: Jeff Stephenson

As dry conditions persist in California, residents in San Diego County and around the state have started using water at levels not seen since before the state’s historic drought. In Southern California, usage surpassed pre-drought levels — with some water districts seeing two- and three-fold increases in consumption for December over the same month the previous year, according to data released in February by state water officials.

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State Water Board Considers Making Water Wasting Rules Permanent State Law

/in /by /ABC 10 Newsby Zac Self Quoted: Bob Yamada

State water regulators met in Sacramento Tuesday to consider making water wasting rules permanent state law, according to The Mercury News.The State Water Resources Control Board held the public hearing, but it’s unclear whether a final vote would come Tuesday, or at a later date. The talks come amid one of the driest winters in modern California history. The rules being discussed were originally enacted during the last drought.

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Human Water Use Increases Number Of California Earthquakes: Study

/in /by /Union City Patchby Hoa Quách

Human water use in California could be the reason behind an increase in earthquakes in the state. A study published recently in Nature said the use and extraction of groundwater affects the mountains and valleys. The study comes as the state experiences its third driest winter on record. State officials are also considering permanent water restrictions.

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California Aims To Get Past The Yuck Factor Of Recycled Wastewater

/in /by /National Public Radioby Nathan Rott

David Greene, Host: So this has been one dry winter for many of you living in the Western United States. So dry, in fact, that some are worried about a prolonged drought. Today California’s water board is considering not just bringing back water restrictions, but making them permanent. Meanwhile, water agencies are looking for new sources of water, and NPR’s Nathan Rott tells us about one big potential source. If, that is, people are willing to accept it.

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Facing Specter Of Drought, California Farmers Are Told To Expect Little Water

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

It’s starting to look like a drought year for California farmers who depend on water from the federal government. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Tuesday that most farmers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta who get water from the federal Central Valley Project will receive just 20 percent of their requested allocation this year. Although the numbers could change and the allocations could increase this spring, the initial figures reflect the abysmal precipitation California has received so far this winter. “We have extremely low snowpack and limited anticipated runoff,” said David Murillo, the bureau’s regional director.

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