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San Diego Selling Back Some Pricey Colorado River Water for Cheaper Met Water

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer

A trade deal is brewing between major southern California water agencies to help restock a major reservoir on the drought-stricken Colorado River and meet federal demands to cut back use.

San Diego, Los Angeles and Imperial Valley are the major players trying something that’s never been done before using a water trading agreement inked 20 years ago as a guiding light. Under the proposal, San Diego is going to give up some of its Colorado River water it fought so hard to secure so more can be saved in the larger river system. But instead, it would lean on supplies from northern California, a source that was virtually unavailable to the region due to drought just last year.

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Live Results: Fallbrook and Rainbow Water Districts Detachment Measures Approved

/in , , /by /KPBS by Alexander Nguyen Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Voters in Fallbrook and Rainbow approved of detaching from the San Diego County Water Authority for cheaper water in Riverside County in early voting results Tuesday night.

After nearly three years of battling the Water Authority over what they say is increasingly high water rates, voters have had enough.

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San Diego County Offers Water Bill Assistance

/in , , /by /KPBS by City News Service Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: Dan Denham

The San Diego County Water Authority reminded the public on Tuesday that federal aid is still available for low-income water customers in San Diego County to cover overdue residential water and wastewater bills.

“Water affordability is one of the top priorities for the Water Authority, and we are committed to helping ensure that everyone in San Diego County has access to safe and reliable water,” Dan Denham, water authority general manager, said in a statement.

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California is Drought-Free for First Time in Years. What It Means.

/in , , /by /The Washington Post by Diana Leonard

California is drought-free for the first time in more than three years because of a remarkably wet, snowy winter and a rare tropical storm over the summer. The last remaining traces of drought disappeared in October, as autumn rainstorms grazed the northwestern corner of the state.

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Nearly Double the Acreage for California Rice Farmers This Year

/in , , /by /AgNet West by Brian German

California rice farmers are celebrating a robust harvest, thanks largely to water availability, according to Tim Johnson, President and CEO of the California Rice Commission. Johnson expressed his satisfaction, stating, “We had a year where we had adequate water and could plant really a full crop of rice almost twice what we planted last year. So, the industry is really happy. Farmers are having a good year.”

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How a Patchwork of Rules to Protect America’s Water Is Falling Short

/in , , /by /The New York Times by Soumya Karlamangla

Groundwater is one of America’s most precious resources. The water that fills wells, stored naturally in underground aquifers, allowed vast cities to emerge and turned the nation into an agricultural powerhouse.

But the country’s stewardship of groundwater relies on a patchwork of state and local rules so lax and outdated that in many places, oversight is all but nonexistent, a New York Times investigation has found.

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Opinion: States Must Do More to Address Tijuana Sewage Emergency as Federal Governments Stall

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Denise Ducheny

During the more than 40 years I have resided in San Diego County, trash and sediment accumulation, along with toxic and wastewater contamination of the Tijuana River and our binational coastal waters, have been a persistent health concern for South San Diego and Tijuana residents. I have been actively involved in trying to bring attention to and address these issues since the 1990s, when I first represented the area in the state Legislature. As a full-time Imperial Beach resident since 2009, I long to see skilled surfers and frolicking families enjoy our beach waters again.

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Need Help Paying Your Water Bills? San Diego County Water Authority Offering Funds

/in , , /by /NBC7 San Diegoby City News Service Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Low-income residents may still access millions of dollars in federal assistance to help pay overdue residential water and wastewater bills, the San Diego County Water Authority announced Friday.

According to a news release, the application deadline for the Low- Income Water Assistance Program has been extended to March 31, 2024.

Congress established the program in 2021, and the federal government provided California with $116 million.

As of now, the state has $40 million available, with $5 million for San Diego County, Water Authority officials said.

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California’s Extreme Weather Whiplash: So Long, Drought. Hello, El Niño

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times by Terry Castelman

Less than a year after facing historic water shortages, California this week was declared drought-free thanks to a year of epic rains, with an El Niño forecast that could keep wet conditions going into 2024.

California-El Niño-weather-waves-ocean

For California, especially Southern California, El Niño can typically mean larger storms in the winter which can mean more rainfall and larger waves along the coast. Graphic: NOAA

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Reservoir Levels Remain Above Historical Average Across California

/in , , /by /ABC 10 Sacramento by Brody Adams

California’s lakes and reservoirs remain in very good shape as an El Niño winter closes in.

Following the record wet winter, lakes and reservoirs were nearly full to the brim as the melting snowpack made its way into them.

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