Disputes over water have been a constant in California history, and San Diego is going through a particularly rough patch on that front these days.
At the center of the current maelstrom is Dan Denham, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority.
The Environmental Protection Agency was already reeling from massive staff cuts and dramatic shifts in priority and policy. A government shutdown raises new questions about how it can carry out its founding mission of protecting America’s health and environment with little more than skeletal staff and funding.
In President Donald Trump’s second term, the EPA has leaned hard into an agenda of deregulation and facilitating Trump’s boosting of fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal to meet what he has called an energy emergency.
California water officials are warning that the state “must be prepared for extreme weather events of all kinds,” even as water levels for the state’s reservoirs remain near or above average as the new water year began Wednesday.
California is entering a new water year with the largest reservoir in the State Water Project (SWP), Lake Oroville, at 109 percent of average capacity. Despite this promising start, officials stress the ongoing threat posed by climate extremes driven by a warming atmosphere. The state faces the dual challenges of preparing for both drought and floods, as climate variability increases the frequency and severity of weather swings. Recent scientific outlooks warn of a likely La Niña event in the fall, which could deliver increased dryness but also the risk of intense storms and flooding. These dynamics underscore the importance of water management and emergency preparedness for communities across California.
A La Niña pattern for the first few months of this water year (Oct. 1 to Sept. 30) means there is potential for extreme weather events, both flooding and drought, depending on where you are located in California.
Despite Sacramento receiving 76% of its normal rainfall for this past water year, Lake Oroville, the State Water Project’s largest reservoir, is currently sitting at 109% of average.
For as long as there have been people in what is now California, the granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada have held masses of ice, according to new research that shows the glaciers have probably existed since the last Ice Age more than 11,000 years ago.
The remnants of these glaciers, which have already shrunk dramatically since the late 1800s, are retreating year after year, and are projected to melt completely this century as global temperatures continue to rise.
The driest water year in nearly a decade ended Tuesday in San Diego, which recorded 5.07 inches of precipitation, barely half its seasonal average, the National Weather Service said.
The shortage of rain has produced varying levels of drought across the county, elevating the risk of wildfires at the time of year when dry Santa Ana winds begin to blow.
Environmental leaders across California prepared on Monday to ring in the new water year. This means it’s time to collect new precipitation data ahead of the state’s “wet season.”
We’re told this water year, California is starting things off with more groundwater data than ever before. According to water management professionals, this promotes sustainability and helps protect drinking water supplies.
The Sweetwater Authority, which supplies drinking water to a wide swath of South San Diego County, is joining the ranks of local water agencies seeking to reduce their dependence on the San Diego County Water Authority.
Sweetwater governing board members earlier this month voted unanimously to begin laying the groundwork for a major new groundwater project that would involve pumping and desalinating millions of gallons of water per year from a massive aquifer under southwestern San Diego County.
Mayor Todd Gloria didn’t have the votes on Tuesday to pass the huge water and wastewater rate increase needed to avoid layoffs at the city’s Public Utilities Department. Councilmembers voted 8 to 1 to push the decision on a 63 percent water and 31 percent wastewater vote to Oct. 28. Councilmember Vivian Moreno voted no.
The mayor will need at least five to pass the rates by that date or risk layoffs at the Public Utilities Department or default on loans. In the meantime, councilmembers want to see the mayor’s staff find a way to save San Diegans money on their water bills.
The San Diego City Council delayed a planned vote on steep water and sewer rate hikes Tuesday, saying it needs more time to consider them amid concerns over the potential impacts on the region’s cost of living.
The proposal would raise water rates for San Diego customers by more than 60% and sewer rates by more than 30% over the next four years.
