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Federal Officials Told States to Curb Colorado River Use. How Will It Affect California?

Despite a wet winter, California and other western states will still need to cut back how much water they draw from the Colorado River. The question federal and state officials are weighing is: How much will they each need to cut?

 

What Might Cuts to Dwindling Colorado River Mean for States?

The Biden administration floated two ideas this week to reduce water usage from the dwindling Colorado River, which supplies 40 million people.

IID Releases Annual Report

The Imperial Irrigation District released its IID Annual Report 2022, highlighting the projects and programs that IID brought forth throughout the year.

This report ranges over a wide variety of topics, including water and energy projects, information on the Salton Sea, the Colorado River, Coachella Valley Energy Commission, energy assistance for customers, and community improvement projects.

Expansion of World’s Biggest Water Reuse System in Orange County Now Complete

 The world’s largest water recycling plant just got even bigger.

The final expansion of Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System has been completed.

Ojai Valley District to Shake Mandatory Water Cuts for the First Time in 8 Years

For the first time in years, Ojai Valley residents won’t be required to curb their water use or risk fines.

Starting in June, the Casitas Municipal Water District plans to end its mandatory water conservation measures and stiff penalties — ones in place for the past eight years in the drought-stressed region. The Casitas board unanimously approved the move at a meeting this week.

What Colorado Water Officials Think of the Federal Government’s Proposed Colorado River Cuts

The federal government has laid out its ideas for water cuts in the Colorado River Basin, which means time is running out for basin states to agree on a plan of their own.

In Colorado, water officials say the onus is on California and Arizona to make it work.

Opinion: Drought and Flood, California’s Double Whammy

Just as federal officials were laying out alternative scenarios last week for steep water supply cuts from the Colorado River due to the drying Southwest, California officials were warning that this year’s historic Sierra snowpack could flood much of the state later this year.

Colorado River: Can Feds Legally Cut IID, Other Rural Water District Allotments?

The powerful Imperial Irrigation District and others with historic first dibs to Colorado River water are once again facing possible threats to their jealously guarded supply. At a press conference at the Hoover Dam on Tuesday, federal officials announced possible unprecedented, across-the-board cuts to all water contractors in three states if levels in its massive reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, fall so low that they might no longer function.

Encinitas Opens New Water Pipeline Reducing Drinking Water Demand by 27 Million Gallons Per Year

A new water pipeline project recently finished construction in Encinitas. On Tuesday local and congressional leaders held a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of the pipeline.

The Manchester Avenue Recycled Water Pipeline Project involved the construction of approximately 1.4 miles of six-inch diameter recycled water pipeline. According to a press release, customers connecting to this new pipeline will now irrigate with recycled water, reducing the demand for imported drinking water by more than 27 million gallons per year.

San Joaquin Valley Farmers Dig in for the Next Battle: An Epic Sierra Snowmelt

Tom Barcellos has farmed the reclaimed soil of the Tulare Lake Basin for nearly five decades, and he’s rarely witnessed a winter like 2023.

A slew of drenching storms, funneled across the Pacific Ocean as atmospheric rivers, have prompted prolonged flooding in large swaths of the San Joaquin Valley.