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WaterSmart Makeover: Escondido Yard is a Handcrafted Haven

/in , , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Caron Golden

In Jeanne Reutlinger’s world, gardening is an act of collaboration with friends and neighbors — meaning you don’t need much of a budget at all to create a prize-winning front yard. In Reutlinger’s case, her garden is the 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest winner for the city of Escondido’s water district.

(Editor’s Note: Residents of San Diego County can schedule free WaterSmart Checkups to make their properties more water-efficient and are eligible for water-saving rebates: www.sdcwa.org/your-water/conservation/. Read more about Jeanne Reutlinger’s WaterSmart moves here: www.waternewsnetwork.com/escondido-landscape-makeover-winner-goes-from-weeds-to-wow/ The City of Escondido is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.) 

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Sweetwater Reservoir Open to Free Fishing on Sundays in 2023

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Sweetwater Reservoir now offers “Free Fishing Sundays” through the Sweetwater Authority’s Reservoir Recreation Program. Free access weekly on Sundays will continue through the end of 2023.

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California Farms, Cities to Get Big Jump in Water From Feds After Storms

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Tara Duggan

California farms and cities that get their water from the Central Valley Project are due to receive a large increase in water allocations this year after snowpack and reservoirs were replenished in winter storms, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Wednesday.

Most recipients of the Central Valley Projects are irrigation districts that supply farms, and some are cities, including those served by the East Bay Municipal Utility District and Contra Costa Water District in the Bay Area.

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Opinion: Rains and Flooding Are Not Enough to Solve California’s Persistent Drought Problems

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Robin Epley

California’s reservoirs may be as full as they’ve been in years thanks to recent rainfall, but it’s still not enough water to meet the state’s demands — and it will never be if the state doesn’t invest in new ways to capture all that precious water.

Not enough of the state’s heavy rainfall is draining into California’s underground reservoirs to keep us sated, even through the next summer.

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Colorado River Drainage Basin Explained

/in , /by /Newsweekby Robyn White

Life in the southwestern U.S. as we know it exists thanks to the water of the Colorado River, which flows for approximately 1,450 miles from the Rockies to the Gulf of California.

The river gets its water from the Colorado River drainage basin, which spreads some 246,000 square miles.

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New LA County Project Will Help Collect, Keep More Water After Big Storms

/in , , /by /ABC 7by Carlos Granda

After another big storm this week we will see much of the rainwater flowing out to the ocean instead of being captured for use.

Los Angeles County officials say saving more of this water will be key for dealing with drought.

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Storm Damage Across San Diego County: Trees Topple, Roads Closed, Power Out

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Christina Bravo and Amber Frias

A series of storms brought wild weather to San Diego this week, including rain that could cause flooding and gusty winds that toppled trees into cars, homes and streets and led to power outages across the county.

The first of back-to-back storms reached the region Tuesday night and by Wednesday morning had already caused widespread damage. An atmospheric river was slated to reach the county by Thursday, meaning more damage was possible in the days ahead.

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On Eve of Storms, California Water Authorities Boost State Water Project Allocation to 35%

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Monte Morin

As California braced for yet another round of winter storms Wednesday, state water officials announced that they were again boosting supplies for water agencies that serve 27 million residents.

The Department of Water Resources said it now expects to deliver 35% of requested water supplies — up from the 30% announced last month — via the State Water Project.

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Water Board Waives Delta Rules That Protect Salmon

/in , /by /CalMattersby Alastair Bland

California’s water board decided Tuesday to temporarily allow more storage in Central Valley reservoirs, waiving state rules that require water to be released to protect salmon and other endangered fish.

The waiver means more water can be sent to the cities and growers that receive supplies from the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta through the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. The state aqueduct delivers water to 27 million people, mostly in Southern California, and 750,000 acres of farmland, while the Central Valley Project mostly serves farms.

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With All This Rain and Snow, Can California Really Still Be in a Drought? Look Deeper

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

Only weeks after a series of atmospheric rivers deluged California, the state is once again bracing for powerful winter weather that could deliver heaps of rain and snow, including fresh powder at elevations as low as 1,500 feet.

But as worsening climate extremes and water supply challenges continue to bedevil the state, officials cautioned residents Tuesday not to assume that the recent moisture signaled an end to the drought.

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