Aging infrastructure and lack of implementation plans are among the top issues facing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, according to an audit released Wednesday, Aug. 31, by city officials.
The report, jointly issued Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Controller Ron Galperin and the city council, analyzed risks and opportunities for improvements at the LADWP.
As the current drought stretches into its third year, demands to desalinate ocean water rise, especially in such places as Sonoma County and its more than 55 miles of coastline. But putting a desalination plant on the Sonoma County coast seems unlikely, especially after the California Coastal Commission in May rejected construction of a desalination plant in Huntington Beach that had been studied for more than 15 years, said entrepreneur John Webley.
Drought, heat, and wildfires all threaten Wine Country grape harvests, but growers are getting creative to defend their crops.
Climate change is endangering California’s wine industry. Just ask some of the industry’s titans.
The allure of California has long been its almost unbelievably good weather: predictably dry summers and pleasant, if occasionally rainy, winters. Who wouldn’t want to escape swampy heat for this temperate paradise? Our typically agreeable weather (current heat wave notwithstanding) is officially called a Mediterranean-type climate, defined as having cool, wet winters and dry, warm summers.
An innovative plan to conserve water by covering aqueducts with solar panels is about to undergo testing in drought-stricken California.
Why it matters: Water is becoming more precious by the day in the Golden State and the Western U.S. more broadly, in part due to climate change.
California uses plans as a primary tool for managing water throughout the state. Regulations like the Urban Water Management Planning Act of 1983, Regional Water Management Planning Act of 2002, Water Conservation Act of 2009, and Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 require local water agencies to write plans documenting their available water supplies and develop approaches to use water more sustainably and/or ensure a secure supply.
San Diego water managers exude an understated confidence when they talk about the regional drought that is drying up California and the Colorado River Basin.
(Editor’s Note: Under the conserved water transfer agreement with the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), the San Diego County Water Authority funds conservation in the Imperial Valley that generates highly reliable and cost-effective conserved water for the San Diego region. This conserved water supply is largely insulated because of IID’s high priority rights, which IID retains.)
The San Diego County Water Authority received two awards at the 2022 California Association of Public Information Officers (CAPIO) EPIC Awards competition for California public agency communication programs.
The Water Authority’s “Drought Safe San Diego” public outreach campaign won an EPIC Award (first place) for Communications or Marketing Plans/Campaigns – In-House; and an Award of Distinction for Video Production – Promotional – In House.
Oceanside is preparing to launch a $7 million upgrade of its downtown storm drain system to prevent seasonal flooding, but the California Coastal Commission has raised concerns about the plan.
City officials met with the Coastal Commission staff Aug. 24 to discuss a possible 90-day extension of the city’s application for a coastal development permit needed for the project.
María Dolores Díaz sighs when she opens her water bill every month because she knows what she’ll see: another bill that she’ll struggle to pay.
Diaz looks at the envelope and doesn’t want to open it because she wonders: How much, this time? “Ya nomás miro la carta y ‘aí ya no lo quiero abrir!’ Porque yo digo ‘¿ahora cuánto?’”
