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Opinion: Water Restrictions Show Folly of California’s Rejection of Large-Scale Desalination Projects

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Marc Joffe

As the state continues to grapple with drought conditions, water restrictions are being placed on six million residents in Southern California. The latest restrictions are another reminder that the California Coastal Commission’s recent rejection of the Orange County desalination plant, after 24 years of delay, reinforces the state’s position as a laggard in adopting technology that could provide water security. While arid coastal countries worldwide are implementing desalination, the most obvious solution to water scarcity, the Coastal Commission unanimously voted against the Huntington Beach project.

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Watering Restrictions Hit the West in Worst Drought in 12 Centuries

/in , /by /Desert Newsby Amy Joi O'Donoghue

Millions of residents of southern California are now limited to one day a week of outdoor irrigation, just like a huge chunk of northern Utah.

The restrictions in play are the result of the worst drought in the western United States in 12 centuries, the severity of which was reported in a scientific journal earlier this year.

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California Lawmakers Mull Buying Out Farmers to Save Water

/in , /by /AP Newsby Adam Beam

After decades of fighting farmers in court over how much water they can take out of California’s rivers and streams, some state lawmakers want to try something different: use taxpayer money to buy out farmers.

A proposal in the state Senate would spend up to $1.5 billion to buy “senior water rights” that allow farmers to take as much water as needed from the state’s rivers and streams to grow their crops.

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What Is the Right Length of Time for the California Drought Shower?

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Laura J. Nelson

On mornings that are chilly by Los Angeles standards, Camilo Loza sometimes takes a hot shower before heading to the gym.

After a workout on the Stairmaster, Loza bikes home to Windsor Hills and showers again. And a few nights a week, Loza takes a third shower after getting home from work.

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‘Game Over’: The Tiny Central Coast Town of Cambria Is About to Run Out of Water

/in , /by /SF Gateby Andrew Pridgen

Nestled along the Central Coast, Cambria is a picturesque town famous for its vintage clothing and antique shops, its one-of-a-kind olallieberry pies, its scarecrow festival in the fall and its Disneyesque Christmas market and light display in December. Located right off of Highway 1 and 73 miles south of Big Sur, it’s a popular stop for those driving on the Pacific Coast Highway.

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What’s in Store for Eastern WA as Water Becomes More Scarce Throughout the West?

/in , /by /The Seattle Timesby Colin Tiernan

Even in late May, when T-shirts take over and thermostats hit a balmy 70 degrees, patches of snow cling to the top of Mount Spokane.

Snow persists on many Pacific Northwest mountains well into summer. It acts as a natural reservoir, melting as the weather warms and watering the thirsty low country when rains are few and far between.

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Demystifying Mist as a Source of Water Supply

/in , /by /California Water Blogby Jay Lund

In some of the world’s driest places, atmospheric moisture is a major source of water for native ecosystems. Some algae, plants and insects in the Israeli and Namibian deserts get much of their water from fog, dew and humidity. The spines of some cacti species have evolved to collect fog droplets. California’s redwood forests derive a significant amount of their moisture from fog.

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California’s Water Wasters

/in , /by /The New York Timesby Somini Sengupta

Tucked into the Santa Monica Mountains, the average home here goes for around $1.8 million, the gardens are bursting with pansies fit for rainy England, and hefty fines have done little to restrain many homeowners from squandering water in a time of drought.

This week came a measure of last resort. The local water agency began choking the taps of the worst offenders, limiting the water flow of those who flouted water conservation rules, paid the fines, and kept on flouting. Their showers will henceforth slow to a trickle. Sprinklers will be rendered unusable. Good luck refilling the pool. Or the koi pond.

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Opinion: The Abundance Choice, Part 10: Time to Stop Wasting Wastewater

/in , /by /California Globeby Edward Ring

If there is any source of water that ought to be optimized, it is the wastewater produced by California’s urban centers. Perennially issuing from sewage treatment plants throughout the state, every year this torrent of mostly treated effluent is equivalent in volume to the San Joaquin River in a wet year.

The California Department of Water Resources estimates statewide urban water consumption at approximately seven million acre feet per year. Just over three million of that total is estimated to be so-called “interior” water use, which means this water is flushed or drained through sewer systems into a wastewater treatment plant.

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Vista Irrigation District Recognizes Scholarship Winners and Student Artists

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Vista Irrigation District awarded college scholarships to seven high school seniors selected as winners of the district’s annual scholarship contest. Three fourth-grade students from the local community were also selected as winners of the district‑sponsored Student Poster Art Contest.

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