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A Billion Pounds of California Almonds Stranded at Ports Amid Drought, Trade Woes

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Louis Sahagun

Almond producer David Phippen didn’t need to hear the latest predictions from agriculture economists to know that his industry was on the verge of losing its premier position in the global market.

He saw it coming during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when oceanic carriers discovered they could make twice as many annual round trips — and higher profit margins — by sending empty containers back to Asia to pick up more goods for export instead of waiting in port here to be loaded with his almonds. Almond exports are down by about 13% this year, industry officials said.

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Red Bluff Council to Discuss Water Conservation Efforts

/in , /by /Red Bluff Daily Newsby George Johnston

The City Council Tuesday will consider instituting water conservation efforts by declaring a Stage II Moderate Water Shortage.

If the council makes the declaration, city water customers would be required to refrain from landscape watering except between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m., equip any hose with a shutoff nozzle and promptly repair all leaks in plumbing fixtures, water lines, and sprinkler systems.

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Colorado’s Water Leader Thinks Most of the Needed Colorado River Cuts Should Be Made by Arizona, Nevada and California

/in , /by /CPR Newsby Michael Elizabeth Sakas

Last month, the federal government dropped a bombshell on the states that share the Colorado River.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gave Colorado and the other six states in the basin just two months to come up with a plan to drastically reduce the amount of river water they use. If they don’t, the federal government has threatened to use its emergency authority to make the cuts it feels are necessary.

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New Water Plant in Menifee Removes Salt, Fights Drought

/in , /by /The Press-Enterpriseby Monserrat Solis

A plant that removes salt from water is now running in Menifee, giving officials another tool to reduce their reliance on imported water as California’s drought continues.

The Eastern Municipal Water District opened its third groundwater desalination plant, the Perris II Groundwater Desalination Facility, on Thursday, June 23. The plant will remove salt from underground water basins tapped by wells in Perris — nearly 5.4 million gallons of water per day, according to the water district.

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Smooth Sailing Into SkillBridge for Navy Veteran Edwin McBride

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Noah Harrel Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Edwin McBride decided 20 years in the U.S. Navy wasn’t enough time in the water, so he dove into the SkillBridge Program to intern at the San Diego County Water Authority. The program is helping military veterans transition to career-track training opportunities, including work in the water and wastewater industry.

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Ripping Out His Lawn Made Him a Native Plant Fanatic

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Jeanette Marantos

For Georg Kochi, tearing out his Koreatown lawn has been as much about spiritual growth as water conservation — a deep and sometimes playful exploration into habitat, rebirth and decay on the property where he lived as a boy and returned decades later as a retiree.

The parkway in front of his house in St. Andrews Square, for instance, was full of wildflowers this spring, but the colorful flowers have turned into dry, dirty-blond seed heads and stalks interspersed with clouds of blooming buckwheat, juvenile coastal live oak trees and waves of native grasses.

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Opinion: What Will Happen to the Colorado River? What We Know About Looming Water Cuts

/in , , /by /AZ Centralby Joanna Allhands

The seven states that rely on the Colorado River must come up with a plan to cut 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water use.

By mid-August.

And if they don’t, the federal Bureau of Reclamation will act for them.

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Drought Leads to Declaration of Level 2 Water Shortage in Newport Beach

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Lilly Nguyen

New but relatively minor restrictions went into place immediately this week with the adoption of a new water shortage declaration unanimously adopted Tuesday night by the Newport Beach City Council.

Automated sprinkler use in Newport Beach is now limited to three days a week, and residents will be asked to decrease their household water usage to where it was in 2020.

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To Avoid Blackouts, California May Tap Fossil Fuel Plants

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Kathleen Ronayne

Looking to avoid power blackouts, California may turn to the one energy source it’s otherwise desperate to get rid of: fossil fuels.

A sweeping energy proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Thursday puts the state in the business of buying power to ensure there’s enough to go around during heat waves that strain the grid. But some critics say the method of getting there is at odds with the state’s broader climate goals, because it paves the way for the state to tap aging gas-fired power plants and add backup generators fueled by diesel.

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What Do Increased Releases From Folsom Dam Mean For Region’s Water Levels?

/in , , /by /CBS Sacramentoby Steve Large

Rising river levels? It’s been a surprising sight in recent days for people out along the American River.

California is in year three of a severe drought and people are being asked to conserve, but water releases from Folsom Dam are being dramatically increased this week.

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