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Megadrought Threatens California Power Blackouts This Summer

/in , , /by /Bloombergby David R Baker, Mark Chediak, and Naureen S Malik

The historic drought that’s choked off rivers and reservoirs from the Rocky Mountains to the California coast is threatening to strain power grids this summer, raising the specter of blackouts and forcing the region to rely on more fossil fuels.

Many reservoirs that should be brimming with spring snowmelt show bathtub rings of dry dirt instead, including the largest one in the U.S., Lake Mead, which fell this week to a record low. Hydropower dams feeding off those reservoirs won’t be able to pump out as much electricity as they should, if they keep operating at all.

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The Water Conservation Garden Explains Benefits of Drought Tolerant Plants

/in , , /by /CBS8by Shawn Styles

It’s Springtime and if you’re thinking of sprucing up your garden you might want to do something drought tolerant.

Which is exactly what they have at The Water Conservation Garden here in Rancho San Diego, but they say you’re not just limited to succulents and cactus.

“Not only can you have color in your garden you can have color year-round,” said Pam Meisner is the Director of Operation and Programs at The Garden.

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Repair Work on Hodges Dam to Begin

/in , , /by /North County Daily Starby Terry Woods Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

As part of continuing efforts to maintain and invest in City of San Diego infrastructure, repair work starts within the next two weeks on Hodges Dam, at the Hodges Reservoir north of Rancho Bernardo.

“It’s been over a century since Hodges Dam was constructed, and we are making significant investments to maintain this vital asset,” said Alia Khouri, Deputy Chief Operating Officer. “Projects like this one are crucial for the City’s aging infrastructure system in order to maintain the safe and efficient delivery of City services.”

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When the Desert Runs Dry

/in , , /by /Desert Newsby Eric Balken

Somewhere between Bullfrog, Utah, and the Hole in the Rock trailhead, I’m following the distant rumbling of a waterfall, echoing between 500-foot walls of Navajo Sandstone. Not far from here is Cathedral in the Desert — a famed grotto in the heart of Glen Canyon. It gives me chills, knowing that this sound hasn’t been heard since 1968. After rounding one last corner of the canyon, there it is: a 60-foot cascade bellowing into a clear pool. Water in the desert is a magical thing. It’s also a complicated thing.

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Despite Third Dry Year, Water Managers Say Reno-Sparks Supply Is Prepared for Drought

/in , /by /The Nevada Independent by Daniel Rothberg

Three back-to-back dry years have crunched water supplies for many cities and farms across Nevada and throughout the West. The past two decades, according to a report released earlier this year, represent the most extreme drought in the last 1,200 years. As the West continues to warm, officials expect more uncertainty, driven largely by changes in precipitation and aridity.

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L.A.’s Historic Water Shortage Won’t Affect San Diegans

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Los Angeles did something Tuesday it’s never done before: it prohibited about 6 million Angelenos from watering outdoor landscapes except for one day a week.

That’s because climate change-driven drought in California has stretched into its third year, with less rain and snow from the Sierra Nevada mountains feeding the northern rivers of the state. And that means the state’s biggest water lifeline, called the State Water Project, has less water to deliver to the thirsty lands and people who rely on it throughout the rest of California.

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Valley’s ‘Water Blueprint’ Makes Splash With Statewide Push for $6.5bil in Water Funds

/in , /by /The Sunby Don Wright

A coalition of water stakeholder organizations from across California joined together to send a letter addressed to Gov. Gavin Newsom and six key legislators requesting action to address water issues.

The nine page document dated April 19, 2022 was signed by 18 organizations and entities including the San Joaquin Valley Water Blueprint and 10 Southern California, four Bay Area and three trade groups.

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Parts of SoCal Face Full Outdoor Watering Ban by September if Conditions Don’t Improve

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith and Ian James

The Metropolitan Water District said Wednesday that the unprecedented decision to reduce outdoor watering to one day a week for about 6 million Southern Californians could be followed by even stricter actions in September if conditions don’t improve, including a total ban in some areas.

“If we don’t see cutbacks, or conditions do not get better, the Metropolitan board has given me the authority to ban all watering as soon as Sept. 1,” MWD general manager Adel Hagekhalil said Wednesday. “We know what this means to communities, we know what we are requiring here, but we’re facing a challenge. We do not have the supply to meet the normal demands that we have.”

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Repair Work on Hodges Dam to Begin

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

As part of continuing efforts to maintain and invest in City of San Diego infrastructure, repair work starts within the next two weeks on Hodges Dam, at the Hodges Reservoir north of Rancho Bernardo.

“It’s been over a century since Hodges Dam was constructed, and we are making significant investments to maintain this vital asset,” said Alia Khouri, Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

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Unprecedented Water Restrictions Ordered as MWD Declares Water Shortage Emergency

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Southern California officials on Tuesday took the unprecedented step of declaring a water shortage emergency and ordering outdoor usage be restricted to just one day a week for about 6 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.

The outdoor watering restrictions will take effect June 1 under the decision by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and will apply to areas that depend on water from the drought-ravaged State Water Project.

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