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Delta Water Crisis Linked to California’s Racist Past, Tribes and Activists Say

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Tribes and environmental groups are challenging how the state manages water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a major source for much of California, arguing the deterioration of the aquatic ecosystem has links to the state’s troubled legacy of racism and oppression of Native people.

A group of activists and Indigenous leaders is demanding that the state review and update the water quality plan for the Delta and San Francisco Bay, where fish species are suffering, algae blooms have worsened and climate change is adding to the stresses.

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LAFCO Extends Protest Hearing To June 14

/in , /by /Village Newsby Lucette Moramarco

Due to an old address being given out for the mailing of protest letters, causing some of the letters to be returned to their senders, the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission is extending the deadline for the submission of protest forms on the commission’s earlier conditional approval to expand Fallbrook Public Utility District’s activated functions to include (a) parks and recreation, (b) street lighting, and (c) roads and streets.

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California Businesses Face Turf Watering Ban Amid Historic Drought Conditions

/in , , /by /Times of San Diego by City News Service Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The State Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday to ban watering of non-functional turf at commercial, industrial and institutional properties, the latest in a series of steps to conserve water amid a historic drought.

The ban — which does not include turf at residences or turf used for recreation or community purposes — will be effective once approved by the Office of Administrative Law, which typically takes about 10 days, according to the board. Violations of the ban would be punishable by a fine of up to $500.

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California Bans Watering ‘Non-Functional’ Grass in Some Areas, Strengthening Drought Rules

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

California water regulators adopted emergency drought rules Tuesday that increase conservation requirements for water suppliers throughout the state and prohibit the watering of grass that is purely decorative at businesses and in common areas of subdivisions and homeowners associations.

The regulations outlaw the use of drinking water for irrigating “non-functional” grass at commercial, industrial and institutional properties.

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State Tightens Drought Rules as S.D. Officials Fear Higher Water Rates

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

California approved new drought restrictions Tuesday, much to the chagrin of San Diego County’s top water managers, who fear increased conservation will further drive up the region’s soaring cost of water.

The new rules, called for by Gov. Gavin Newsom, require nearly all water suppliers in the state to ratchet down residential water consumption, while banning commercial water users from irrigating “non-functional” turf.

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As Bay Area Faces Prolonged Drought, Recycling and Desalination Are the Only Two Real Options

/in , , /by /San Francisco Examinerby Jessica Wolfrom Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Despite being surrounded by water, Bay Area residents are routinely told during dry years to take shorter showers, let lawns brown and slow the rush of water from their taps.

But as climate change prolongs drought and challenges local water supply, regional water managers are warning that none of those actions will be enough. Many say the time has come to invest in technically feasible, though politically and environmentally complicated alternatives like purifying wastewater and sucking salt out of seawater to bolster stores.

EXPLAINER: How Cities in the West Have Water Amid Drought

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Suman Naishadham

As drought and climate change tighten their grip on the American West, the sight of fountains, swimming pools, gardens and golf courses in cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Boise, and Albuquerque can be jarring at first glance.

Western water experts, however, say they aren’t necessarily cause for concern. Over the past three decades, major Western cities — particularly in California and Nevada — have diversified their water sources, boosted local supplies through infrastructure investments and conservation, and use water more efficiently.

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Stone Ranch Elementary Student Among Water Poster Contest Winners

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Elizabeth Marie Himchak

A Stone Ranch Elementary fourth-grader is among three winners in Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 29th annual water awareness poster contest.

Indira Jayanti received a $50 Target gift card for her poster portraying rain harvesting. It will also be featured in Olivenhain’s 2023 Water Awareness Calendar.

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California Drought: Water Wasters Could Face Fines of Up to $10,000 in Santa Clara County Under New Rules

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

Residents in Santa Clara County could face fines of up to $500 — and in extreme cases, $10,000 — for wasting water, under new drought rules approved Tuesday afternoon that are among the toughest of any urban area in California.

Citing the worsening drought, dwindling local water supplies and residents’ failure to hit conservation targets, the board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, a government agency based in San Jose that serves as the wholesale water provider to 2 million residents, voted unanimously to set up an enforcement program to warn, and then fine, property owners who are violating outdoor watering rules.

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La Niña Lives! — And That’s Bad News

/in , , /by /Discover Magazineby Tom Yulsman

For two winters in a row, La Niña has steered desperately needed rain and snow storms away from the U.S. Southwest, exacerbating a decades-long drought that has shriveled reservoirs and spurred horrific wildfires.

Now, hopes that the climate pattern would relent and allow moisture to rebound next winter have suffered a serious blow.

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