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OPINION: Why Every Californian Has a Stake in Who Metropolitan Picks for Its New GM

/in , /by /Maven's Notebookby Bruce Reznik

When it comes to determining the fate of big water projects in California, there is no bigger influencer than the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Metropolitan is the largest water wholesaler in the nation, supplying water to 26 water districts throughout the region that in turn keep the taps flowing to 19 million people. As such, the agency is often the 800-pound gorilla in the room when big-ticket water infrastructure projects are looking for investors in California.

As Metropolitan’s board represents communities from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties, it should be no surprise that its members do not always see eye-to-eye on the best way to provide economically and environmentally sustainable water supplies to the region. And as much of the state’s gray infrastructure ages and climate change worsens, the agency will continue to face tough choices about which investments to prioritize in a world with limited resources and escalating climate concerns.

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Morning Report: If Supes Tap Reserves, It Could Trigger Employee Bonuses

/in , /by /Voice of San Diego

Tuesday could be a historic day for progressives who have long wanted to unleash the county’s massive reserve fund.

County supervisors will vote today on whether to amend the county’s reserve policy, which could allow the county to dip into more of its big rainy-day fund to combat impending federal cuts.

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Colorado River Water Conservation Program Remains Stalled in Us House

/in , /by /Colorado Sunby Shannon Mullane

 A dry summer in Colorado and across the Colorado River Basin is ratcheting up the pressure to cut back on water use, fast, but one federal conservation program has been stalled in Congress since June.

The reason why isn’t clear to U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, a Democrat who represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District.

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U.S. in a Tight Squeeze as Water Demands Soar

/in , /by /USA Todayby Dana Taylor

America’s has a hidden water crisis. Parts of the US are drying out, and scientists warn the aquifers that keep the Southwest alive are disappearing far faster than they can be replenished. Jay Famiglietti, a global futures professor at Arizona State University who has extensively studied the nation’s water supplies, joins The Excerpt to explain.

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Something Deep in the Pacific Is Reshaping California’s Weather. It May Not Stop Anytime Soon

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Greg Porter

A major ocean temperature index in the North Pacific has plunged to record low levels signaling a shift that tends to lock in coastal fog, delay California’s rainy season and reroute storms to the north.

This summer already bears the stamp of this setup. Around the Bay Area, mornings have been trapped in gray, afternoons unusually breezy, and inland heat has arrived in short, erratic bursts.

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Region’s Most Powerful Water Job Is Still Open With Big Calls About the Future to Make

/in , /by /The Orange County Registerby Andre Mouchard

The most important water job in this region, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, is in flux.

Three people have held the position over the past five years, including two since the end of January. Now, Met Water is in the process of hiring yet another new leader, with district officials saying their goal is to find a general manager who will stay on the job for several years.

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Firefighters and Equipment Pre-Deployed in San Diego County, as Heat Wave Boosts Wildfire Threat

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

Gov. Gavin Newsom has pre-deployed more fighting crews and equipment to the San Diego area and four other counties, in case the current heat wave leads to wildfire in a region that is critically dry.

Newsom said a total of 47 fire engines, nine water tenders, nine bulldozers, five helicopters, 10 hand crews, 14 dispatchers and two incident management teams are now in place across Southern California.

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UC Davis Study Reveals Diversity Gaps in California Water Management

/in , /by /KCRA 3by Andrea Flores

A UC Davis study is highlighting what it calls inequities in California’s water management, showing underrepresentation of women and people of color in positions on water boards.

Sponsored by the nonprofit group Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL), the study was unveiled at the State Capitol, revealing that women occupy only about 27% of water board positions, Latinos hold 15% of board seats, and other people of color account for just 5% of board positions.

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Plan for California’s Largest Reservoir in Decades Gets Big Funding Boost

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Kurtis Alexander

The effort to build California’s largest new reservoir in decades has received a welcome commitment of cash — nearly $220 million — which will help keep the project on track to break ground as soon as next year.

Planned for 70 miles northwest of Sacramento, the proposed Sites Reservoir won the bulk of the funding because plans to expand the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County fell through, freeing up money in the state’s 2014 water bond. The remainder of the money for Sites came from last year’s state climate bond.

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OPINION: Delta Tunnel Plans Echo California’s Troubled History of Trying to Control Water

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Devon Provo

Most mornings, I walk my dog at Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena, pausing by the reservoir to watch grebes and ducks glide across the water. It’s a quiet routine, but since the fire tore through Eaton Canyon in January, the silence feels louder, like this place has something to say.

As an urban planner, I’ve spent years working on land use and water policy. When I walk through my Altadena neighborhood, I don’t see a freak disaster. I see a moment of reckoning, in a much older story about the quest to control nature and consequences that echo across generations.

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