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San Diego County Mostly Winning its Bout With the Drought

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Joe Little

Although California’s governor has made overtures to conserve water, most of the water districts in San Diego County are already ahead of the game.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently asked everyone to try to conserve up to 20% of their water as the state endures another drought. The Sweetwater Authority in San Diego’s South Bay area, however, said it’s 200,000 customers are already ahead of those savings.

“We’ve been able to manage this drought pretty well so far because of our local investments and local resources,” said Doug Roberts, a program manager for Sweetwater.

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High School Students Invited to Enter Special Districts Video Contest

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

San Diego County high school students whose Instagram Reels and TikTok skills impress their friends can put them to good use and earn scholarship money for their efforts.

The 2022 California Special Districts Association San Diego Chapter video scholarship competition is open through the end of April. The annual “Districts Make The Difference” contest promotes public awareness and understanding of the special districts providing communities with essential services like water, sanitation, healthcare, fire protection, and parks.

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Newsom Urged Californians to Cut Water Use by 15%. In February They Saved Less Than 1%

/in , , /by /Ian Jamesby Los Angeles Times

Total water usage in California cities and towns decreased by just half a percent in February compared to the same month in 2020, a far cry from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of reducing urban water use by 15%.

Figures released this week by the State Water Resources Control Board showed that even during a third year of drought, Californians have been slow to step up conservation efforts.

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Water District Imposes Some of the Toughest Water Use Restrictions in Region

/in , , /by /KCLUby Lance Orozco

A water district serving parts of the Conejo Valley is imposing some of the toughest watering restrictions in the region as a result of the drought. The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District reduced the amount of water customers can use for outdoor irrigation from 75% to 50% of normal.

District officials say if they can decrease water use through the restriction, it could prevent, or at least delay a total ban on outdoor watering.

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Ramona Water District to Discuss Agreement to Sell Water to Barona Tribe April 12

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Julie Gallant

The Ramona Municipal Water District and the Barona Band of Mission Indians are considering a water sales agreement that would serve a growing reservation population and help the community be better prepared for wildfires, officials said.

The water district’s board of directors will consider the proposal at their meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 at the Ramona Community Center, 434 Aqua Lane.

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Punishing Bay Area Drought Prompts Calls for Major Water Rethink

/in , , /by /KQEDby Ezra David Romero

Each morning for months, Amelia Morán Ceja has peered out her window, searching Sonoma’s wine country for dark clouds or the residue of rain on the leaves of her grapevines.

Her searching has proved futile, and now she’s worried as California faces its third consecutive summer with drought.

The dry conditions threaten her thirsty vines at Ceja Vineyards and elevate the risk from fire and heat waves. The triple threat is a “perfect storm during harvest,” she said.

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Manteca Water Use Soars 14.6% as Drought Deepens

/in , , /by /Manteca Ripon Bulletinby Dennis Wyatt

Manteca’s per capita water use surged 14.6 percent in March as the city’s consumption continued to grow significantly over 2020 even after making adjustments for population gain.

The double-digit gain in year-to-year use comes nine months after Governor Gavin Newsom asked Californians to voluntarily cut water usage by 15 percent based on 2020 consumption levels. So far water use on average in California jurisdictions is down by 6 percent although Manteca clearly isn’t one of them.

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Report to California Legislature: Prepare for Sweeping Effects of Climate Change

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Rachel Becker and Julie Cart

Painting alarming scenes of fires, floods and economic disruption, the California Legislature’s advisors today released a series of reports that lays out in stark terms the impacts of climate change across the state.

The typically reserved, nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office outlined dire consequences for Californians as climate change continues to alter most aspects of daily life. Much of the focus of the six-part series is detailing the economic cost as the changing climate alters where and how Californians build, grow food and protect the most vulnerable residents.

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NASA Finds New Way to Monitor Underground Water Loss

/in , /by /NASAby Jane J. Lee

Scientists have produced a new method that holds the promise of improving groundwater management – critical to both life and agriculture in dry regions. The method sorts out how much underground water loss comes from aquifers confined in clay, which can be drained so dry that they will not recover, and how much comes from soil that’s not confined in an aquifer, which can be replenished by a few years of normal rains.

The research team studied California’s Tulare Basin, part of the Central Valley. The team found that the key to distinguishing between these underground sources of water relates to patterns of sinking and rising ground levels in this heavily irrigated agricultural region.

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Despite Cutbacks to the Rest of the State, Some Ag Districts Get Full Allotment of Water

/in , /by /The Fresno Beeby Jesse Vad

Even as most agricultural water supplies are being cut to the bone, with California descending into a third year of extreme drought, the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractor districts will apparently receive 650,000 acre feet — 100% of their “critical year” allotment.

The move is just one of the quirks in California’s byzantine world of water rights.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation has increased the amount of water coming out of the Friant Dam above Fresno to help satisfy its contract with the Exchange Contractors.

 

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