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Dry and Failing Wells in Tuolumne County are a Sign of Drought’s Severity

/in , , /by /The Union Democratby Guy McCarthy

Terry Carney, 71, showed the head of his well Thursday and said it dried up about two weeks after the July 9 magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck near Walker, Nevada and was felt by people up and down the Sierra Nevada and as far west as the Bay Area.

Carney’s well is one of more than a dozen that have dried up so far this year in Tuolumne County, in addition to at least 19 other wells that are failing but have not yet dried up, according to county staff.

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Salton Sea Restoration Sparks Debate

/in , , /by /KYMAby Vince Ybarra

The Salton Sea has needed restoration for decades. Both Imperial County and Imperial Irrigation District (IID) agree something needs to be done, but the debate over precisely what action to take, is preventing much from happening at all.

In 2003, it was agreed water would be transferred from the Salton Sea to San Diego and Coachella. Imperial County Superviso Ryan Kelley tells me, after the transfer the seabed turned to dust. The wind then carried that dust, and the harmful components in it, towards Valley residents.

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The Complex And Surprising History Of Humanity And Water

/in , /by /NPRby Courtney Dorning, Kat Lonsdorf and Ari Shapiro

NPR’s Ari Shapiro speaks with author Giulio Boccaletti about his new book Water: A Biography, which takes readers through the complex and surprising history of humanity and water.

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Drought: Marin, Saudi Crown Prince Eyeing Same Desalination Plants

/in , /by /Marin Independent Journalby Will Houston

Marin County water officials are thinking of buying three desalination plants to bolster local supplies, but they’re facing an unlikely competitor — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Marin Municipal Water District, which might deplete its reservoirs by next summer if the drought continues, had considered renting two portable desalination plants for nearly $30 million from Osmoflo, an Australian company. Last week, the district staff said a third plant has become available and that purchasing them might be less expensive than renting.

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RFP Issued for 500MW Pumped Hydro Energy Storage in California

/in , , /by /Energy Storage Newsby Andy Colthorpe Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A Request for Proposals (RFP) has been issued for a 500MW pumped hydro energy storage project at a reservoir in California by the San Diego County Water Authority.

The authority supports water supplies for more than three million people, supplying wholesale to 24 retail water providers. It has decided to put its San Vicente Reservoir into dual use by turning it into an on-demand clean energy facility while it also supplies water.

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New Digital Water Education Workbook Makes a Splash

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

The San Diego County Water Authority today released an interactive, digital workbook to help upper elementary students learn about the region’s most precious natural resource: water.

The online digital water education workbook is the latest addition to the Water Authority’s long-running education program that has helped instill water knowledge in hundreds of thousands of students in over more than two decades.

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Vista Irrigation District Honored for Governance and Transparency

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Vista Irrigation District has received two major statewide honors, the District of Distinction Platinum Recognition award and the Transparency Certificate of Excellence.

The District of Distinction recognition is awarded by the Special District Leadership Foundation to special districts that show their commitment to good governance, transparency, prudent fiscal policies and sound operating practices.

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Opinion: Water Markets Can Help Bring California’s Groundwater Into Balance

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Andrew Ayres and Ellen Hanak

The San Joaquin Valley town of Corcoran is sinking. It’s fallen as much as 11.5 feet in some places, damaging drinking wells, changing the town’s flood zones and undermining critical infrastructure. The story is so dramatic that the New York Times covered it recently. The culprit here, though, is no ordinary villain – it’s the overpumping of groundwater.

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Sacramento Reduces Water Consumption but Falls Short of Newsom’s Goal for California

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

As California’s drought deepens, Sacramento residents are falling short of meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for water conservation — at least so far.

Area residents reduced water usage by an average of 6% last month, compared to August 2020, according to data released this week by the Sacramento Regional Water Authority. That compares with the 15% voluntary goal announced by Newsom in an executive order in July.

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Stunning Photos Show Drought’s Impact on Huge California Reservoir

/in , , /by /Mercury Newsby Nhat V. Meyer

The California drought has been brutal over the past few years, but to see just how devastating it has been, you need to see before-and-after pictures side by side.

Bay Area News Group photojournalist Nhat V. Meyer went out to the San Luis Reservoir in Merced County this week and took pictures in approximately the same places that he did in January 2019. The reservoir is one of the largest in California.

The results are startling.

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