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How ‘Sustainable’ is California’s Groundwater Sustainability Act?

/in , /by /High Country Newsby Nick Bowlin

Beneath the almond and citrus fields of the San Joaquin Valley lies an enormous system of aquifers that feeds some of the world’s most productive farmland. Hundreds of miles north and east, along the Nevada border, is the Surprise Valley, a remote, high-desert region undergirded by cone-shaped hollows of sediment that hold deposits of water. Both of these water systems, along with every other groundwater basin in California — a whopping 515 entities — must create individually tailored plans to manage their water use more sustainably. In scale and ambition, California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) has few parallels. And the work becomes increasingly urgent as the climate crisis makes water shortages increasingly severe.

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Marin County is First in Region to Limit Outdoor Watering with Mandatory Rules

/in , , /by /SF Gateby Amy Graff

The Marin Municipal Water District is imposing more mandatory water restrictions on residents, with the goal of reducing overall water use in the district by 40%.

The water district’s board voted Tuesday night to limit spray irrigation to two days per week and drip irrigation to three days per week. All swimming pools and spas must be covered to limit evaporation.

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Opinion: No, California Isn’t ‘Flushing Water to the Ocean,’ Despite What Fresno Politicians Say

/in , , /by /The Fresno Beeby Marek Warszawski

It’s that time of drought again. During one of the driest years on record, once again curtailing water deliveries to local farms, Fresno-area lawmakers wasted little time trotting out one of their favorite falsehoods. That every year, including the parched ones like 2021, California “wastes” millions of gallons of water by “flushing it to the ocean.”

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As Surface Water Supplies Dry Up, California Rice Growers Worry About Ripple Effect

/in , , /by /CBS Sacramentoby Rachel Wulff

California’s drought is impacting more than how you water your lawn, but also the way your food is grown on hundreds of thousands of acres in the Sacramento Valley.

Growing rice is a multi-billion dollar industry that supports 25,00 jobs.

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Here’s how Arizona is Preparing for 1st Cuts to Colorado River Allocation

/in , , /by /AZ Big Mediaby Ted Cooke

Arizona is gearing up for the first-ever “Tier 1” shortage on the Colorado River in 2022, which will trigger significant cuts to the state’s annual allocation from its most important water resource. As daunting as it sounds, the vast majority of citizens and businesses will not be affected, state water leaders said during a Colorado River Preparedness briefing last week.

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San Diego County Releases Proposed $7 Billion Budget

/in , , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby City News Service

San Diego County’s Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer recommended spending $7.03 billion in fiscal year 2021-22 for the running of the county government Thursday, a 7.3% increase from this year.

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Biden Administration Details Plans to Conserve 30% of US Land and Water by 2030

/in , , /by /CNNby Liz Stark

The Biden administration on Thursday outlined in a new report how it aims to achieve its goal of conserving 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030.

Developed by the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce, as well as the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the report lays out initial recommendations for a decade-long initiative — described as the “America the Beautiful” campaign — to encourage local conservation efforts.
“The President’s challenge is a call to action to support locally led conservation and restoration efforts of all kinds and all over America, wherever communities wish to safeguard the lands and waters they know and love,” the agencies’ top officials write in the report. “Doing so will not only protect our lands and waters but also boost our economy and support jobs nationwide.”
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Gov. Doug Ducey Signs Historic Water Protection Legislation

/in , , /by /KTAR News Arizona

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a landmark water protection bill Wednesday to ensure clean water in nearly 800 Arizona streams, lakes and rivers that are critical for everyday use.

The legislation will preserve water quality, list protected Arizona waters and develop management practices that will protect the waterways.

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Rainbow Approves Purchase of Emergency Generators and Solar Battery Backup

/in , /by /Village News (Fallbrook)by Joe Naiman

The Rainbow Municipal Water District will be acquiring two emergency generators and a solar-powered battery backup system.

Rainbow’s board voted 5-0 April 27 to authorize general manager Tom Kennedy to execute purchase orders for the two generators and the battery backup system equipment. The purchases will be funded by a state Office of Emergency Services grant, and Kennedy’s $300,000 spending authorization matches that grant amount.

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Wildfires are Contaminating Drinking Water Systems, and it’s More Widespread than People Realize

/in , , /by /The Conversationby Andrew Whelton

More than 58,000 fires scorched the United States last year, and 2021 is on track to be even drier. What many people don’t realize is that these wildfires can do lasting damage beyond the reach of the flames – they can contaminate entire drinking water systems with carcinogens that last for months after the blaze. That water flows to homes, contaminating the plumbing, too.

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