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Opinion: County Must Improve Wildfire Prep to Avoid Catastrophe

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Jim Desmond Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

It only takes one spark. A downed power line, a stray ember carried by the wind or a sudden shift in the weather can turn a quiet afternoon into a disaster. We’ve seen it before. The wildfires of 2003 and 2007 devastated San Diego County, destroying thousands of homes, displacing families and leaving a lasting mark on our region. These fires weren’t just tragedies — they were hard lessons. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, we can never afford to be complacent.

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Officials Were Warned of Failing Water System Before Palisades Fire. Fixes Never Happened

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Connor Sheets

Los Angeles County officials missed dozens of opportunities for water infrastructure improvements that experts say probably would have enabled firefighters to save more homes during the Palisades fire, public records show.

As crews battled the blaze, attempting to extinguish flames that burned huge swaths of L.A. County and killed at least 11 people, some hydrants ran dry.

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After 7-Month Investigation, California Water Agency Set to Decide Fate of Top Manager

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

The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is considering the findings of a seven-month investigation into accusations against General Manager Adel Hagekhalil — a process that has revealed competing claims of discrimination and exposed deep divisions among leaders of the state’s largest urban water supplier.

The board met twice in closed session this week to consider the findings of five completed investigations, which have not been made public. Board members then voted to continue Hagekhalil’s leave of absence until their next meeting Wednesday.

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How Soon Will It Rain in San Diego?

/in , , /by /CBS 8by CBS 8 Staff

With winds dying down on Friday throughout San Diego County and a ridge of high pressure moving out, we will see some major changes in the weekend forecast that include a significant drop in temperatures, cloudier skies, and, yes, a good chance for some light to moderate rain and snow in our local mountains. The chance for rain comes after Southern California has been pelted with Santa Ana winds for winds and wildfires have sparked up across the region.

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Trump Targets California Water Policy as He Prepares to Tour LA Fire Damage

/in , , /by /Associated Pressby Amy Taxin

As President Donald Trump prepares to tour wildfire damage in California, he’s zeroing in on one of his frequent targets for criticism: State water policy. Since the fires broke out Jan. 7, Trump has used social media and interviews to accuse the state of sending too much water to the Pacific Ocean instead of south toward Los Angeles and highlighted how some hydrants ran dry in the early hours of the firefight in Pacific Palisades.

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Encinitas Council Picks Water Board Member to Fill District 4 Seat

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Barbara Henry

A Coast Highway 101 sign business owner who serves on the Olivenhain Water District board will become Encinitas’ newest City Council member. The council on Wednesday voted 3-1, with Councilmember Joy Lyndes opposed, to pick Marco San Antonio out of eight applicants seeking to fill the new mayor’s former council seat. He can be formally sworn into his new job at the Feb. 12 council meeting after he resigns from the water board, City Clerk Kathy Hollywood said.

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Rain is Finally Coming to Southern California: What You Need to Know

/in , , /by /LA Timesby Rong-Gong Lin II and Hannah Fry

With red flag fire weather warnings finally set to end Friday morning, Southern California is set for its first real rains of the winter, which would provide some welcome relief in the region’s seemingly endless firefight. Yet there is concern that this weekend’s rains could provide only temporary relief. After this weekend, a dry spell could return — raising serious questions about whether dangerous fire weather could return sooner than later.

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Major Upgrades Continue on San Diego’s Historic First Aqueduct

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Fatima Gabir Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

A seventy-year-old stalwart is getting a much-needed makeover. The San Diego County Water Authority is working to upgrade the historic First Aqueduct to deliver safe and reliable water supplies for the region.

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Trump Says He May Withhold Federal Aid for Los Angeles if California Doesn’t Change Water Policies

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Lisa Mascaro and Chris Megerian

President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to withhold federal disaster aid for wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles unless California leaders change the state’s approach on its management of water.

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OPINION: Trump Jumps Back Into California’s Water Wars With a Pro-Farmer Decree

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Dan Walters

It would be impossible to overstate the complexity of water supply management in California. Hundreds of federal, state and local agencies decree who or what is supplied with water, when and how much will be delivered, and the prices recipients must pay.

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