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‘Imagine a Day Without Water’ Advocacy Day Returns This Week

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Managementby Andrew Farr

The sixth annual ‘Imagine a Day Without Water,’ advocacy day is returning this Wednesday, Oct. 21, with likely thousands of individuals, companies and organizations expected to take part in highlighting the importance of water and the need for investment. Imagine a Day Without Water is a national education campaign that takes place one day a year and brings together diverse stakeholders to illustrate how water is essential, invaluable and in need of investment.

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San Diego ‘Gets It Done’ — 7,000 Tons of Trash Removed from Public Spaces

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby City News Service

Three years into a citywide effort to keep San Diego clean and safe, Mayor Kevin Faulconer brought together partners of the city’s Clean SD program Tuesday to highlight the progress in removing more than 7,000 tons of trash, debris and waste from public spaces across the city.

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Environmentalists Win Key Battle Over Mission Bay Park Redevelopment, Get $1.25M for Marshland Study

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Garrick

Local environmentalists won a key victory this week when the regional water board approved a $1.25 million study focused on transforming much of Mission Bay’s northeast corner into marshland, which could help San Diego fight sea level rise. Environmental groups have been in a years-long battle with golfers, campers and recreation advocates over the fate of northeast Mission Bay, which became available for redevelopment five years ago when a mobile home park closed

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Johnson, Moss, Mack, McSorley Seek Rainbow Board Seats

/in , , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Two Rainbow Municipal Water District board seats will have contested elections this year. Hayden Hamilton was unopposed for a second term in the Division 2 seat. Helene Brazier is retiring as the Division 1 director and Rainbow committee members Julie Johnson and Pam Moss are seeking that seat. Current Division 5 board member Michael Mack is being challenged by current Vallecitos School District board member Kathy McSorley. Division 1 includes Morro Hills, Bonsall, and Vista Valley while Division 5 is in Rainbow and also covers new development projects east of Interstate 15

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Resetting the Mission for WIFIA

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Managementby John Ryan

The WIFIA Loan Program recently announced that it has reset the interest rates on two undrawn loan commitments originally made in mid-2018. The fixed rate on a $135 million loan to Orange County Water District and a $614 million loan to San Diego Public Facilities Financing Authority were reset downward from about 3.1 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively, to around 1 percent, reflecting the steady decline in the Treasury curve since the loans’ first-rate setting.

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BPA Added to California Toxic Chemical List Despite Challenge

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Maeve Allsup

California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment can list bisphenol A under the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act despite challenges regarding the lack of evidence of its harm to humans, a state appeals court said Monday.

The agency added BPA, a chemical used to coat food and beverage packaging, to the so-called Proposition 65 list in 2013, based on a study published by the National Toxicology Program’s Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction.

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Opinion: Eastern Coachella Valley Residents Urge the State for Action on the Salton Sea

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Sandra Ramirez and Christian Mendez

We represent a group of East Coachella Valley residents optimistic about the future of the Salton Sea and the surrounding communities. That is why we are working to ensure our communities see meaningful benefits from the sea’s restoration.

On Sept. 30, we sent a letter to state officials requesting that restoration projects coming out of the Salton Sea Management Program consider the potential impacts on nearby communities. We hope those officials will share in our vision of reforestation and green spaces around the Salton Sea, see the benefits of such projects in addressing the sea’s deteriorating environmental conditions, and act with the same urgency.

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La Niña: Is California Heading Into Another Drought?

/in , /by /The Mercury News (Bay Area)by Paul Rogers

Federal scientists say that La Niña — the phenomenon where Pacific Ocean waters off South America are cooler than normal — is underway this winter.

A commonly held assumption among many Californians is that La Niña means a dry winter is coming, and in years when the opposite occurs, El Niño, a wet winter is considered more likely.

So brown lawns and water rationing are just around the corner, right?

Not necessarily. Looking at historical records, there isn’t a clear pattern. In the Bay Area, La Niña years have been drier than normal only about half the time.

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Governor Newsom’s Executive Order Aims to Conserve Land, Biodiversity, California Farm Bureau Federation Reports

/in , /by /Sierra Sun Timesby Kevin Hecteman

A new California Biodiversity Collaborative will help determine how to carry out an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom aimed at conserving 30% of California’s land and marine areas by 2030—and agricultural organizations said they would participate to assure the collaborative recognizes stewardship efforts carried out on the state’s farms and ranches.

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Scientists Say They Can Predict Colorado River’s Annual Water Supply. What Does That Mean for Agriculture, Wildfires?

/in , , /by /Deseret News (Utah)

Scientists can now predict drought and overall water supply on the Colorado River years in advance, according to a new study published by researchers at Utah State University.

The team of scientists believe long-term “ocean memory,” in conjunction with atmospheric effects and the influence of land systems, correlates with cycles of drought in parts of the western U.S., which then leads to water shortages on the Colorado River.

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