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Ultraviolet Algae Killer Aids Bid to Help Lake Tahoe Clarity

/in , /by /AP Newsby Scott Sonner

Encouraged by three years of experimentation, scientists at Lake Tahoe plan to expand the use of ultraviolet light to kill algae and other invasive plants that eat away at the clarity of the mountain water.

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno are monitoring the project and collecting data to study the effects of the ultraviolet-C light treatments. It’s the newest tool in a two-decade effort to restore the once-pristine waters in the lake straddling the California-Nevada line.

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Meteorologists Forecast Drought-Producing La Niña Weather Pattern this Winter

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

Federal weather forecasters on Thursday predicted the development of drought-producing La Niña pattern that could to last through the winter.

There is a 60% chance that La Niña will develop during the Northern Hemisphere fall, with a 55% chance the pattern will continue through the winter of 2020-21, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in its monthly forecast.

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Climate Change Report Forecasts Hard Times for Kern Ag

/in , , /by /Bakersfield.comby John Cox

A new report warns Kern County agriculture will face tough challenges in the decades ahead as climate change makes irrigation water scarcer and weather conditions more variable and intense.

The study concludes these hurdles “ultimately challenge the ability to maximize production while ensuring profitability.” But it also predicts impacts will vary by crop, with almond production benefiting somewhat while growers of pistachios, grapes, oranges and carrots face overall difficult conditions.

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Rainbow Approves Changes to Bonsall Oaks Security Agreement

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

In October 2016, the security agreement for what was then called the Polo Club was changed from a performance bond to a lien contract which prohibits the construction of any improvements, the selling of any lots in the subdivision or the issuance of permits before the lien contract is replaced by a security bond. The proposed subdivision is now called Bonsall Oaks, and the current ownership will be replacing a lien contract with a security bond for the first phase of the project.

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FPUD to Replace Backflow Prevention Devices

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

When the Fallbrook Public Utility District approved FPUD’s 2020-2021 budget $500,000 was appropriated for the district’s valve replacement program. The July 27 FPUD board meeting reallocated some of that amount for the purchase of backflow prevention devices.

“It’s just a project to maintain and upgrade some of the backflow devices,” Jack Bebee, general manager of FPUD, said.

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Rebates for WaterSmart Irrigation Devices

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

Rebates for WaterSmart irrigation devices are available in San Diego County to help property owners reduce expenses by improving water efficiency.

The rebates, offered for a limited time by the San Diego County Water Authority, provide significant savings on devices for outdoor landscapes.

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Opinion: No One is Actually in Charge of Solving the Border Sewage Crisis

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Dianne Feinstein

For more than two decades, cleaning up the Tijuana River has been one of my top priorities. The wastewater, trash and sediment that continues to flow into San Diego County are a danger to public health and our economy and it must be addressed.

Over the past year we’ve made real strides to fix the problem of cross-border pollution. And last week’s introduction of the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act is another step toward achieving that goal.

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Environmental Groups say Newsom’s Water Plan Will Worsen Toxic Threat in the Delta

/in , , /by /Sacramento News & Reviewby Scott Thomas Anderson

At the end of July, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his revised plan for bringing long-term water security to all Californians. But his announcement was overshadowed by San Joaquin County and several Delta communities scrambling to confront the worst cases of toxic algae blooms ever seen on local sloughs and rivers.

These green, floating slicks brought a new level of criticism to Newsom’s agribusiness-friendly water proposal. That’s because the governor’s strategy relies in large part on the controversial Sites Reservoir proposal and the even more contentious Delta tunnel proposal. Conservation groups say both projects—particularly the tunnel—could worsen the problem of dangerous algae contamination in regional waterways.

Meanwhile, the state continues to spend large sums of money on both multibillion-dollar projects with little clarity on who will ultimately foot the bill as the COVID-19 pandemic drains evermore revenue from public agencies.

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Energy Department Proposes Showerhead Standards Rollback After Trump Complains

/in , , /by /The Hillby Rebecca Beitsch

The Trump administration is moving to loosen environmental standards for showerheads following a string of public complaints from the president about low-flow fixtures designed to save water.

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Escondido Creek Conservancy Receives NOAA Grant for Environmental Education

/in , , /by /Escondido Times-Advocate

Funds to support 3rd grade students in the Escondido Union School District have been awarded to The Escondido Creek Conservancy.

The Conservancy has been awarded a national grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Planet Stewards Education Project to fund environmental education and stewardship in Escondido. The program will support 3rd grade students in the Escondido Union School District as they work to address the problem of litter in their community, in conjunction with their learning about local habitats and the impacts of humans on the environment.

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