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A Plan to Replenish the Colorado River Could Mean Dry Alfalfa Fields. And Many Farmers are for it

/in , /by /Fox 5/KUSIby Amy Taxin

A plan to help shore up the depleted Colorado River by cutting off water to alfalfa fields in California’s crop-rich Imperial Valley is finding support from the farmers who grow it.

The Imperial Irrigation District — the biggest user of water from the 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river — has offered to pay farmers to shut off irrigation to forage crops including alfalfa for up to 60 days during the peak of the sweltering summer. While farmers often balk at the idea of letting fields lie fallow, at least 80% of properties eligible for the new program have been signed up to participate, said Tina Shields, the district’s water department manager.

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WATCH: Tipping Point: Colorado River Reckoning- A PBS News Special

/in , /by /KPBS by Miles O'Brien

Forty million people depend on the Colorado River for water, but that vital resource is in peril. The river’s storage system has shrunk to an estimated 41 percent capacity as of June 2024.

The river, which irrigates 4 million acres of some of the most productive agricultural land in the United States, may never fully recover due to climate change, according to scientists.

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How to Create a DIY Water Feature for a Habitat Garden Without Breaking the Bank

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Jeanette Marantos

These days, habitat gardens are all the rage among eco-conscious Californians. They add native plants to their yards, patios or even balconies to provide food and shelter for wildlife.

But here’s the bitter truth: It’s not a real habitat garden if it doesn’t have a water source, as in a place where bees and butterflies can reliably sip without drowning or where birds can splash and preen.

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COMMENTARY: Farmers to Benefit as Sites Reservoir Nears Fruition

/in , /by /Maven's Notebookby Fritz Durst

From prolonged drought to excessive flooding, water conditions in California have been anything but consistent during the past few years. That’s a problem for one of the world’s leading agricultural regions.

With climate change threatening one of California’s biggest industries, we need to invest in a truly resilient and reliable water future. We need Sites Reservoir.

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Feds Award Oceanside $15 Million for Water Projects

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Phil Diehl

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has awarded Oceanside $15 million to further programs that reduce the city’s reliance on imported water and increase the use of recycled and brackish groundwater sources.

Oceanside is one of San Diego County’s leaders in the use of purified wastewater, which is injected into the underground water table and later removed along with the brackish groundwater and filtered for use in the local drinking water supply.

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Desalination Plant Proposed for San Francisco Bay

/in , /by /Enterprise-Recordby Paul Rogers

Saying it needs to evaluate all options for new sources of drinking water, Silicon Valley’s largest water district is studying a plan to build the first seawater desalination plant along the shores of San Francisco Bay.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District, a government agency based in San Jose, has approved spending $1.7 million for Black & Veatch, a Walnut Creek firm, to conduct an engineering feasibility study over the next 12 months for a project near the bay’s shoreline in Palo Alto, Mountain View or San Jose.

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Do Not Take Clean Water for Granted Either in Memphis or at the Paris Olympics 2024

/in , /by /Commercial Appealby Lynn Norment

“Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” – From Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner“

A couple of weeks ago, my attention was captivated by a television news story about people in a Memphis apartment complex who had gone five days without access to water. Portable toilets had been set up around the complex.

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Shift to La Niña for the Coming Winter Could Affect the Next Water Year in the West

/in , /by /Maven's Notebookby Natalie Hanson

While California and Nevada remain virtually drought-free, climate experts say extreme heat and wildfire risk may continue plaguing the West for months.

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said during a webinar Monday that ongoing heat events across the West present a major risk to vulnerable communities, despite a good water supply outlook for the region.

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‘Long-Duration’ Heat Wave Again Cooking California, Raising Health and Wildfire Concerns

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey

Another bout of prolonged heat has kicked off across California and much of the West, expected to again bring several days of triple-digit temperatures to most inland areas.

July’s second major heat wave isn’t forecast to be as extreme as the last event, which set several all-time records for high temperatures. Nevertheless, the National Weather Service predicted that it will be a “long-duration heat wave,” which creates uniquely dangerous conditions — especially when temperatures barely drop at night.

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WaterSmart Makeover: Embracing a Low-water Garden in Carlsbad

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Caron Golden

When it comes to gardening, there are people who impulsively strike out on their own, cheerfully assured that all they need to do is choose some cool plants, put them in the ground and water them — and the results will be perfect harmony. And then there are others for whom research is part of the thrill and they couldn’t imagine not having the whole process mapped out.

Dean Williams is among the latter group of precise, organized and research-driven gardeners, one who is now joyful and enthusiastic in his achievement, especially because he had a plan and it worked.

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