You are now in Media Coverage San Diego County category.

OPINION: RMWD’s Proposed Rate Increases

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Hurst

Dave Patterson’s letter to the editor in the June 6, 2019, issue of the Ramona Sentinelopens with the claim that “there is something in the water at the (RMWD) ….” Two articles written by Julie Gallant in the same issue provide evidence that “something” is a lack of candor. At the RMWD board meeting on May 14, 2019, Director Tom Ace asked if the $240,000 annual increase in San Vicente Sewer Service Area recycled water revenue was taken into account since the Bartle Wells Associates study originally recommended a 3 percent annual increase in the San Vicente sewer rate. The response was that the annual rate increase had been reduced to 1.5 percent (about $50,000).

Full Story

Extremely Dry Soil Connects Forest Die-Offs To Prolonged Drought, Says New UC Study

/in , /by /KVPR Radio Bakersfieldby Kerry Klein

The U.S. Forest Service estimates 147 million trees in California died following the state’s prolonged drought. New research out of UC Merced suggests a culprit: Extremely dry soil.

Not all California droughts have led to massive forest die-offs. The difference this time, according to an article published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Geoscience, was the drought’s intense heat and longevity.

Full Story

Trump Said Water Wars ‘Easy’ to Fix. What Do Farmers Say Now?

/in , /by /GV Wireby David Taub

Three years ago, presidential candidate Donald Trump got right to the heart of Central Valley agriculture’s fight over its most precious resource. “We’re going to solve your water problem. You have a water problem that is so insane,” Trump told a campaign audience at Selland Arena in May 2016. “It is so ridiculous where they’re taking the water and shoving it out to sea.”

Trump said the seemingly endless grind among agricultural, urban, and environmental interests over water resources would be simple to fix.

Full Story

What is Causing Those Harmful Algal Blooms? Water and Heat

/in , /by /Oroville Mercury-Registerby Laura Urseny

Weather conditions that make this a landmark year, like more rain, could be part of the reason for the algae blooms in Horseshoe Lake, putting the upper Bidwell Park lake off limits for use for the foreseeable future.

Swimming in the lake, for humans or dogs, is warned against, and new city signs say exposure to the algae can kill animals. Those who fish need to take special steps in preparing their catch.

Full Story

OPINION: Believe It or Not, Colorado Will Soon Become a Waterless Desert… Part Eight

/in , , /by /Pagosa Daily Postby Bill Hudson

Based on two weeks of research into the probable future of water supplies in the American West, it’s pretty clear that no water expert or journalist truly believes Colorado is likely to become a lifeless, waterless desert, within the lifetime of anyone currently alive.

Full Story

OPINION: Why California’s Fight Against Climate Change Must Include Clean Water

/in , , /by /Calmattersby David Festa

California’s political leaders have made the long-overdue decision to clean up the Central Valley’s contaminated drinking water, and help cash-strapped rural water districts.

The catch: rather than assess a fee on water users or tapping into the state’s budget surplus, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature relied on cap-and-trade money to pay for a portion of the operation.

Full Story

MWD’s New Chair, Gloria Gray, Prioritizes Reliability of Supply & Affordability

/in , , /by /The Planning Reportby Editor

Several major developments have altered the course of water management in California this year. First, Governor Newsom significantly modified the plan to bring water to the southern region through the Delta. Second, California forged a historic agreement with seven other states to cooperate in times of drought. And not least, industry veteran Gloria Gray took the helm at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In this interview, Gray shares how she plans to steer the largest water supplier in the nation through changing political priorities and climate conditions to continue safeguarding the future of California’s water.

Full Story

New Bill Aims To Help Vets Fill Thousands Of Water Worker Jobs

/in , , /by /NBC 7 San Diegoby Liberty Zabala

A new bill is moving through the California Legislature that may make it easier for veterans to get jobs within the state’s water industry. Assemblymember Todd Gloria helped introduce AB 1588 to stem the phenomenon called the “silver tsunami” in which thousands of water workers are expected to retire from the water industry in the coming years. AB 1588 is aimed at helping water employers fill civilian water and wastewater operator roles with military veterans.

Full Story

California Forest Die-Off Caused by Depletion of Deep-Soil Water

/in , , /by /Science Dailyby University of California, Irvine

A catastrophic forest die-off in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range in 2015-2016 was caused by the inability of trees to reach diminishing supplies of subsurface water following years of severe drought and abnormally warm temperatures. That’s the conclusion by researchers from the University of California, Irvine and UC Merced outlined in a study published today in Nature Geoscience.

Full Story

Lake Oroville is Hot Spot for Chinook Salmon

/in , /by /Record Netby Dan Bacher

Salmon fishing been superb this summer in the ocean off the Sonoma and Marin county coasts, but you can also catch hard-fighting landlocked Chinook salmon at Lake Oroville, located on the Feather River.

Full Story