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State To Increase Flows On Santa Ynez River To Protect Steelhead

/in , /by /VC Star

State officials have ordered increased water flows on the Santa Ynez River in Santa Barbara County to protect steelhead trout, which are endangered in Southern California.

The State Water Resources Control Board says Tuesday that its action follows two decades of legal efforts to address long-term declines in native fish populations in the Santa Ynez.

The order requires the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to increase flows below Cachuma Reservoir to provide additional habitat for steelhead. To minimize impacts on local water users, higher flows will be required only during wetter years.

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Rare California Trout Species Returns To Native Habitat

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times

For the first time in nearly a century, a rare California trout species will swim in a mountain creek that is its native habitat, marking a major milestone that conservationists hope will lead to a thriving population and removal of its threatened status.

About 30 Paiute cutthroat trout will be plucked Wednesday from Coyote Valley Creek in the eastern Sierra Nevada wilderness and hauled in cans strapped to pack mules about 2 miles west into Long Valley.

 

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San Diego City Council Takes The Leap Into Community Choice Energy

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Rob Nikolewski

The city of San Diego is about to enter the power-purchasing business.

On a 7-2 vote Tuesday afternoon, the San Diego City Council approved the formation of a community choice aggregation, or CCA, energy program. The council also approved a joint powers agreement that will see San Diego partner with Chula Vista, La Mesa, Encinitas and — by all indications — Imperial Beach to take the place of San Diego Gas & Electric when it comes to purchasing sources of electricity within their jurisdictions.

 

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Pipeline 4 Repairs Underway In North San Diego County

/in , , /by /Water News Network

A recently discovered leak in a section of a pipeline in North County will be repaired in coming months while Pipeline 4 returns to service.

Crews have installed bulkheads in the pipeline to isolate a portion of Pipeline 4 for repairs. This will allow the pipeline to continue treated water deliveries throughout the county in a modified fashion starting the week of Sept. 16 and restores full service to retail water agencies. With the leaky section isolated, crews will make necessary repairs.

Four Water Authority member agencies – Fallbrook PUD, Rainbow MWD, Valley Center MWD, and Vallecitos Water District – have taken steps to manage water supplies while the pipeline was shut down to install the bulkheads.

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City of San Diego Draws On Local Water Supplies After Deliveries Reduced

/in , , /by /sdnews.com Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Due to an unexpected reduction in imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), the City of San Diego was obligated to dip into its local water supplies to continue service to customers.

On Tuesday morning, algae clogged a filter screen on a major pipeline, causing an interruption in raw, untreated water from MWD to the San Diego County Water Authority. MWD cleared the pipeline that morning and full deliveries resumed by early afternoon. The City of San Diego purchases its imported water from the County Water Authority.

 

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California’s New, $100 Million, Low-Income Solar Program

/in , /by /pv magazine by Tim Sylvia

DAC-SASH has been approved, and now GRID Alternatives will have $120 million to work with over the next decade to bring solar power and job training to disadvantaged communities across the state.

A new program expanding solar access to low-income families in California has been unanimously passed by state regulators.

Disadvantaged Communities – Single-family Solar Homes (DAC-SASH) aims to increase the adoption of solar power by low income households in disadvantaged communities by investing $120 million dollars into incentives annually through 2030. Specifically, the program will provide $8.5 million in annual total to customers who meet income qualifications and live in the top-25% most disadvantaged communities in the state.

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Another Day Of Dry, Gusty Fire Weather Ahead For San Diego Region

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

Dry conditions and gusty winds will increase the danger of fire in San Diego County on Tuesday, according to the local office of the National Weather Service.

A trough of low pressure moving in from the north will bring cooler temperatures throughout the workweek, but will also bring gusty winds blowing to the west, meteorologist Bruno Rodriguez said.

Humidity levels will drop to between 10% to 15% in the San Diego County mountains and deserts, forecasters said. Wind gusts could reach 35 mph in those two areas

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Governor To Act On Key Legislation For Farms, Ranches

/in , /by /AgAlert (Sacramento, Calif.)by Kevin Hecteman

A hectic week for the state Legislature ended with welcome news for California farmers and ranchers—Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he intends to veto Senate Bill 1, which sought to preserve existing California environmental and labor standards from federal changes initiated by the Trump administration.

Water-related provisions of the bill proved problematic for farmers, ranchers and water agencies. For example, SB 1 would apply the California Endangered Species Act to the federally operated Central Valley Project. That provision threatened negotiations to establish voluntary settlement agreements concerning water flows from the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems into the delta.

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OPINION: California Has A Chance To Make Water History

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Jeffrey Kightlinger

California’s contemporary effort to modernize the water system in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta officially began in 2006.

George W. Bush was president Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor. Their administrations signed a planning agreement. And the search for a solution was on.

Thirteen years, two governors and two presidents later, we are all still at it.

We have yet to find ways to stabilize important water ecosystems or the reliability of water supplies for the state economy. And we are going to reach a point where we either collectively fail to achieve these two important goals despite years of efforts, or we move forward in historic and meaningful ways that undoubtedly will not please everyone.

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OPINION: East Coachella Valley Residents Speak Out For A Healthier Environment

/in , , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Lesly Figueroa and Rebecca Zaragoza

The eastern Coachella Valley stands to benefit from a pair of Sacramento decisions. Now the state needs to hear from local residents.

In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-10-10. It directs the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to recommend actions to help create climate-resilient water systems and healthy waterways as part of California’s Water Resilience Portfolio Initiative. This is a major step toward sustainable and equitable access to this precious resource during this climate crisis.

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