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California City Doubles Local Potable Water Supply

/in , , /by /Water Finance & Managementby WFM Staff

In December, the City of Camarillo, Calif., announced the start-up and commissioning of its North Pleasant Valley (NPV) Groundwater Desalter Plant, moving the city closer to a more self-reliant, affordable potable water future.

For nearly two decades, groundwater quality in the northern portion of the Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basin in Ventura County continuously declined due primarily to the infiltration of poor-quality surface water. These challenges compelled the city to reduce groundwater pumping and increase the blending of imported water with Wells A and B, two of Camarillo’s largest wells.

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Newsom Voices Pledge to Lithium Valley

/in , , /by /Holtville Tribuneby Antoine Abou-Diwan

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday, Jan. 10 announced a commitment to incentivize and spur development of the state’s lithium reserves around the Salton Sea.

“We have what someone described as the Saudi Arabia of lithium here in the state of California down in Imperial County near the Salton Sea,” Newsom said on Monday as he unveiled his budget proposal for 2022-2023 dubbed “The California Blueprint.”

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Central, South Coasts Get Some Impressive Rainfall, But Water Experts Say It’s Just a Down Payment on Easing Drought

/in , , /by /KCLUby Lance Orozco

A series of storms dumped impressive amounts of rainfall on the Central and South Coasts during the last quarter of 2021. But, water experts say people need to understand what we’ve had is nothing close to being a drought buster.

There was a lot of excitement in the drought-stricken region. By the end of 2021, the news media was reporting that places like Camarillo had received 176% of normal-to-date rainfall, Oxnard 211%, and Santa Barbara 168%. But, water experts say many people are misunderstanding the nuances of the statistics.

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Recent Rains Provide Chance to Use ‘Fire to Fight Fire’ With Prescribed Burns in Backcountry

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

Jason Kraling sank his fingers deep into the spongy soil on Mount Laguna Saturday and pulled out a fistful of dead leaves, brittle pine needles, shards of wood and rich brown soil.

“Look at how moist this is,” said Kraling, a fire battalion chief with the U.S. Forest Service. “We’ve gotten a reprieve from how dry things were last summer. It’s a good time for prescribed burns.”

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Winter Weather Perfect Time for WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series

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

December rainfall and cooler temperatures in San Diego County make it the perfect time of year for homeowners to create low-water-use landscaping to fit their needs. The San Diego County Water Authority offers its first 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series of free online classes starting Wednesday, February 2. Registration for the four-class series closes on Monday, January 17. Register at WaterSmartSD.org. There is no fee to participate, but course participation is limited.

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Atmospheric Rivers Helping San Diego Rainy Season

/in , , /by /CBS8by Shawn Styles

San Diego’s rainy season is off to a good start thanks to a series of atmospheric rivers according to Alex Tardy who is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

“Well, for this year, this is our third. The one in late October was strong for Northern California, weak for us, then there was December 14th and that was strong for Southern California,” Tardy said.

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Opinion: To Fight Climate Change, We Must Redesign San Diego Communities

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Robert Leiter, Julie Kalansky, Cary Lowe Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

As the world struggles for consensus on climate action and national policy focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts of climate change occur all around us. Drought, intense heat, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and rising seas, all on a scale not previously seen and often happening concurrently, bear witness to this.

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Opinion: In Ojai Valley, a Glimpse of How to Nurture Land in a Drier, Post-Hydrocarbon World

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Stephanie Pincetl

The Ojai Valley in Ventura County is a magical place. Consider its elements: the sweet smell of California citrus blossoms in the spring, the open space preserved by orchards, the seasonal creeks that run free through the cultivated lands. But the Ojai Valley is also a place in peril. That’s because the water source that keeps this inland Ventura hamlet thriving is nearly dry.

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Pivoting Operations For A Pandemic

/in , , /by /WaterWorld Magazineby Gilad Cohen Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant (“CDP”), which recently celebrated its five-year anniversary, produces 50 million gallons of fresh water per day. It now accounts for one-third of all water generated in San Diego county.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, the facility needed to completely overhaul its workflow in a matter of weeks. CDP not only managed to cut its staffing, implement remote monitoring, and keep its operators fully sheltered onsite — it also did so without any drops in productivity.

The facility rapidly worked to make its staff as lean as possible — but also while maintaining steady production. Although changes needed to occur quickly, the CDP is subject to a wide range of regulations and compliance requirements: any modifications to operations needed to be collaborated and approved by the San Diego County Water Authority as well as state regulators.

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Dry, Warmer Weather Predicted for San Diego County This Week as Santa Ana Conditions Develop

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Elizabeth Ireland

Fair, dry, and warmer weather was predicted to prevail in San Diego County this week as Santa Ana conditions develop, the National Weather Service said Sunday.

Strong high pressure over the Great Basin and low pressure offshore were expected to create gusty winds at times below the passes and canyons, forecasters said. Temperatures were likely to be above average through at least midweek, with some cooling expected by week’s end as stalled low pressure over the Pacific is drawn closer to the coast.

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