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Will California Get Another Wildflower Super Bloom? Here’s What the Experts Predict

/in , , /by /The Tribune by Lindsey Holden

A lackluster winter rain season has left much of California on the cusp of a drought — so what does that mean for the state’s much-Instagrammed wildflowers?

Particularly rainy winters yielded super blooms throughout the state in 2017 and 2019, from the Carrizo Plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo County all the way down to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park east of San Diego.

In spring 2019, photo-seeking visitors packed places like Walker Canyon near Lake Elsinore just south of Los Angeles, where a California poppy bloom drew “Disneyland-size crowds.”

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Bacteria at the Water Fountain: How San Diego Scientists Use E. Coli to Test for Toxins in Water

/in , , /by /KPBSby Shalina Chatlani

It’s not always easy to tell if the water you’re drinking is safe. Some ways to check include lab testing and filters. And soon it could include E. coli bacteria. San Diego scientists are developing a new bacteria-based water sensing technology.

At Edison Elementary School in City Heights on a December afternoon, excited school children are grabbing their favorite foods and drinks.

It is well known that what children consume here impacts their brains and bodies. From the teriyaki chicken to the drinking water at the nearby fountain.

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Salton Sea Partners Get a Bird’s-Eye View of Lake’s Condition

/in , , /by /Imperial Valley Press

IMPERIAL — Representatives from Imperial Irrigation District and Imperial County took to the air Friday to get a keen view of California’s largest and most troubled lake.

Coordinated by Audubon California, the flights took off from Imperial County Airport Friday morning, flying over the perimeter of the Salton Sea. Passengers witnessed the decline of the receding lake and viewed the IID’s and the state’s dust mitigation projects and Audubon’s proposed new project, Bombay wetlands.

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Otay Water District Instagram Contest Winners Get Social About Water

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Otay Water District named eight winners of its first Instagram photo contests, asking customers to depict two distinct themes.

In the first contest, four Otay Water District customers were selected winners of the agency’s first Instagram photo contest, “Thankful for Water.” During the 2019 holiday season, Instagrammers were invited to submit photos reflecting their appreciation for water.

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LA River Restoration Effort Lands $1.8 Million

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Daily Newsby City News Service

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded more than $1.8 million to help fund a cleanup and revitalization effort for 700 acres of open space along the Los Angeles River from Griffith Park to downtown, local officials announced today.

The funding will go toward pre-construction engineering and design for the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Project. The project received $400,000 in 2016 and $100,000 in 2017.

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IID Prevails Against Farmer Michael Abatti’s Contempt of Court Complaint

/in , , /by /The Desert Sunby Mark Olalde

The Imperial Irrigation District has been found not guilty of a contempt of court complaint brought against it by farmer Michael Abatti as part of his contentious fight over water rights in the Imperial Valley.

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San Marcos Student Jordan Chan Wins Statewide Video Contest

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Mission Hills High School student Jordan Chan of San Marcos won third-place in the statewide 2020 California Special Districts Association video scholarship competition. The “Districts Make The Difference” contest is designed to promote public awareness and understanding of the special districts providing communities with essential services like water, sanitation, healthcare, fire protection, and parks.

Chan received his $500 scholarship prize at the February Vallecitos Water District board meeting. He received recognition from state legislators and CSDA representatives. Chan was honored with a proclamation from San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, and certificates of recognition from the offices of State Senator Brian Jones and State Assemblywoman Marie Waldron.

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Otay Water District Names New General Manager

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Karen Pearlman

The Otay Water District Board of Directors last week unanimously appointed Assistant Chief of Water Operations Jose Martinez as the organization’s next general manager.

Martinez, 40, will succeed Mark Watton, who represented the water interests of Otay, the county and the state for more than 30 years.

The board said it will negotiate contract terms and vote on Martinez’s salary at its March 11 board meeting. His appointment is effective March 1.

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SCV Water Looks at Reservoirs Due to Winter, Chemical Concerns

/in , /by /The Signal (Santa Clarita, Calif.)by Jim Holt

A relatively dry winter and new state-set levels for the presence of a carcinogen in water threatening the closure of groundwater wells have local water officials considering water from new sources and looking to use water they’ve already banked.

Santa Clarita Valley water users get their supply from two main sources via the SCV Water Agency — water imported from Northern California through the State Water Project and water from the ground under the SCV.

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Opinion: FPUD and Rainbow Make Brave Move to Save Ratepayers Money

/in , , /by /Village News (Fallbrook, Calif.)by Ann Wade Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Over the holidays, I received a letter from the San Diego County Water Authority designed to make customers of Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District worry. The tone of the letter alluded that if the two districts de-annex from the Water Authority, the reliability of our water supply would be at risk and our water prices could go up.

Since I have been to several community meetings where this change was discussed, I knew this insinuation was not true. FPUD and Rainbow have researched this option specifically to keep water rates down for our districts.

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