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Lessons from Orange County, California’s Water Strategy

Water is a serious issue for the cities of the world. Even in a wealthy nation such as the United States, people die from toxic water in Flint, Michigan, confront megadroughts in Los Angeles, face salinated aquifers in Miami and worry in Omaha about oil pipeline spills in the Ogallala aquifer. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in its annual U.S. infrastructure report card gives U.S. drinking water a grade of D. Water is the greatest challenge in resiliency planning. Southern California heavily depends on water from the Colorado River.

Storm Departs Leaving Cool, Dry Weather

A Christmas Eve winter storm drenching Holiday Bowl fans and dropping varying amounts of rain countywide — and snow in the mountains above 4,000 feet — has departed leaving cool, dry conditions, the National Weather Service said Tuesday. “A very dry, continental air mass has now moved in,” NWS forecaster Joe Dandrea said. “Amounts were anywhere from a trace, to a few hundredths of an inch to as much as a half-inch or more,” he said. “Snow fell down to about 3,500 feet.” Rainfall amounts were about half an inch in Lakeside and Lemon Grove. El Cajon received 0.64 of an inch. Palomar Mountain got 0.77 of an inch.

Wind Replaces Wet as San Diego County Welcomes the New Year

2018 went out wet in San Diego County. 2019 comes in windy. Strong winds are expected in the county mountains from early morning New Year’s Day through early afternoon, with some spots seeing gusts of 45 mph. The inland valleys could see 25 mph gusts Tuesday, and 15 mph gusts are possible at the coast. The winds, which are coming out of the northeast, are expected to be much stronger in the San Bernardino and Orange County mountains, where gusts could reach 65 mph. Blustery conditions are forecast for the Rose Parade in Pasadena on Tuesday morning.

Environment Report: Big Northern California Water Deals Will Trickle Down to San Diego

In this week’s Environment Report, let’s focus on an issue that doesn’t always get much attention in Southern California: the rivers of Northern California. Every so often, people get together and divide a river. That’s been happening a lot lately in the final throes of Gov. Jerry Brown’s term. State and federal water officials have worked furiously to redo how we all share the Sacramento and the San Joaquin rivers and their numerous tributaries. At stake for cities and farms is how much water will be available and at what price. At stake for fish is their very existence.

OPINION: 2019 Will Be The Year L.A. Starts To Wean Itself From Imported Water

It’s been hard to see 2018 as a good year for water in California. In November, voters rejected a bond that would have provided almost $9 billion for water resource infrastructure and protection projects across the state. Congress, with support from Gov. Jerry Brown and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, worked to sidestep important environmental protections for the San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. And the Trump administration rolled back protections for hundreds of miles of streams and rivers in the Southwest as well as thousands of acres of wetlands.

‘Women In Water’ Symposium Focuses On Career Opportunities And Advancement

Girls and women interested in learning about career and advancement opportunities in the water and wastewater industry are encouraged to register for the Cuyamaca College Center for Water Studies’ second annual Women in Water – Exploring Career Pathways symposium on Jan. 17. The all-day conference comprises two tracks of speakers: one for women contemplating a career change, military veterans transitioning to civilian life, and women already in the water and wastewater industry who are seeking professional development opportunities; the second for scores of high school girls in the region wanting to learn more about career opportunities as they near graduation.

Water Veteran Kirby Brill Appointed Interim GM For Inland Empire Utilities Agency

With more than 30 years in water resource management and planning, Kirby Brill has come out of retirement to serve as interim general manager at Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA). The IEUA Board of Directors unanimously appointed Brill to the agency’s top management position at the board’s Dec. 14 meeting. Brill retired in mid-2017 after having served for 17 years as general manager for Mojave Water Agency (MWA) based in Apple Valley. Although he began his career in the private sector he transitioned to the public sector when he took a position with the Orange County Water District (OCWD).

Water District Employee Honored

Lee Hicks, Senior Water Systems Technician, was Valley Center Municipal Water District’s 2018 recipient of the Manager’s Award recognizing excellence among the District’s staff members. A 19-year employee, Hicks was nominated from among his co-workers for the award.  The nomination cited his commitment and willingness to go the “extra mile,” in doing his job.  The nomination also It also mentioned his willingness to fill-in for others on short notice.  

 

Arbitrator Admonishes Water Authority After It Sued Five Tribes

The San Diego County Water Authority tried to interfere with the delivery of water to five local Indian tribes based on illegal actions and illogical arguments, a former federal judge has ruled. Last year, five San Diego Indian tribes got back the rights to water taken from them a century ago. In response, the San Diego County Water Authority this spring blamed the tribes for cutting into its bottom line and sued them for $2 million.

 

Gusty Winds May Raise Wildfire Risk Over Southern California Into Friday

A period of moderate Sundowner winds will rattle coastal areas of Southern California into early Friday. Gusts to 45 mph are likely with the potential for a few locally higher gusts from parts of Santa Barbara County to just north and west of Los Angeles. Gusts will be strong enough to make for difficult travel with lightweight and high-profile vehicles. The combination of dry air and gusty winds will raise the risk of wildfire ignition and quick spread of any existing fires.