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Assemblyman Todd Gloria Holds “Inaugural Dialogue” With Mexican Officials On Tijuana Water Pollution

Officials met in Imperial Beach Friday to discuss the sewage pollution that continues to plague South Bay shorelines — shuttering beaches more than 100 days every year. The event was billed as an “inaugural dialogue,” which in the future will include a host of other binational issues, including climate change and commerce. Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) and others met on Friday with Baja California officials to discuss future collaboration on how to address Tijuana’s lack of wastewater infrastructure and the potential for California to help with funding. “It’s a statewide concern elevated at the highest levels of state government,” Gloria told a crowd of concerned residents and elected officials, largely from Imperial Beach and Coronado.

New Recreational Amenities, Restored Marshland Proposed For Mission Bay Park’s Fiesta Island

San Diego officials are proposing a variety of upgrades to Mission Bay Park’s Fiesta Island including new parks, playgrounds, volleyball courts, marsh areas and habitat preserves. The proposed master plan for the mostly undeveloped 470-acre island is envisioned as a balance between improving the island and retaining its rural ambiance, city officials said. While it would include some significant changes, city officials stress that the plan is less intense than some previous proposals for the island, which has occupied much of eastern Mission Bay since it was created by dredging in the 1940s.

Councilmember Corner

On March 26 I was privileged to represent Coronado at the 2019 San Diego Climate Summit. It was held at the Robert Paine Forum at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and was billed as a regional dialogue about climate change on the San Diego Region. Built on the foundation of the State of California’s Fourth Assessment recently released there is some sobering news for Coronado regarding sea level rise and more generally, predicted climate variations that look certain to need addressing as we move forward with land use, water and other policy discussions.

Escondido Moves Forward With New Recycled Water Plant Plans

The Escondido City Council has decided to move forward with building a recycled water treatment plant off Washington Avenue, in the western part of the city in an industrial area where, unlike two other locations, there aren’t any residents nearby to complain. The council on Wednesday unanimously approved spending $3 million for initial engineering, design and pre-construction costs. Director of Utilities Chris McKinney said the expenditure signals the council’s acceptance of the location at 901 W. Washington Avenue near Interstate 15. The plant, which now has an estimated cost of $47 million, is needed to further treat already treated recycled water in order to desalinate it to a point where it can be used to irrigate avocado groves and other crops in the eastern and northern parts of the city.

Water Authority Seeks Statewide Solution To Drinking Water Woes

The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors on March 28 threw its support behind a coordinated statewide approach to ensure that all communities in California have daily access to safe, reliable drinking water. The California State Water Resources Control Board has identified 329 water systems statewide that serve contaminated drinking water or cannot provide reliable water service due to unsound infrastructure or lack of resources. Most of the systems are in rural areas and serve fewer than 10,000 people.

Plan Unveiled To Cut Borrego Springs Water Consumption By 75 Percent

For years, the desert town of Borrego Springs has been living on borrowed time, drawing more water from the ground than its rains replace. But a reckoning is near. In March, a nearly 1,000-page draft report was released outlining how the community must and will reduce its water use by a staggering 74.6 percent between now and 2040. Borrego Springs is completely dependent on groundwater for survival because there is no economically feasible way to bring water via aqueduct or pipes to the remote area in the center of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California.

Olivenhain Tries Desalinating Groundwater

Construction starts this month on a $1.5 million test well to show whether desalinated groundwater could supplement the drinking water supply for 86,000 customers of the Olivenhain Municipal Water District. The district serves parts of Encinitas, Carlsbad, San Diego, San Marcos, Solana Beach and neighboring communities, and relies almost entirely on water imported from the Colorado River and Northern California. Like agencies throughout Southern California, it’s looking for ways to diversify its water supply.

Costa Mesa High School Environmental Science Students Collect Samples, Data In The Back Bay

After months of research, Costa Mesa High School environmental science students returned to the Newport Beach Back Bay Science Center Tuesday to gather final data in their examinations of biodiversity in and along the estuary. The Advanced Placement students formed teams of three to five and in October began researching water quality, mud invertebrates, avian migration and other subjects. Though teachers provided a list of potential topics, students were given the opportunity to “[find] their way toward something that interests them,” said Cristen Rasmussen, an AP environmental science teacher at the high school.

East County Advanced Water Purification Project On Track For 2025

The East County Advanced Water Purification Project is moving forward toward its anticipated completion date after the Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors approved the required environmental report.“The approval of the environmental report for this project brings us another step closer to producing a local water supply for East County and improving the reliability of the water service for our community,” said Allen Carlisle, Padre Dam CEO/General Manager. “We are on track for the project to begin providing water to the East San Diego communities by 2025.”

 

Feast For Eyes And Palate: Dining Amid The Flower Fields At Carlsbad Ranch

The abundance of winter rain produced bigger, earlier blooms at The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. Starting Thursday, an event will try to make the most of the 13 colors of ranunculus and area businesses. Organized by Visit Carlsbad, the third annual Petal to Plate runs through Sunday, April 14, partnering with area resorts, spas, restaurants and breweries. Guests are invited to tour the fields and taste the delights of spring back in town with participating bars and restaurants, including Cape Rey Carlsbad, a Hilton Resort, Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Barrel Republic and Park 101.