A body was found by San Diego authorities in Lakeside’s San Vicente Reservoir Saturday. San Diego Fire-Rescue Marine Safety Lt. Rich Stropky said it was an Asian or Hispanic man in his 50’s.
Authorities say thousands of migrating birds have died at California’s Salton Sea this month from avian cholera. The California Department of Fish and Game says ducks, gulls and other birds were found dead at the south end of the state’s largest lake between Jan. 8 and last Thursday. Testing showed signs of avian cholera, an infectious bacterial disease. It’s spread through direct contact or from contaminated food or water.
The Santa Fe Irrigation District has hired a new general manager to lead the district, following the retirement in December of long-time general manager Michael Bardin. Albert Lau, currently the director of engineering and planning with the Padre Dam Municipal Water District in East County, will assume his new role on Monday, March 4. The Santa Fe district provides water to about 20,000 residents of Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach and Fairbanks Ranch.
At Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s January 16 board meeting, Ed Sprague assumed the position of president for the fourth time. Sprague will serve as president for the 2019-2020 term. In addition, Bob Topolovac is serving as vice president, Larry Watt as treasurer, Robert Kephart as secretary, and Christy Guerin as director and San Diego County Water Authority representative. Sprague began serving on the board in 2008 to represent Division 5, and has previously served as president for two consecutive terms between 2009 and 2012, and again from 2015 through 2016.
With recent wet weather San Diego has been experiencing, you may wonder what effect it could have on our region’s water supply. Jeff Stephenson from the San Diego County Water Authority stopped by to give more of an outlook on San Diego’s water.
As rain continues in the county, the San Diego International Airport is doing its part to prevent pollution of the ocean and bay. When heavy rain comes, much of it runs off into bodies of water, adding to pollution problems. The airport recently installed one of the region’s largest storm water capture systems. The new system captures rain that falls on the Terminal 2 Parking Plaza, so that it can be recycled and put to good use. The water is diverted to the Central Utility Plant, where it is used in place of potable water in the airport’s cooling systems.
Massive waves crushed the Imperial Beach shoreline at dawn Friday, flooding sections of Seacoast Drive all the way to the Tijuana River Estuary. Many residents boarded up windows and put out sandbags in preparation for the 15-foot waves that covered the entire beach during high tide, inundating streets and garages. However, the city would’ve been caught off guard had it not been for an experimental warning system launched just months ago by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
For decades, the New River has flowed north across the U.S.-Mexico border carrying toxic pollution and the stench of sewage. Now lawmakers in Washington and Sacramento are pursuing new legislation and funding to combat the pollution problems. Rep. Juan Vargas introduced a bill in Congress last week that would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to create a program focused on helping to coordinate funding for the restoration and protection of the New River.
With four straight days of rain, the Los Angeles River has come alive. Thanks to Measure W, which was passed by voters last November, projects will be funded and infrastructure will be built to capture, treat and recycle all this rain water. “We lose trillions of gallons of water out to the ocean every year, and if we were able to capture it, we could supply about half of our water needs locally,” said Jill Sourial with The Nature Conservancy.
Cecilia Bernal came looking for a career. Essie Mae Horne was focused on occupational advancement. Michaela Maddox-Gomez wanted to explore her options before she graduates from Mt. Carmel High School. Bernal, Horne and Maddox-Gomez were among the approximately 250 people packing the Center for Water Studies 2nd annual Women in Water – Exploring Career Pathways symposium on Jan. 17 at Cuyamaca College. The event included nearly two dozen speakers, a half-dozen panel discussions, inspirational messages from water and wastewater industry administrators, a day’s worth of networking opportunities and a bevy of information tables.
