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Water Supply Strong in San Diego Area, County Water Authority Says

/in , , /by /Fox 5 by Jason Sloss Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

After years of dealing with drought conditions, the region’s water supply is in good shape, ready to meet the demand for 2024, according to the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA).

“Last year we were starting Water Year ‘23 in really heavy drought conditions with state mandatory reductions and this year there’s no mandatory water use reductions… there’s a lot of water in storage in Northern California, reservoirs are full,” said Efren Lopez, water resources specialist with SDCWA.

That’s because of all the storms over the past year that drenched California, delivering above-average amounts of rain and snow with the Sierra snowpack reaching 200% above average.

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San Diego Gears Up to Deal Water Across the West

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

This October marks 20 years since San Diego cut a famous deal that protected it from drought but paved the way for putting a high price on otherwise free water from the Colorado River.

The hard-fought deal – called the Quantification Settlement Agreement, or QSA – dramatically lowered how much water California takes each year from this river that makes life possible in seven western U.S. states and northern Mexico. It ensured, for the first time, that California wouldn’t use any more than its share. And it achieved that by putting a cap, for the first time, on how much water the farmers in Imperial Valley could take. Water officials would now meticulously count every gallon that once haphazardly emptied from farm fields into the Salton Sea. Today, that massive lake is in danger of becoming a massive public health and ecological disaster.

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San Diego County Water Officials Report San Diego Should Have Enough Water in 2024

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby Erik Anderson and Jacob Aere Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego County water officials said Monday the region should have plenty of water in the coming year, even though there is lingering concern about water coming from the Colorado River basin.

The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) said local customers are reaping the benefits from decades of effort to diversify and secure water supplies.

“Because we’ve invested. We’ve done the work — in our infrastructure, in our reliability and in conservation,” said Efren Lopez, a water resource manager with the SDCWA.

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San Diego County Water Authority Says Water Supply Good for 2024

/in , , /by /CBS 8by Chris Gros Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority says higher than expected rainfall amounts and an anticipated El Niño are keeping levels high.

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San Diego County Water Authority Says Water Outlook, Supply Look Good for 2024

/in , , /by /ABC 10by Marie Coronel Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The outlook for the upcoming water year in San Diego County is good, in terms of supply, the County Water Authority said, but that doesn’t mean San Diegans should decrease their conservation efforts.

Efren Lopez, a water resources specialist with the County Water Authority, told ABC 10News that water supply for the county looks good for 2024 in comparison to 2023, when the state was dealing with a severe drought.

But then things turned around.

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San Diego County Water Authority Predicts ‘Reliable Supplies’ for 2024

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

As the official 2024 California water year began Sunday, the San Diego County Water Authority predicted “reliable supplies” thanks to full reservoirs and and continued investment in desalination and other diversified sources.

At the end of August 2023, reservoirs in the county had an additional 137,400 acre-feet of storage, an 80% increase from the same time in 2022 amid drought conditions. And compared to recent years, the condition of the Colorado River is improved and California will not face supply restrictions.

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Reliable Water Supplies Make San Diego Region Well-Prepared for 2024

/in , /by /The Vista Press by Editor Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Thanks to a decades-long supply diversification strategy and continued efficient use of water across the region, the San Diego County Water Authority announced today that the region has reliable supplies to meet demands in Water Year 2024, which started Oct. 1.

Hydrologists use Oct. 1 to begin measuring the snow and rain that will help carry water users through dry summer months the following calendar year. This fall, El Niño conditions continue to strengthen and could bring above-average precipitation to Southern California.

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Wettest, Wildest, Weirdest Rainy Season in Nearly 20 Years Comes to End in San Diego County

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

From the backcountry of Campo to the back roads of Ramona, firefighters were ready to roll last fall at even the hint of wildfire.

Two years of below-average rain and high temperatures had left the landscape parched. Something as small as heat from a car muffler could be enough to ignite grass. Firefighters described the region as primed to burn.

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Pamphlets Sent to Voters Ahead of District 4, Water Separation Special Elections

/in , , /by /Fox 5 by Danielle Dawson

Information pamphlets have been sent out to registered voters for the upcoming special elections on Nov. 7, including the District 4 supervisor runoff.

Voters who live in the Fourth Supervisorial District, City of Chula Vista, Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District will be receiving the pamphlet in the next few days, county officials say.

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How Much Rainfall Has San Diego County Had This Water Year?

/in , , /by /Fox 5 by Danielle Dawson Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

San Diego County has seen its fair share of storms over the last year, bringing historic levels of rainfall to the region.

After the driest three-year period on record, California has been battered by extensive precipitation, between a series of unrelenting atmospheric rivers that hit last winter and more recently, Tropical Storm Hilary.

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