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Helix Water says goodbye to two longtime directors

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Karen Pearlman

The Helix Water District said goodbye last week to two members who collectively served a total of 28 years on the governing board.

Chuck Muse, in Division 3, and John Linden, in Division 1, were defeated in the November election for three open seats. Incumbent Joel Scalzitti ran unopposed for his seat in Division 5.

Mark Gracyk beat out Muse, 83, who was elected to the board in 2004. Luis Tejeda beat out Linden, 82, who was elected in 2000. Helix district General Manager Carlos Lugo thanked the longtime directors their leadership at the Dec. 7 meeting.

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Massive $340-Million Turf Rebate Program Plagued By Poor Planning And Oversight, Audit Finds

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Matt Stevens

The Metropolitan Water District’s massive $340-million turf rebate program — which helped thousands of Southern Californians rip out their lawns in favor of drought-tolerant landscaping — was plagued by poor planning and oversight by the agency, a new audit found. The rebate program was a key element of California’s drought response, and officials say it helped residents conserve water. But the audit found that the MWD did a “less than satisfactory” job administrating the program due to “inadequate planning, execution, and follow-up.”

 

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Congress Sends Major California Water Policy To President Obama, Despite Sen. Barbara Boxer’s Objections

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sarah D. Wire and Bettina Boxall

Over Sen. Barbara Boxer’s objections, the Senate voted 78 to 21 Friday evening to pass sweeping water infrastructure legislation that changes how much water is pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to San Joaquin Valley farmers and Southern California. The bill — co-authored by Boxer — authorizes hundreds of water projects across the country, including new infrastructure to fix lead issues in Flint, Mich., and and millions of dollars for projects connected to the Los Angeles River, Salton Sea and Lake Tahoe.

 

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Ambitious plan would restore Escondido Creek

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Deborah Sullivan Brennan

A concrete channel that cuts through a large chunk of Escondido may get a makeover, as conservationists begin planning to restore Escondido Creek to its natural state.

The nonprofit Escondido Creek Conservancy is seeking $355,000 through a regional water grant to begin designing the restoration project — a first step toward transforming the urban culvert from a polluted canal to a picturesque waterway, officials said.

“We would love to see it be a much more natural channel, and a public amenity for the community..,” said Ann Van Leer, executive director of the conservancy.

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San Diego Climate Scientists Strive To Better Impact Public Policy

/in /by /KPBSby Maureen Cavanaugh and Michael Lipkin Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Researchers are expanding their understanding of the natural world all the time. But do those breakthroughs filter down to the policies that dictate how we handle our natural resources? UC San Diego is hosting a panel Thursday to help make those connections stronger. It’s called “Water in the West” and will feature climate scientists and a County Water Authority executive to discuss the source of the state’s water supply and how best to regulate its use.

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San Diego Explained: San Marcos Water Shortage Just A Figment

/in /by /Voice of San Diegoby Kinsee Morlan

On paper, there’s enough water for San Diegans for years to come. The exception is in San Marcos. Every five years, urban water agencies across California must prepare reports showing they won’t run out of water. Almost every San Diego water agency projects they will have enough water for the years to come. But the Vallecitos Water District, which provides water to 97,000 people in and around San Marcos, has projected a huge shortage: 3.7 billion gallons a year by 2020. Vallecitos is the only district in the state that projects such a shortfall.

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Coastkeeper Says Latest Water Conservation Report Highlights Need For Efficiency In Drought

/in /by /Orange County Breeze

According to monthly conservation numbers released by the State Water Resources Control Board today, water conservation in California has continued to drop since the 25 percent statewide conservation mandate was weakened.

 

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California Drought Bill Victory Could Be Short-Lived: Sen. Barbara Boxer Pledges Filibuster As One Of Her Last Acts

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sarah D. Wire

The water policy measure overwhelmingly passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday to build long-term water infrastructure across the Golden State is headed for a showdown with outgoing Sen. Barbara Boxer, who plans to mount a filibuster in the Senate on Friday as one of her final acts in Congress. The overall bill — which Boxer co-authored — authorizes hundreds of water projects across the country, including new infrastructure to fix lead issues in Flint, Mich., and projects connected to the Los Angeles River, Salton Sea and Lake Tahoe.

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Calif. Water Savings Steadies

/in /by /The Associated Press (as published by The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Californians did a good job of saving water in October, a month of heavy rainfall amid easing drought conditions in a state enduring five straight dry years, regulators said Tuesday. Cities used 19.5 percent less in October compared with 2013, shortly before Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency. That’s up from 18 percent in September, and it reverses past months of backsliding since the state lifted mandatory cutbacks of up to 25
percent, officials said. October’s savings show that residents are committed to conserving, said Felicia Marcus,
chair of the State Water Resources Control Board.

Utility seeks public input on water rules

/in /by /The Los Angeles Timesby Sara Cardine

Last week, state water officials released a draft report on the implementation of long-term water conservation requirements established to meet Gov. Jerry Brown‘s May 9 executive order and are now seeking public input.

Water agencies have been asked to adopt new standards for urban water use by 2020 that include setting targets for indoor and outdoor water use. There are many prudent actions and long-term measures for us to take in order to make conservation a way of life,” Foothill Municipal Water District Board President Rich Atwater said in a statement.

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