From the onset of his foray into presidential politics a decade ago, Donald Trump has been obsessed with managing California’s water, often interjecting himself into decades-long conflicts over how the precious commodity should be divvied up.
During his first stint as president, Trump was heavily influenced by the Westlands Water District, a huge agricultural water agency in the San Joaquin Valley that sought more irrigation water for itself and other farm interests.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-12-11 07:54:432025-12-11 07:56:41OPINION: Trump Sides With Agriculture Again in California’s Neverending Water Wars
One of North America’s longest rivers, the Rio Grande — or Rio Bravo as it’s called in Mexico — has a history as deep as it is long. Indigenous people have tapped it for countless generations and it was a key artery for Spanish conquistadors centuries ago.
Today, the Rio Grande-Bravo water basin is in crisis.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-11-24 07:49:392025-11-24 07:51:18A Drying-up Rio Grande Basin Threatens Water Security on Both Sides of the Border
San Diego is stepping up its efforts to tackle billions in overdue infrastructure projects by shifting to a model where contractors help design projects, instead of just building ones already designed by city engineers.
Officials expect the new model, which the City Council approved last week, to reduce cost overruns, improve quality, boost transparency and help the city tackle its massive infrastructure backlog more quickly.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-10-16 07:40:332025-10-16 07:40:51San Diego Thinks It’s Found a Way to Fix Its Crumbling Infrastructure Faster
Empezando el 6 de Octubre, peatones y automovilistas en Escondido notarán impactos en el tráfico debido a construcción en instalaciones de la Water Authority.
Habrá zona de trabajo en Harding Street, justo al norte de la intersección con East Valley Parkway, donde se cerrarán carriles en ambas direcciones debido a trabajos de construcción nocturnos, que se llevarán a cabo de lunes a viernes, de 8 pm a 4 am.
Las actividades de construcción incluirán excavación, corte con sierra, soldadura, colocación de concreto, relleno y pavimentación. Los equipos de trabajo operarán maquinaria pesada equipada con bíperes para señalar movimiento en reversa.
En total, las obras del Primer Acueducto abarcan 21 millas, comenzando al norte de Escondido y al este de la carretera interestatal 15, y continuando hacia el sur hasta Slaughterhouse Canyon, terminando al oeste en la presa de San Vicente en Lakeside. A lo largo de su recorrido, la obra atraviesa las comunidades de Escondido, Poway, Rancho Bernardo y zonas no incorporadas del Condado de San Diego.
El Primer Acueducto ha estado en servicio por más de 70 años y abastece a 11 agencias de agua a través del condado. Se calcula que las obras de construcción seguirán hasta el verano de 2026 con mejoras a 99 estructuras conectadas a dos tuberías masivas de agua.
La Autoridad del Agua está coordinando estrechamente con las agencias locales de agua para reducir los impactos a los vecinos y asegurar que no haya interrupciones en el suministro de agua.
Para más información sobre el Proyecto de Mejoramiento de las Instalaciones del Primer Acueducto, incluyendo un mapa interactivo donde los visitantes pueden ver las zonas de trabajo, visite www.sdcwa.org/first-aqueduct. Para hacer preguntas o comentarios llamé al (877) 682-9230 ext. 7004 o envié un correo electrónico a .
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-09-09 08:35:162025-10-03 13:20:43Aviso de Tráfico Para Escondido Central
Starting October 6, pedestrians and motorists in Escondido will notice nighttime traffic impacts at the intersection of Harding Street and East Valley Parkway due to construction work on Water Authority facilities as part of the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement project.
To minimize disruptions for motorists and pedestrians, work will take place overnight between 8 pm and 4 am.
Construction activities will include excavation, saw cutting, welding, concrete placement, backfill and paving. Work crews will be driving heavy construction equipment with required backup alarms.
This is part of the Water Authority’s work to upgrade the historic First Aqueduct and ensure continued delivery of safe and reliable water supplies for the region.
The Southern First Aqueduct project stretches 21 miles starting north of Escondido and east of Interstate 15 and continuing south to Slaughterhouse Canyon on the west and ending at the San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside. Along the way, the work crosses the communities of Escondido, Poway, Rancho Bernardo and parts of unincorporated San Diego County.
The First Aqueduct has been in service over 70 years and serves more than 2 million people countywide. Work around the region to improve the First Aqueduct is expected to continue through summer 2026 with upgrades to 99 structures connected to two massive water pipelines.
The Water Authority is coordinating closely with its member agencies to minimize impacts to residents and businesses and ensure there is no interruption to water delivery.
For more information about the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project, including an interactive map where viewers can zoom in to view work areas, visit www.sdcwa.org/first-aqueduct. For questions or comments, call (877) 682-9230 ext. 7004 or send email to .
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-09-09 08:33:282025-10-03 13:22:52Traffic Advisory for Escondido During Upgrades to Regional Water Lifeline
The worst of Southern California’s ongoing heat wave is expected to land Thursday, but relief is not yet in sight. Temperatures will remain toasty over the weekend, and another hot spell is forecast next week.
Temperatures will hit the triple digits in the San Fernando and Antelope valleys on Thursday, while interior regions of Los Angeles County will see temperatures in the 90s, according to the National Weather Service. Lancaster even has a shot at matching its previous daily temperature record of 107 degrees, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Devin Black.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-08-07 07:26:042025-08-07 07:57:54SoCal Heat Wave Peaks Thursday, but Sweltering Temperatures Will Last for Days
For the first time in decades, the San Diego County Water Authority’s representatives on the board of the Metropolitan Water District will not enjoy, or have to deal with, the guidance of Chris Frahm, the former chair of the Water Authority, who became the architect of its legal approach to Metropolitan.
In this week’s Politics Report, Scott Lewis broke the news that Frahm’s contract would not be coming back to the board after a tense exchange at the last board meeting .
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-07-21 09:19:402025-07-21 09:19:40Morning Report: Water Bosses Move on From Influential Leader
Relief from huge proposed rate hikes for San Diego water and sewer customers is looking less likely, after a consultant recommended no rate changes and after a City Council committee tentatively endorsed the increases Thursday.
City officials are proposing 62% hikes to water rates and 31% hikes to sewer rates over four years to cover sharply rising costs for workers, imported water, chemicals, energy, construction projects and other priorities.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-07-21 07:57:132025-07-21 08:00:44San Diego Water Customers Probably Won’t Get a Break From Steep Rate Hikes
The U.S. House passed President Donald Trump’s spending bill on July 3, 2025, that includes tax cuts and cuts to Medicaid and various other programs. The bill now goes to the President to be signed. Initial estimates suggest the bill would add roughly $3 trillion to the national debt.
Mentions of water within the bill, as it pertains to the industry, are few and far between. The bill includes funding for a source water protection program and a watershed protection program.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Jordan Beanehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngJordan Beane2025-07-09 07:52:112025-07-09 07:52:11Every Mention of ‘Water’ in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill
In late 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis produced some eye-catching numbers about our region. It found our gross domestic product (GDP) had reached roughly $262 billion. That’s bigger than 25 U.S. states and countries like Greece, Hungary and Morocco. It’s proof the path San Diego has been on over the last 30 years – a diversified economy that supports entrepreneurs and working families alike – has had positive results. Yet that success was not always a given.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.png00Milla Kuiperhttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMilla Kuiper2025-06-05 08:41:222025-06-05 08:50:11The Water Authority Built San Diego’s Economy. Support It; Don’t Tear It Down
