All Features
Behind-the-scenes stories about regional water issues, projects, and people.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
What Kind of Soil Do You Have? Take the Test
/in Conservation Corner, Features /by Gayle Falkenthalby Waer News Network staffIf you have ever put a shovel into the ground in San Diego County, you have likely encountered the region’s impermeable soils. Impermeable soils are defined by their poor infiltration areas. This means water doesn’t flow through the soil to replenish the groundwater, because the soil is too dense. It also means water doesn’t soak […]
Five San Diegans Honored With Inaugural Water Legacy Awards
/in Achievements, Features /by Gayle Falkenthalby Water News Network Staff Mentioned: San Diego County Water AuthorityFive recipients of the first ever 2018 Water Legacy Awards received recognition in ceremonies at the Water Authority’s boardroom on May 2. Bestowed by the Authority’s Board of Directors, the awards honor each recipient’s individual impact on the region’s water issues through their leadership, advocacy, and public communication. Don Billings, recipient of the H2O Champion […]
Sweetwater High Students Aim To Avert World Water Crisis
/in Achievements, Education, Features /by Gayle FalkenthalAudrey and Alfred Vargas are trying to expand access to clean drinking water one drop at a time. The brother and sister duo, who live in National City and attend Sweetwater High School, have been refining a portable, low-cost, easy-to-use, simple-to-construct system that efficiently desalinates brackish water. “We see it as one of many possible solutions […]
Water Tax Proposal Remains Poor Policy
/in Features, View From The Chair /by Gayle Falkenthal /San Diego County Water Authorityby Mark Muir, Board ChairLike a bad penny, a plan to tax water keeps turning up in Sacramento. That’s right: under two proposals circulating in the Capitol, California would start taxing the most fundamental resource on the planet. Such taxes would needlessly drive up costs for families already struggling to make ends meet and undermine the very goals that […]
1947: First San Diego Aqueduct Averts Water Shortage
/in From the Archives /by Andrea Moraby Water News Network StaffSan Diego County was on the brink of a major water shortage in 1947, when reservoirs that stored local water were running dry and the region had less than three weeks of water supplies left. But on Nov. 26, 1947, the first Colorado River water flowed south from the Colorado River aqueduct’s western end in […]
San Diego’s Six CIMIS Climate Zones
/in Conservation Corner /by Andrea Moraby Water News Network StaffYour landscape’s water needs go a long way toward determining your garden’s design and your plant choices. By choosing wisely, you can minimize the need for artificial irrigation and still create a beautiful, sustainable landscape. Under the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS), San Diego County is divided into six climate zones: Coastal, Coastal Inland, […]
Vallecitos Supervisor Honored for 28 Years of Environmental Protection
/in Achievements /by Gayle Falkenthalby Lisa Urabe, Vallecitos Water DistrictFrom her first day on the job at Vallecitos Water District in 1988, Dawn McDougle knew that she wanted to finish her career at the San Marcos-based water agency. Her dedication, innovation, and commitment to the community have paid off in many ways over the decades. In January, they brought McDougle to the forefront of […]
Water Authority Seeks Bright Ideas
/in Features, View From The Chair /by Gayle Falkenthal /San Diego County Water Authorityby Mark Muir, Board ChairFrom California’s earliest days as a state, innovation has been king. We’ve collectively developed world-changing ways of mining gold, telling stories through film, farming, computing and communicating. That same innovative DNA courses through the San Diego County Water Authority, which over the past year has expanded its efforts to advance pioneering solutions to water industry […]
College Students Get Their Feet Wet at New Center for Water Studies
/in Education /by Andrea Moraby Water News Network StaffRANCHO SAN DIEGO – Cutting-edge training facilities unveiled for spring classes at Cuyamaca College help tomorrow’s water and wastewater workforce gain the hands-on experience necessary for successful careers in the industry. Additional upgrades are on the way by fall, as the college continues expanding its legacy of preparing workers for careers in water. Cuyamaca’s new […]
Gardeners, Do You Know Your ETo?
/in Conservation Corner /by Andrea Moraby Water News Network StaffPeople around the world know San Diego for its beautiful, sunny and mild weather. San Diego residents know our daily weather has more variety than visitors might imagine. Climate is defined as the average weather conditions in an area over a long period, generally 30 years or more. German climate scientist Wladimir Koppen first divided […]
2015: Carlsbad Desal Plant Taps the Pacific
/in From the Archives /by Andrea Moraby Water News Network StaffMore than 600 elected officials, community leaders and project partners attended a dedication ceremony for the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination on December 14, 2015. During the dedication event, the plant was named in honor of the late Carlsbad mayor, who was instrumental in making Carlsbad the host city for the plant. The event culminated […]
Take the Watershed Approach to Landscaping
/in Conservation Corner /by Andrea Moraby Water News Network StaffMany San Diego County residents embrace sustainability as a central principle for creating or renovating their landscapes. Treating every garden, no matter its size, as its own mini-watershed allows it to capture and retain water to nurture a diverse habitat of plants and helpful insects. What elements do you need to consider when taking a […]
Hot off the Press: Sustainable Landscaping Guidebooks Available Countywide
/in Conservation Corner /by Andrea Moraby Water News Network StaffFree manuals include photos, diagrams and checklists for environmentally friendly upgrades. Free copies of a popular guidebook for environmentally friendly landscape upgrades are available to residents countywide starting today, thanks to a second printing of the “San Diego Sustainable Landscape Guidelines” by the San Diego County Water Authority. Homeowners who commit to meeting rigorous sustainable landscaping […]
Free WaterSmart Landscaping Class Series Returns in March
/in Education /by Andrea MoraParticipants receive expert advice and develop a personalized landscape plan Looking for a way to spruce up your yard and trim water use at the same time? The San Diego County Water Authority is here to help with two new sessions of the four-part WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series starting in March. These free, award-winning and […]
Wanted: Large Landscapes for Program Proven to Reduce Irrigation Water Use
/in Education /by Andrea MoraParticipants receive training, state-of-the-art tools to cut outdoor demand by at least 20 percent. The San Diego County Water Authority is seeking approximately 20 commercial-scale landscapes for participation in a program that has demonstrated significant outdoor water-use reductions through a combination of training, hardware upgrades and technical assistance valued at more than $15,000 per site. […]