In the summer of 1965, the San Diego County Water Authority held one of its first outreach events at the Del Mar Fair – long before it was called the San Diego County Fair and before the Water Authority had a formal public relations department. For the Fair’s summer run, a 2,500-gallon stainless steel tank […]
If you want to create a healthy, thriving landscape full of beautiful plants, you need to know how to use an important soil management tool: a soil probe. Irrigation is essential to keep your landscaping green and growing. But to do so, you need to know as much as possible about your soils. One way […]
Helix Water District has named Carey Hultgren and Paul Geldbach of La Mesa as the winner of its 2018 WaterSmart Landscape Contest, an annual competition that recognizes outstanding water-wise residential landscapes based on design and overall attractiveness, appropriate plant selection and maintenance, and irrigation methods. This 1930s Spanish-style home on Dutton Lane sits on a […]
We’ve got a great thing going here in San Diego County, from the mountains to the coast and from the far northern reaches of our region to the international border. Our economy is strong – one of the largest in the nation – with everything from global giants to startups trying to make a splash. […]
In its quest to supply water to its growing population, the City of San Diego claimed water rights to the San Diego River, and filed for a dam. A Mission Gorge site was first proposed on land owned by business leader Ed Fletcher. Another prominant business leader, John D. Spreckels lobbied for a dam farther […]
Bobby Bond Jr. was born to run a backhoe. His father, Robert Sr., owns a backhoe dealership in Riverside County and put his son atop a backhoe as a toddler. At age 12, the younger Bond dug a septic tank and leach lines for a new home. He operated heavy equipment like a pro for […]
Your landscaping soil needs three things to feed the billions of microbes within it that can transform brick-hard, lifeless dirt into healthy, living soil: Oxygen, Water, and Life. Or in shorthand: OWL. Oxygen Lets Microbes Breathe Free Oxygen is needed by plant roots and soil organisms. Healthy soil has lots of tiny pockets of air. […]
While looking for ways to optimize the San Diego region’s water supply, San Diego County Water Authority engineers realized the potential to link the new Olivenhain Reservoir with the existing Lake Hodges just to its east. Not only would connecting the lakes by a pipeline facilitate movemnt of Lake Hodges’ water through the regional distribution […]
San Diego became a hub of Naval Activity after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II in 1941. The city’s population doubled in two years, and water use also doubled. It was clear the city and the Navy would soon need water from the Colorado River. An aqueduct for […]
San Diego, Calif. – The San Diego County Taxpayers Association named the San Diego County Water Authority’s Emergency & Carryover Storage Project as a finalist for its prestigious “Regional Golden Watchdog Award” in the 23rd annual Golden Watchdog and Fleece Awards. The “Goldens” recognize the best and worst in local government spending, decision-making, and efficiency. […]
If 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 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 […]
Audrey 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 […]
Like 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 […]
San 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 […]
1965: Outreach Efforts at the Del Mar Fair
/in From the Archives /by Gayle FalkenthalIn the summer of 1965, the San Diego County Water Authority held one of its first outreach events at the Del Mar Fair – long before it was called the San Diego County Fair and before the Water Authority had a formal public relations department. For the Fair’s summer run, a 2,500-gallon stainless steel tank […]
Take the Test: Use a Soil Probe
/in Conservation Corner, Features /by Gayle FalkenthalIf you want to create a healthy, thriving landscape full of beautiful plants, you need to know how to use an important soil management tool: a soil probe. Irrigation is essential to keep your landscaping green and growing. But to do so, you need to know as much as possible about your soils. One way […]
Helix Water District Names Winner of 2018 WaterSmart Landscape Contest
/in Conservation Corner, Features /by Gayle Falkenthalby Helix Water DistrictHelix Water District has named Carey Hultgren and Paul Geldbach of La Mesa as the winner of its 2018 WaterSmart Landscape Contest, an annual competition that recognizes outstanding water-wise residential landscapes based on design and overall attractiveness, appropriate plant selection and maintenance, and irrigation methods. This 1930s Spanish-style home on Dutton Lane sits on a […]
Everything in San Diego County is Brought to You by Water
/in Features, View From The Chair /by Gayle Falkenthal /San Diego County Water Authorityby Mark Muir, Board ChairWe’ve got a great thing going here in San Diego County, from the mountains to the coast and from the far northern reaches of our region to the international border. Our economy is strong – one of the largest in the nation – with everything from global giants to startups trying to make a splash. […]
1935: El Capitan Dam Dedication
/in Features, From the Archives /by Gayle FalkenthalIn its quest to supply water to its growing population, the City of San Diego claimed water rights to the San Diego River, and filed for a dam. A Mission Gorge site was first proposed on land owned by business leader Ed Fletcher. Another prominant business leader, John D. Spreckels lobbied for a dam farther […]
Backhoe the Perfect Ride for ‘Roadeo’ Champ
/in Achievements /by Andrea Moraby Water News Network StaffBobby Bond Jr. was born to run a backhoe. His father, Robert Sr., owns a backhoe dealership in Riverside County and put his son atop a backhoe as a toddler. At age 12, the younger Bond dug a septic tank and leach lines for a new home. He operated heavy equipment like a pro for […]
Gardening Like A Wise Old OWL
/in Conservation Corner, Features /by Gayle Falkenthalby Water News Network staffYour landscaping soil needs three things to feed the billions of microbes within it that can transform brick-hard, lifeless dirt into healthy, living soil: Oxygen, Water, and Life. Or in shorthand: OWL. Oxygen Lets Microbes Breathe Free Oxygen is needed by plant roots and soil organisms. Healthy soil has lots of tiny pockets of air. […]
2012: Lake Hodges Projects
/in Features, From the Archives /by Gayle FalkenthalWhile looking for ways to optimize the San Diego region’s water supply, San Diego County Water Authority engineers realized the potential to link the new Olivenhain Reservoir with the existing Lake Hodges just to its east. Not only would connecting the lakes by a pipeline facilitate movemnt of Lake Hodges’ water through the regional distribution […]
1947: Construction of the First San Diego Aqueduct
/in Features, From the Archives /by Gayle FalkenthalSan Diego became a hub of Naval Activity after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II in 1941. The city’s population doubled in two years, and water use also doubled. It was clear the city and the Navy would soon need water from the Colorado River. An aqueduct for […]
Water Authority Project Named ‘Golden Watchdog Award’ Finalist
/in Achievements, Features /by Gayle Falkenthalby Water News Network staffSan Diego, Calif. – The San Diego County Taxpayers Association named the San Diego County Water Authority’s Emergency & Carryover Storage Project as a finalist for its prestigious “Regional Golden Watchdog Award” in the 23rd annual Golden Watchdog and Fleece Awards. The “Goldens” recognize the best and worst in local government spending, decision-making, and efficiency. […]
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 […]