San Diego County / Southern California

The latest news and analysis covering water issues in the San Diego County region and Southern California.

‘Farm To City’ Deal To Dry Out Stretches Of California’s Legendary Salton Sea

Unfortunately, since the late 1970s, the Desert Riviera has been ravaged by what Johnson calls a “slow-motion apocalypse.” Hotels and marinas were ruined by floods, then left high and dry by drought. Giant, stinky algae blooms linked to farm pollutants drove people out of the water. Rising salinity levels linked to evaporation helped kill nearly […]

Sanction Involving San Diego Attorney Cory Briggs Creates Legal Precedent In California

A state appeals court has affirmed punishing sanctions in a lawsuit involving local environmental attorney Cory Briggs for failing to obey court orders. The decision ends a lawsuit Briggs filed on behalf of a nonprofit against a Wal-Mart in Riverside County and establishes legal precedent. The admonishment arose after CREED-21, the nonprofit Briggs was representing in court, “willfully failed to obey” two court orders to produce one of its members.

Otay Water District Suspends Plan to Use Desalinated Water from Mexico

A multi-million dollar pipeline project intended to bring desalinated water from Mexico to Otay Mesa is off the table indefinitely after years of planning. The Otay Water District began environmental reviews in 2010 on a plan to build a 3.5 mile pipeline to transport desalinated water from a new plant in Rosarito, Mexico to its […]

Developer Addressing Methane Problem at Otay Ranch Housing Project

The Otay Water District has reached a resolution with HomeFed Corp. to install water meters at the developer’s 450-acre Escaya master-planned community in Otay Ranch after methane and other volatile chemicals were found in soil samples. “We’re proceeding with all our work in the field,” said Kent Aden, vice president of Carlsbad-based HomeFed. He added […]