Colorado River Basin
News from the Colorado River Basin region, covering about 246,000 square miles, including parts of the seven basin states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, plus Mexico.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
Director Jim Madaffer Elected Vice Chair of the Colorado River Board of California
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceSan Diego County Water Authority Board Member Jim Madaffer has been elected vice chair of the Colorado River Board of California. The CRB represents California in river management discussions with other Basin states, federal agencies, tribes, and Mexico. Madaffer, the Water Authority’s CRB representative since 2019, will serve a four-year term as vice chair following […]
Colorado River Compact: As Colorado River Flows Drop and Tensions Rise, Water Interests Struggle to Find Solutions That All Can Accept
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed Joyce /Western Water (Water Education Foundation)by Nick CahillWhen the Colorado River Compact was signed 100 years ago, the negotiators for seven Western states bet that the river they were dividing would have ample water to meet everyone’s needs – even those not seated around the table. A century later, it’s clear the water they bet on is not there. More than two […]
Water Agencies Unite and Commit to Reducing Demands on Colorado River
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceRecognizing that a reliable water supply is critical to all economies and communities relying on the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin, more than 30 water agencies and providers have committed to take additional actions to reducing water demands and helping protect the Colorado River system. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was delivered to the […]
Collaboration Key to Stabilizing Colorado River Basin Decline
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceCollaboration among all water users is key to developing solutions for the Colorado River Basin, which is in the midst of a 22-year megadrought. That was one of the common themes during a webinar Thursday, in which water managers and other officials discussed ways to slow or stabilize the rate of decline of the major […]
Drought and Water Supply: A Year in Review
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceDrought and water supply in the Southwest U.S. dominated the water news in 2021, from the Colorado River Basin to California. COVID-19 continued its grasp on all aspects of life in 2021. Even in the face of the pandemic, the work of providing water as an essential service continued for every agency with the responsibility […]
Water Authority Offers Help to Regions in Need During Drought
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceThe San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors April 22 authorized staff to explore opportunities to help other water districts weather an emerging drought across California. Three decades of investments in supply reliability, along with a continued emphasis on water-use efficiency, mean the San Diego region has sufficient water supplies for multiple dry years. […]
Board Approves Next Phase of Regional Water Conveyance System Study
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceThe San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors today authorized staff to launch the next phase of a study assessing options for long-term water deliveries to sustain the region’s economy and quality of life. The decision follows months of community dialogue about Phase A of the Regional Conveyance System Study, which was released in […]
Water Authority to Host Public Session on Economics of Regional Conveyance Study
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceThe San Diego County Water Authority will host an online public information session on Oct. 27 about economic considerations related to the proposed Regional Conveyance System. The virtual event will run from 10 a.m. to noon. To reserve a spot, email . Meeting participants can: Learn about alternatives the Water Authority Board of Directors is […]
Draft Study Highlights Region’s Water Conveyance Options
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceA draft report released today by the San Diego County Water Authority shows that building a new conveyance system to transport regional water supplies from the Colorado River Quantification Settlement Agreement is cost-competitive with other long-term options for meeting the region’s water needs. The draft Phase A report is under review by water officials across […]
7 Things You Can Do Now to Support San Diego Farms, Food Economy
/in Colorado River Basin, Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Ed Joyce /Times of San Diegoby Hoa QuachThe San Diego Food System Alliance is calling on San Diego County leaders and residents to recognize the devastating impact COVID-19 is having on our local food system—including food businesses, farms and fisheries, food and farm workers, and food security.
Imperial Valley Conservation Efforts Benefit San Diego, Southwest
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceThe San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors visited the Imperial Valley January 30 for a day-long tour that highlighted areas critical to the agency’s Regional Conveyance System Study. Board members approved a study in July 2019, to evaluate a new regional water conveyance system that would deliver water from the Colorado River to […]
Study to Explore New Regional Water Conveyance System
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceThe San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors last week approved a contract to study the viability of a new regional water conveyance system that would deliver water from the Colorado River to San Diego County and provide multiple benefits across the Southwest. The $1.9 million contract was awarded to Black & Veatch Corporation […]
Study to Assess Regional Pipeline for Delivering Colorado River Water
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Ed JoyceA new study will explore the viability of a regional pipeline to transfer water from the Colorado River to benefit multiple users in San Diego County and across the Southwest. The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors approved funds for the two-year study at its June 27 Board meeting. The pipeline system is […]
Electeds See Commitment, Momentum at Salton Sea
/in Colorado River Basin, News /by Gayle Falkenthalby Darren SimonMomentum for Salton Sea restoration is growing quickly these days and the effort could amass $600 million in state funding by the end of 2018 – a huge increase from just a few months ago. On June 5, California voters supported Proposition 68, the $4.1 billion water bond that specifically included $200 million for Salton […]
Workshop Highlights Progress at the Salton Sea
/in Colorado River Basin /by Andrea Mora /Water News Network Staffby Darren SimonEL CENTRO – High-ranking agency officials delivered a simple – but critical – message during a standing-room only forum on Salton Sea issues in early March: The current Salton Sea Management Plan represents the best path forward for addressing immediate needs at the sea while laying the groundwork for long-term restoration. Speakers emphasized that for […]