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California, 15 Other States Sue Over New Rule Diluting Protections for Nation’s Waterways

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Peter Fimrite

A coalition of 16 states led by California and New York sued the Trump administration Friday over a law that eliminated Obama-era protections for wetlands and streams across the United States.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, accuses President Trump and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of illegally exposing waterways to pollution and development by rolling back a key provision of the Clean Water Act.

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Opinion: Customers are Paramount in Imperial Irrigation District COVID-19 Response

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Norma Sierra Galindo

The situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve and is having a significant impact on our customers and community. IID is monitoring developments closely, and as an essential services provider, is open and well prepared to continue serving all its customers.

On March 21, the IID Board of Directors adopted a resolution proclaiming a local emergency associated with COVID-19. This ensures the continuation of IID’s critical water and electric services under the California Emergency Services Act.

As part of our Pandemic Response plan, the district initiated a shelter-in-place program for critical employees. A small group of volunteer employees, who possess specialized skills to operate the district’s water and energy delivery systems, will remain at critical job sites 24-hours-a-day for three weeks working to ensure that our water and energy delivery systems remain operational while they stay healthy.

This extra step is part of how IID is working to carry out our mission to deliver energy to our customers in the Imperial and Coachella valleys. It also ensures the continued year-round delivery of Colorado River water from the All-American Canal to the Coachella Canal that supports farming operations in both valleys.

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Opinion: California and Federal Government Need to Resolve Differences on Water Supply Issues

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Mike Wade

Re “California water war re-ignited”; Dan Walters, April 20, 2020, CalMatters

Dan Walters’ column does a good job describing a potential water battle that all Californians should want to avoid.

The COVID-19 pandemic has rendered uncertain many things we used to take for granted. When can we next go to a restaurant, plan a vacation or go to a baseball game? We can’t afford to add to that list, “will there be food at the grocery store?” Our food supply has been one of the few things we’ve been able to count on in recent months and we need that to continue.

Trump Opens Floodgates, and Acrimony Swamps California

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Jeremy Jacobs

On the campaign trail in 2016, President Trump swung into California’s agricultural hub and vowed to deliver more water to the drought-ridden state’s farmers.

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Opinion: Reopening California’s Economy Needs a Path Forward; Here are 5 Precise Steps How

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Andreas Borgeas

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been devastating, and California must continue to act decisively to help mitigate the damage.

As a California state senator representing the 8th Senate District, I have learned heartbreaking stories from employees and business owners who are seeing their dreams and investments dismantled. If lucky enough to have employment, many working parents are forced to juggle work with the new demands of homeschooling, often while vulnerable elderly fend for themselves in solitude.  As a father of two school-aged children with elderly parents this hits close to home.

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Dozens Show Up to Thank San Diego Farmworkers With a ‘Caravan of Appreciation’

/in , , /by /NBC San Diegoby Brenda Gregorio-Nieto and Erika Cervantes

With many people working during the pandemic, a North County group gathered to thank farmworkers by having a “Caravan of Appreciation.”

Those who joined in the car parade want to remind people farmworkers are still out in the fields maintaining the region’s food supply during COVID-19.

“We want to bring light to the importance of their labor and the essential nature of their labor,” said Maria Figueroa, a volunteer with FarmWorker CARE Coalition.

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Farmers Face New Challenges in Their Ongoing Quest for Water

/in , , /by /Sacramento Business Journalby Emily Hamann

Not a drop of rain fell in February in Sacramento until the end of the month, making it the driest February on record for much of Northern California. For many farmers it was a painful harkening back to the drought that reached its peak and 2015, and marked the driest period in recorded California history.

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San Diego County Farmers See Big Drop in Flower Sales

/in , , /by /KPBSby Anne Snabes

San Diego County farmers who grow cut flowers and ornamental plants have seen their sales decline, while other farmers who sell produce are taking less of a hit.

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As a Dying Salton Sea Spews Harmful Dust, Imperial Valley Water Wars Heat Up Again

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sammy Roth

The people of California’s Imperial Valley can be as unforgiving as the region’s harsh desert climate. It’s been 16 years since Bruce Kuhn cast the fateful vote to transfer tens of billions of gallons of Colorado River water from the valley’s sprawling farms to thirsty coastal cities, reshaping water politics in California and across the West.

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Opinion: Opportunities are Plentiful to Sustain California Agriculture in the Face of Water Supply Uncertainties 

/in , , /by /Cal Mattersby Cora Kammeyer

There is no evidence supporting the author’s claim that the San Joaquin Valley’s water supply challenges are linked to California’s food security or the rise in foreign produce imports.

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