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Nevada Outlines Framework for Colorado River Cuts as States Show Their Cards

/in , , /by /The Nevada Independent by Daniel Rothberg

At the end of last year, the seven states in the Colorado River Basin committed to once again work together and negotiate a consensus framework for making significant cuts to water use, an attempt to stabilize the nation’s two largest reservoirs and avoid an even deeper shortage crisis.

The states recommitted to considering a consensus deal, by Jan. 31, after several deadlines passed in 2022 — with seemingly irreconcilable differences over how to make painful cuts in a watershed relied upon by 40 million people who use the river for drinking water and agriculture.

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Heavy Rain is Still Hitting California. A Few Reservoirs Figured Out How to Capture More for Drought

/in , , /by /NPRby Lauren Sommer

Despite several weeks of torrential rain and flooding, California is still facing a severe multi-year drought. That has many people thinking about how to better capture winter floodwaters to last through the dry season.

An innovative approach at two California reservoirs could help boost the state’s water supply, potentially marking a larger shift from decades-old water management approaches to a system that can quickly adapt to precipitation in a changing climate.

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Storms Helping in San Diego County Drought, More Rain Needed

/in , , /by /FOX 5 San Diegoby Sarah Alegre Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The series of storms that are moving through California are helping with the drought, but there’s still more work to be done. Despite the ongoing rain, experts suggest while it’s beneficial, the state and the county aren’t out of the woods quite yet.

The wet weather has led to a cautious celebration for Pam Meisner with the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyama College. The wave of atmospheric river storms, although leading to dangerous coastal flooding, has helped in her efforts to combat the statewide drought.

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In a Water Deficit, Arizona Contemplates a Future Without Colorado River Access

/in , , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Joe Duhownik

Water from the Colorado River covers more than a third of Arizona’s total water usage, but the state is increasingly losing access to that supply.

The state is no longer in what Terry Goddard, the president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board of Directors, called “a fool’s paradise.” Arizona had maintined a surplus of water since the mid-1980s, but that’s not the case today. Now, it’s losing water, and it’s losing it fast.

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Environmentalists say Newsom’s Budget Cuts Jeopardize Climate Programs, Electric Car Mandate

/in , /by /CalMatters by Nadia Lopez

Environmentalists slammed Gov. Gavin Newsom for slashing billions of dollars from initiatives that the governor has repeatedly called top priorities: efforts to combat climate change and transition to zero-emission vehicles.

Facing a projected $22.5 billion deficit, Newsom today proposed to eliminate $6 billion in climate spending in his 2023-24 budget. The governor helped push a five-year $54 billion climate package approved by the Legislature during last year’s session, but he now proposes to cut it to $48 billion.

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Landscape Makeover Program Adds New ‘Designer At Your Door’ Service

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

There is a new opportunity for San Diego County residents who want to save water through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program: “Designer At Your Door.” This new in-person service offers on-site and in-studio technical design assistance from landscape industry professionals for qualified residents.

As 2023 begins with cool, rainy weather, now is the ideal time to attend a virtual three-hour workshop to start your makeover.

This new iteration of the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program features the original award-winning WaterSmart curriculum delivered in three ways: special topic workshops available online and in-person; virtual skill-building videos; and in-person technical design assistance.

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What Lake Mead Needs to Get Water Levels Back Up at Drought-Hit Reservoir

/in , , /by /Newsweekby Robyn White

Lake Mead will need more than just rainfall to replenish itself, an expert has told Newsweek.

Spread between Nevada and Arizona—Lake Mead, the largest man-made reservoir in the U.S.—is best known for its rapidly declining water levels due to the ongoing megadrought gripping the western states. The lake is integral to surrounding communities, as it is also formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River—which generates electricity for thousands of people. If the water levels continue to decline, the consequences could be catastrophic.

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New for 2023, qualified residents can take advantage of the in-person “Designer At Your Door” technical design assistance program. Photo: WaterSmartSD.org

Landscape Makeover Program Adds New ‘Designer At Your Door’ Service

/in , /by

There is a new opportunity for San Diego County residents who want to save water through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program: “Designer At Your Door.”

This new in-person service offers on-site and in-studio technical design assistance from landscape industry professionals for qualified residents. As 2023 begins with cool, rainy weather, now is the ideal time to attend a virtual three-hour workshop to start your makeover.

This new iteration of the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program features the original award-winning WaterSmart curriculum delivered in three ways: special topic workshops available online and in-person; virtual skill-building videos; and in-person technical design assistance.

‘Designer At Your Door’ offers onsite help from landscape pros

“The WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program is responsive to changing times and the changing needs of regional residents,” said Joni German, Water Authority water resources specialist. “The Designer At Your Door service replaces our award-winning four-class Landscape Makeover Series with the same quality education, combined with additional one-on-one, on-site support. We believe our enhanced approach will help residents achieve water savings with a beautiful new landscape that suits their lifestyle.”

Frank Edwards had a complete plan after attending the Water Authority's WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series. Photo: Frank Edwards Padre Dam Landscape Makeover

Homeowner Frank Edwards had a complete plan after attending the Water Authority’s WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series. Photo: Frank Edwards

Requirements for new service; registration information

Participants must meet qualifying criteria to participate in the new “Designer At Your Door” service. This includes a living lawn with a minimum size, a working in-ground irrigation system, and a willingness to install a more sustainable landscape. They must also attend a minimum of five three-hour workshops to qualify. Read more about the Designer At Your Door program and its requirements here.

Registration is required for the online workshops. The 2023 workshop schedule starts on Saturday, January 14. Weekday workshops are held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday workshops from 9 a.m. to noon. Register here.

Introductory webinars focus on specific landscape topics with a “do-it-yourself” approach. From plant choices and irrigation to design and maintenance, webinars offer timely help on upgrading landscapes with low-water use plants and personal design touches.

The results of Frank Edward's hard work. Photo: Padre Dam MWD

The results of Frank Edward’s hard work. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District

Sustainable landcapes use less water

WaterSmart has helped regional residents convert more than 1.5 million square feet of turf into beautiful, sustainable landscapes that use less water and provide a lifestyle-friendly yard ideal for San Diego’s climate. New landscapes installed through the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program have been proven to reduce water use by up to 37%.

San Diego County residents continue to take advantage of free online webinars offering step-by-step support to create a beautiful, water-efficient outdoor landscape. Webinar topics cover residential landscape design for the homeowner, plant palettes, healthy soil, irrigation retrofits, and streamlined landscape maintenance. More than 8,000 San Diego County residents have taken these courses to date.

These topics and more are covered in the program’s Video On Demand series. This series covers various landscape topics in short, entertaining, and instructional videos available 24/7.

Conservation gains plus rebates help offset investment

Deborah Brandt's landscaping before its makeover. Photo: Vista Irrigation District Vista 2021 Contest

Deborah Brandt’s landscaping before its makeover. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Landscape watering accounts for more than half of a typical household’s water use in California. The Water Authority’s online classes can help residents create a drought-tolerant, water-efficient landscape with a design that maximizes enjoyment of the outdoor space. In addition, homeowners can save the time and expense required for ongoing turf maintenance.

Colorful, waterwise plants replaced a thirsty, labor intensive front lawn in Deborah Brant's winning landscape makeover. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

Colorful, water-wise plants replaced a thirsty, labor intensive front lawn in Deborah Brant’s winning landscape makeover. Photo: Vista Irrigation District

San Diego County homeowners, businesses, and organizations such as homeowners association (HOA’s) can receive between $2 and $4 per square foot to remove turf and replace it with low water-use plants better suited to our region’s climate. All customers are eligible for the base rebate of $2 per square foot. Learn more at socalwatersmart.com

Some agencies offer additional funding, including the City of San Diego and the County of San Diego. Residents in unincorporated San Diego County may be eligible for additional incentives through the Waterscape Rebate Program.  

While San Diego County’s investments in supply reliability continue to protect the region, national weather models suggest drought, and a hotter, drier climate, will continue to strain water resources across the West and increase water conservation.

(Editor’s Note: The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $268 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multidecade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 24 retail water providers, including cities, special districts, and a military base.)

Colorado River in Crisis

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times

The Colorado River can no longer withstand the thirst of the arid West. Water drawn from the river flows to more than 40 million people in cities from Denver to Los Angeles and irrigates more than 5 million acres of farmland.

For decades, the river has been entirely used up, leaving dusty stretches of desert where it once flowed to the sea in Mexico. Now, chronic overuse and the effects of climate change are pushing the river system toward potential collapse as reservoirs drop to dangerously low levels. A water reckoning is about to transform the landscape of the Southwest.

Colorado River in Crisis is a series of stories, videos and podcasts in which Los Angeles Times journalists travel throughout the river’s watershed, from the headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to the river’s dry delta in Mexico. These stories reveal the stark toll of the river’s decline, responses that have yet to match the scale of the crisis, and voices that are urging a fundamental rethinking of how water is managed and used to adapt to the reality of a river that is over-tapped and dwindling.

The Times podcast: Colorado River in Crisis, Part 1: A Dying River

 

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Opinion: We Can Overcome the Drought by Learning From Nature

/in , /by /Don Galeby The Salt Lake Tribune

One hundred years ago — little more than a lifetime — nature and the Colorado River conspired almost every spring to ravage soil, rocks, vegetation and anything else in the river’s path on its rapacious way to the Pacific Ocean. The river overran its banks to flood California’s Imperial Valley plus other low-lying ground in Arizona, Mexico and California. It filled those valleys with fertile mountain soil.

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