Tag Archive for: Climate Change

Opinion: SB 1 Provides Critical Protection for California’s Beloved Coastline

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Toni Atkins

I didn’t see the ocean until I was 18 years old. That late start didn’t stop me from falling in love with the sea, a love I have pursued in earnest ever since I moved to San Diego.

Here in our community, and in communities throughout California, warming waters and rising sea levels threaten both the coast we love and the people and businesses that are located there. Predictions are, that left unchecked, sea level rise will cause billions of dollars in damage in California and disrupt countless lives.

Full Story

‘Big Structural Change’: What Greens Want On Infrastructure

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Nick Sobczyk and Timothy Cama,

Environmental groups are calling for massive spending on an infrastructure package they view as a generational opportunity to address climate change, ramping up pressure on Democrats to deliver on campaign trail promises on clean energy and environmental justice. As Democrats call for bipartisanship and Republicans demand a narrower and cheaper bill, greens will be warning the new congressional majority against giving in to GOP demands.

 

Full Story
USBR Grants-water efficiency-WaterSMART grants

Over $2.7 Million in Federal Grants Awarded to San Diego Water Agencies

/in , /by

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has awarded three San Diego County water agencies a total of $2,788,500 in 2021 WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants. A total of $42.4 million in grants was given to 55 projects across 13 states to improve water reliability and efficiency, conserving more 98,000 acre-feet of water per year.

“The Water Authority and its member agencies have been leaders in helping customers improve water efficiency, which ultimately helps our communities become more resilient to both dry years and the large-scale impacts of climate change,” said Water Authority Board Chair Gary Croucher. “This grant money is added value for our region as we continue to do our part for people and the planet.”

Projects awarded grants in San Diego County

  • The City of Oceanside’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Pipeline Improvement Project (Phase III) — $2,000,000 grant. The project includes upgrades to 11,519 existing primarily residential water meters to smart meters connected to the city’s customer feedback portal. Approximately 62 broken and leaking pipe segments will also be replaced. Website: www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/gov/water/watersmart/default.asp
  • Olivenhain Municipal Water District Advanced Metering Infrastructure Water Use Efficiency Project — $500,000 grant. The project will expand advanced metering infrastructure with the installation of 4,181 meter transmitting units on existing AMI-capable meters. The meters will be integrated with the district’s customer engagement portal to provide customers near real-time water-use data. Website: www.olivenhain.com/new-meter-reading-technology
  • San Diego County Water Authority WaterSmart Contractor Incentive Program — $288,500 grant. The project will expand an existing rebate program for irrigation devices, including smart irrigation controllers and high-efficiency nozzles. The expanded program will encourage large landscape and commercial customers to install an estimated 8,000 stations for smart irrigation controllers, 330 irrigation controllers, 18,000 high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles, 75 flow sensors, and 30,000 square feet of drip irrigated landscaping. Website: www.sdwatersmartcip.com/

The Bureau of Reclamation grants support the new Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad to increase resilience to climate change impacts. The agency’s WaterSMART program works cooperatively with states, tribes, and local entities to plan and implement actions that increase water supply reliability through investments to modernize existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts.

NOAA Warns of Water Use Cutbacks, Fires and Low Levels in Reservoirs Amid Significant Drought

/in , , /by /The Hillby Celine Castronuovo

Dry weather is likely to persist in the U.S. in the coming months, with the possibility of water use cutbacks in California and the Southwest as more than half of the country experiences moderate to severe drought conditions, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.

NOAA’s Spring Outlook report stated that the U.S. could face the most significant spring drought since 2013, with the potential to impact roughly 74 million people across the country.

Full Story

California Agencies Will Reap Windfall from Biden Infrastructure Plan — If It Gets Traction

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ralph Vartabedian

A Biden initiative expected to pour up to $3 trillion into repairing America’s decrepit infrastructure and funding other programs has sparked a scramble across the nation for the federal funds — with California expecting to reap the biggest piece.

The potential federal bounty opens the door to a list of ambitious projects: electrifying the Burbank-to-Anaheim passenger rail system, straightening the Los Angeles-to-San Diego rail line to cut travel time, and building a 1.3-mile tunnel to extend a passenger line to downtown San Francisco.

Full Story

Drought: Santa Clara Valley Water District Asks Public to Step Up Water Conservation

/in , , /by /The Mercury News by Paul Rogers

In the latest sign that California is entering a new drought, Silicon Valley’s largest water provider on Tuesday asked the public to step up water conservation efforts.

“We have no idea how long it will last or how bad it might get,” said Tony Estremera, chairman of the board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District. “Clearly we can’t just sit back and wait for more rain.”

Full Story

Gov. Cox Declares Drought Emergency For All of Utah

/in , , /by /The Salt Lake Tribune by Taylor Stevens

After a record dry summer and fall — and with winter snowpack currently at 70% of normal levels — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed an emergency order Wednesday declaring a state of emergency due to drought conditions.

The move comes after a recommendation from the state’s Drought Review and Reporting Committee and opens the door for drought-affected communities and agricultural producers to potentially access state or federal emergency funds and resources, according to a news release.

Full Story

Rising Seas, Worsening Wildfires Endanger California Parks

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Julie Cart

Of all the existential threats California parks face — dwindling budgets, more visitors and costly, long-deferred maintenance — now comes a climate-driven conundrum: When is a park no longer a park? When its namesake trees disappear in a barrage of lightning strikes? When its very land is washed away by ever-rising seas?

Full Story

Water Authority Plan Shows Sufficient Supplies Until 2045

/in , , /by /The Daily Transcriptby Thor Kamban Biberman Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Since 1991, San Diego County ratepayers have conserved more than 1 million acre-feet of water, and per capita potable water use in the region decreased nearly 60 percent between fiscal years 1990 and 2019, according to the San Diego County Water Authority.

The findings are part of the Water Authority’s draft 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, which was released Monday for public review.

The report concludes that as a result of conservation and billions of dollars in infrastructure, San Diego should have sufficient water supplies through 2045.

“Thanks to decades of regional investments (and conservation) the draft plan shows that we don’t need to secure more regional supply sources for the foreseeable future,” Water Authority general manager Sandra Kerl said in a statement. “Instead we are focused on helping our member agencies develop local supplies, and looking for other ways we can continue to ensure supply reliability at a reasonable cost.”

Full Story

California’s New Drought

/in , , /by /California WaterBlog (UC Davis Water Sciences)by Jay Lund, Andrew L. Rypel, and Josue Medellin-Azuara

As March begins to drag on with little precipitation in the forecast and few weeks left in California’s traditional wet season, we are in another dry year. This is California’s second dry year in a row since the 2012-2016 drought.  Statistically, California has the most drought and flood years per average year than anywhere in the US.  This statistical fact seems to becoming increasingly extreme, as predicted by many climate change models.

Full Story