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Troubled Waters: Colorado River Crisis – Into the Wild West

In the sun-split desert of the Coachella Valley, life here is only possible with water from elsewhere. The water that grows our food, the water we drink and the water we exist around come from the special aquifers below the valley and the Colorado River.

Conservation Consequences: How Will the Colorado River Agreement Affect the Coachella Valley?

After 18 months of negotiating—and bickering amongst themselves—the three lower Colorado River basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada reached an agreement on how to best conserve the river’s valuable water supply in the near term.

Water Agencies Lift Some Restrictions Following Wet Winter: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t

Coachella Valley water agencies are lifting some drought restrictions following an exceptionally wet winter in California, although experts and officials warn that California residents should keep getting used to “conservation as a way of life.”

Water Officials’ Message: Golf Industry Must Do More to Meet Ongoing Drought

Even in the middle of a cool and wet winter in the Coachella Valley and California in general, officials of the Coachella Valley Water District have a blunt message for the desert’s golf course industry: Take the ongoing drought seriously, because changes could be coming to water availability sooner rather than later.

“We wanted to give the picture as we know it today where the state of play is for our water resources,” said Dr. Robert Cheng, assistant general manager for CVWD and one of the main speakers at a golf and water summit that attracted more than 150 golf industry officials Wednesday at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. “We hope we paint a picture that is accurate, that is dire, that there is a need for additional actions from the golf industry to help them still maintain viability in this current situation.”

Safe Drinking Water Resources are Underway for Tribes in the Coachella Valley

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and local tribes celebrate the passage of Safe and affordable drinking water for Native American tribes, also known as AB 2877. “One of the goals is to help prevent future situations like what occurred at oasis mobile home park but ensure tribal lands, specifically underserved tribal areas, can receive and be prioritized to receive state water infrastructure grants,” says An official from the office of Assemblymember Garcia’s office.

After Coral Mountain Vote, Where Do Other Water, Surf Projects in the Valley Stand?

Plans for a large, high-tech wave pool in La Quinta were recently rejected by its city council, but a handful of other water-centric attractions — including a trio that would feature artificial wave technology — are moving forward in the Coachella Valley.

The projects, which range from Palm Springs in the west to Thermal in the east, have gained approval from elected bodies to move forward. But some say more needs to be done to reduce the parks’ water usage, particularly as California just saw its driest three-year period on record.

Surfing in the California Desert? Developer’s Plan Sparks Outrage Over Water Use, Drought

In a part of the Coachella Valley where exclusive neighborhoods wrap around lush golf courses and ponds, a stretch of open desert could be transformed into a new sort of artificial oasis.

A developer has plans for hundreds of homes and a resort featuring a surfing lagoon. If La Quinta’s City Council endorses the proposal, the sandy ground at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains would become the site of a 12-acre pool where surfers could take off on sculpted lines of peeling waves.

Coachella Valley Water Use Continued to Tick Downwards in July, More Conservation Needed

Water use in the Coachella Valley continued to tick downwards in July, but conservation is still falling short of the state’s goal of a 15% reduction compared to 2020, according to data released by the State Water Resources Control Board this week.

But the July water use numbers do continue a trend of reduced water use that began in June, a marked shift from May and other previous months in which local water districts actually increased — rather than decreased — water use compared to 2020 baseline numbers.

Water Negotiations Continue for Southern California Water Districts Amid Drought

The drought continues to grip the west with no signs of letting up.

One of the hardest hit places is the Colorado River, which serves about 40 million people, including right here in the Coachella Valley.

But action is being taken.

Opinion: Up to 1 Million Gallons of Water … a Night? That’s Par for Some Desert Golf Courses

Doug Thompson couldn’t believe what he’d just been told. His wife, a botanist, was advising a Coachella Valley country club on drought-resistant landscaping, and Thompson, who got to talking with the groundskeeper, asked how much water it takes to irrigate a golf course.