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

/in , , /by /Desert Sunby Tom Coulter and Erin Rode

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.

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Well-Known Salton Sea Origin Story Questioned by New Research

/in , , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Mark Olalde

The origin of California’s largest lake is a well-known tale. In an attempt to turn the desert into lush farmland more than a century ago, humans tried — and temporarily but dramatically failed  — to exert control over nature.

“The Salton Sea in south California was created in 1905 when spring flooding on the Colorado River breached a canal,” NASA’s website spells out. For 18 months, the most important river in the West flowed along what appeared to be a novel course through the Salton Basin, which lies 227 feet below sea level.

Being born from an engineering miscalculation on the part of the California Development Company means the Salton Sea has been written off as an “accident” in histories inked on many pages, ranging from The Washington Post to the Daily Mail.

But that framing is too simplistic, new research suggests, arguing that the sea’s formation was inevitable, regardless of the famous canal breach in 1905.

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California Natural Resources Agency Lays Out Aggressive Salton Sea Mitigation Goals

/in , /by /Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.)by Mark Olalde

The California Natural Resources Agency this week released its Salton Sea Management Program annual report, which trumpeted the first completed dust suppression project and set ambitious goals for upcoming mitigation efforts.

The report lays out an aggressive target of 3,800 acres on which the agency hopes to complete efforts to tamp down dust by the end of 2020 to catch up with its long-term benchmarks.

“We’re well-positioned and have identified a suite of projects that will help us accomplish that goal by the end of this year,” said Arturo Delgado, the agency’s assistant secretary for Salton Sea policy.

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Trump Administration Unveils New Clean Water Act Rules. California Could See Big Impact

/in , , /by /Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.)by Mark Olalde

The Trump administration on Thursday revealed an overhaul of the Clean Water Act that could remove federal protections for waterways around the country, including as many as two-thirds of those in California.

The arid West, where intermittent rainfall often flows through arroyos and washes, could be especially impacted by the rollback of federal jurisdiction, as the new “Navigable Waters Protection Rule” will remove federal oversight from ephemeral waterways created by rain or snow.

About 66% of California’s waterways are ephemeral or intermittent, according to the government’s own reports that were used in formulating earlier Clean Water Act rules. That number rises to 81%  around the entire Southwest, including 94% of Arizona’s watercourses.

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CVWD Approves Taking On Debt For First Time For $40 Million Oasis Farm Pipeline

/in , , /by /Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.)by Janet Wilson

The Coachella Valley Water District on Monday approved taking on outside financing for what is believed to be the first time in its 101-year history for a $40 million pipeline to bring more Colorado River water to the region’s farmers, freeing up valuable groundwater for other uses.

A majority of the board voted Monday at a special meeting to give staff the go-ahead to pursue short-term, low-interest “bridge” financing for the Oasis pipeline project, by drawing on a $75 million line of credit CVWD obtained with Bank of the West on July 1.

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Fire Weather Watch Remains In Place Wednesday To Friday For Most Of Southwestern California

/in , , /by /Desert Sunby Gabrielle Paluch

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for most of extreme southwestern California starting late Wednesday evening and lasting through 8 p.m. Friday evening.

This prompted Southern California Edison to expand the area that could have power cut as a fire-safety measure — affecting as many as 106,000 customers.

Low humidity of 5% to 10% and strong, gusty Santa Ana winds are to blame for the elevated fire risk along coastal mountain slopes and inland valleys. East to northeast winds will reach speeds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts of 35 to 50 mph, and isolated gusts of up to 60 mph.

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OPINION: Valley Voice: Regional Effort Puts Water Solutions in Place for the Coachella Valley

/in , , /by /Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Berlinda Blackburn

Behind the scenes, the valley’s public water agencies have been working together to earn grants and improve water management for our entire region.

In 2008, they formed the Coachella Valley Regional Water Management Group (Regional Group) to:

  • reduce water demand;
  • increase our region’s water supply;
  • improve regional water quality;
  • serve as stewards of our shared water resource, and;
  • improve efficiency and flexibility.
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OPINION: Valley Voice: The Legislature Must Rethink SB 1. It Will Hurt Water Management Efforts

/in , /by /Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Peter Nelson

If not amended, Senate Bill 1 will perpetuate California’s water and environmental troubles, not help to resolve them, as its proponents claim.

How? As written, SB 1 limits the use of research conducted over the last decade meant to better understand Delta water management and its relationship to fish and wildlife. The State Water Project — funded by ratepayers throughout California, including the Coachella Valley — has spent tens of millions of dollars to improve this understanding.

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Salton Sea Odor Advisory Extended Again. Relief May Come On Wednesday

/in , /by /Desert Sun (Palm Springs)

An odor advisory issued last week for the Coachella Valley to elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide that smell like rotten eggs was extended again on Monday, this time for another two days.

It is now set to expire Wednesday afternoon.

The advisory had already been extended three times since Aug. 18 due to the stench emanating from a sparsely populated area immediately downwind from the Salton Sea.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued the advisory after detecting hydrogen sulfide concentrations at 239 parts per billion, exceeding the state standard of 30 parts per billion.

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Is That Smell The Salton Sea? Humid Weather Fostering Stinky Air Around Palm Springs

/in , , /by /Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Colin Atagi

There’s an unmistakable smell in the air. One that creeps into the Coachella Valley during the hot, sticky days of summer.

The sulfuric odor typically shows up when the mercury and humidity are high, and levels of hydrogen sulfide spike in the Salton Sea.

A South Coast Air Quality Management District spokeswoman on Wednesday said the agency hadn’t received any reports of smelly air, and in fact, air quality across Southern California — including Riverside County — was “moderate.” The district, located in Diamond Bar, issues alerts when air pollutants are at levels that could be harmful to humans.

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