Southern California is in the midst of what the National Weather Service describes as a “remarkably dry rainy season,” with much of the region experiencing a record or near-record slow start.
Fires in and around Los Angeles continue to rage as gusting Santa Ana winds drive the flames through brush and into neighborhoods. Two major blazes, the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, have combined burned almost 40,000 acres since last week. Another fire, the Auto Fire, erupted Monday evening in Ventura County. The fires have killed at least 24 people.
Public Affairs and Communications Manager for Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Mike McNutt speaks with WaterWorld Editor-in-Chief Mandy Crispin about how the California wildfires are affecting utilities.
Watch the video to gain perspective on what utilites are facing during the wildfires
As crews have fought the fast-spreading fires across the Los Angeles area, they have repeatedly been hampered by low water pressure and fire hydrants that have gone dry. These problems have exposed what experts say are vulnerabilities in city water supply systems not built for wildfires on this scale.
When the call reporting a brush fire in Otay Mesa came out Thursday, fire agencies pounced. Not just San Diego Fire-Rescue, but Chula Vista, National City and Coronado. Officials quickly brought in air resources, hand crews and differing types of fire rigs.
The devastating wildfires that have ravaged Southern California erupted following a stark shift from wet weather to extremely dry weather — a phenomenon scientists describe as “hydroclimate whiplash.”
New research shows these abrupt wet-to-dry and dry-to-wet swings, which can worsen wildfires, flooding and other hazards, are growing more frequent and intense because of human-caused climate change.
The San Diego region’s future depends on water. The San Diego County Water Authority and its 22 member agencies depend on the skill and dedication of all their professionals to provide a safe, reliable water supply to support the region’s economy and the quality of life of its residents.
Professional landscape maintenance personnel play a vital role in the water industry in San Diego County, overseeing environmental stewardship, water conservation, and the preservation of habitats and ecosystems.
Russ Kubota helps maintain the vegetation and habitat throughout the Vallecitos Water District, including easements, and ensures accessibility to key facilities, including pipelines, tanks, and reservoirs. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Russell Kubota has dedicated 23 years to his work as a Landscape Maintenance Worker II with the Vallecitos Water District. Kubota helps maintain the vegetation and habitat throughout the district, including easements and ensures accessibility to key facilities, including pipelines, tanks, and reservoirs.
Kubota has a degree in ornamental horticulture and two licenses from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, allowing him to use herbicides when required to help manage the district’s environment. He has worked in the Conservation Department, performing irrigation audits, and represented the district performing outreach at events such as the San Marcos Street Fair, educating the public on water conservation.
Currently, Kubota focuses on maintaining a fire-safe, ecologically healthy ecosystem throughout the Vallecitos Water District, covering approximately 1,989 acres in north inland San Diego County.
Safety is a key responsibility. “In the event of an emergency or even for routine maintenance, one of the biggest reasons I have to maintain the vegetation around our facilities is for safety,” said Kubota. “Being able to easily access and work around our equipment without being exposed to any hazards like rattlesnakes or bees.”
Russ Kubota and his team at the Vallecitos Water District work with the California Department of Forestry (CalFIRE), which helps provide personnel for vegetation management through its inmate firefighter program. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Kubota coordinates this effort with the California Department of Forestry (CalFIRE). CalFIRE helps provide personnel for vegetation management through its inmate firefighter program, officially called the “Conservation (Fire) Camp Program.” It is run by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
Kubota says he’s grateful for the opportunity to work with the program participants. “Because all these areas are part of public infrastructure, the inmates receive time off from their sentences for community service.”
Monitoring and removing invasive plant species is a key responsibility for Russ Kubota. Photo: Vallecitos Water District
Kubota oversees the removal of non-native plants that are flammable and invasive, such as eucalyptus, castor bean, pampas grass, and salt cedar.
“Many areas of our district are near environmentally sensitive habitat. I always try to be aware of all the different types of plants and animals that are in our easements and right of ways,” said Kubota.
Kubota says he enjoys being outdoors, working in the many beautiful areas of the district. “I’m outside all the time, out in the fresh air, and we have lots of wildlife out here and a lot of natural vegetation like our oak trees. It’s just a beautiful place to work.”
Kubota says he hasn’t considered retiring because he gets to work outdoors and with people who are equally dedicated to their jobs at the Vallecitos Water District. It also doesn’t hurt that his job gives him time to surf in the morning before work.
“I really do enjoy the people I work with. I love the job sites that I go to. I love the entire work environment here at Vallecitos,” said Kubota.
Under human supervision, several dozen goats can efficiently and safely clear an acre of brush per day. Photo: City of San Diego
Goats may be used at additional locations among the City of San Diego’s nine reservoirs. Photo: City of San Diego
California residents are using about 8 fewer gallons of water per day than they did during the last drought emergency, according to newly released state data. Between April 2023 and last April, urban water users consumed an average of 77 gallons per person per day. That comes out to a 9% decrease since the drought emergency ended in March 2023.
An honest-to-goodness map of the American West would show L.A.’s tentacles everywhere.
You’d see canals — the Los Angeles Aqueduct, running along the base of the Sierra Nevada, carrying water from the Owens River; the State Water Project, meandering through the San Joaquin Valley, supplying many Southern California cities and farms; and the Colorado River Aqueduct, cutting through the desert on its mission to deliver water from desert to coast.
