Tag Archive for: San Diego

SD Beaches Make Heal the Bay’s Honor Roll for Ocean Water Quality

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby City News Service

San Diego County beaches earned nearly one-fourth of the spots on Heal the Bay’s annual Honor Roll for excellent year-round water quality, according to the environmental group report released Tuesday.

According to Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay, 42 out of more than 500 beaches across the state earned spots on the Honor Roll, which is reserved for beaches that score grades of A+ for water quality during all seasons and weather conditions.

Of those 42 beaches, 20 are in Orange County, the most for any county in the state. San Diego County has 10 beaches on the list, including five in Carlsbad. Los Angeles County has three — Palos Verdes Cove, Palos Verdes Long Point and Redondo State Beach at Topaz Street.

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Major Ocean Research Effort Centered in San Diego

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby Erik Anderson

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego will host a major research initiative funded by the federal government.

UC San Diego will host the Cooperative Institute for Marine, Earth and Atmospheric systems, and it will get up to $220 million in funding for research over a five-year period.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is making the investment locally after a competitive bidding process.

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UCSD Says Climate Change Helped Produce San Diego’s Huge Ocean Heat Wave in 2018

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

UC San Diego researchers have confirmed that climate change helped produce the historic 43-day ocean heat wave that drew big crowds to San Diego beaches during the summer of 2018.

The finding was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, in a paper that says the phenomenon could not be solely attributed to natural variations in the weather.

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Red Tide Causes Big Stink Along Local Beaches

/in , , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Jeff McAdam

For the last two weeks, an algae bloom has dazzled crowds and lit up waves in Southern California. But now, scientists say it’s turning deadly for some fish, and they want to know why.

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Southern California Edison Wants its New, Huge 770 MW Battery Storage Procurement Online Fast

/in , , /by /pv magazineby Eric Wesoff

Southern California Edison signed seven contracts for a total of 770 megawatts of lithium-ion battery-based energy storage — to enhance the regional grid’s reliability and replace four large coastal once-through cooling plants.

It’s one of the nation’s largest energy storage procurements and an indication of utility acceptance of massive-scale battery storage. Late last year, the California Public Utilities Commission urged California’s power providers and community choice aggregators to procure 3.3 GW of storage and PV-plus-storage systems to solve grid congestion and to compensate for gas and coal plant retirements.

Remarkably, SCE wants these energy storage resources online by August 2021, an aggressive timeline unthinkable for any type of fossil fuel project of this size.

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San Diego’s Infrastructure Problems Expected to Grow in COVID-19’s Wake

/in , , /by /inewsource (San Diego)by Mary Plummer

San Diego’s infrastructure needs, which have ballooned over the past decade, have been a top priority of Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s administration. But as Faulconer enters the last eight months of his term, COVID-19 has thrown city finances off track and slowed his ability to tackle a long to-do list.

That means many of San Diego’s urgent needs may have to be put on hold. Among the items that need fixing: repairs and updating to park buildings, coastal erosion work and replacement of sewer pipes. The city’s streetlight program is underfunded by $195 million, and its sidewalks are in disarray with about 81,000 needing repairs or replacement.

“It’s an unbelievable challenge,” said former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, now president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I faced some budget problems when I was at the city, and this is just bigger than I’ve ever seen.”

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After Last Week’s Storm, April is Already 3rd Wettest Month on Record

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

Although a mere 13 days old, this is the third-wettest April on record in San Diego, the National Weather Service reported Monday.

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San Diego Closes Parks, Beaches and Trails to Prevent Spread of Coronavirus

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

San Diego closed its beaches, parks, boardwalks and trails on Monday after those areas were crowded on the weekend despite social distancing orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The announcement by Mayor Kevin Faulconer came after the county officials warned that parks and beaches will be closed if local law enforcement cannot ensure social distancing.

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Scattered Showers, Flash Flood Watch in San Diego Forecast for Thursday

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

More rain showers are expected Thursday throughout San Diego County and there is a chance of thunderstorms Thursday afternoon in the mountains and deserts.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch from noon Thursday through Thursday evening in the mountains and deserts.

The low-pressure system making its way inland is expected to produce heavy rainfall at times, which could cause flooding in low-lying areas, areas with poor drainage and desert mountain slopes, forecasters said.

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San Diego Would Suffer Catastrophic Damage if Rose Canyon Fault Produces 6.9 Earthquake

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake on San Diego’s Rose Canyon Fault could damage 100,000 residences, cause widespread road and bridge failures, and make parts of Mission Bay sink about a foot, according to the most detailed disaster scenario ever done on the region.

Such a temblor could also cut gas and water service between La Jolla and the Silver Strand for months, collapse key municipal buildings, and close the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, says a report by the San Diego chapter of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Parts of the fault would rupture the Earth’s surface and shift the landscape 6 to 7 feet, damaging streets so badly it would make it hard for police, firefighters and paramedics to get around.

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