The city of San Diego’s Hodges Reservoir will officially reopen to the public three days a week beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 5, allowing access for a variety of activities, including boating, fishing, hiking and picnicking. Hodges is normally closed November through January.
Hodges will be open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from sunrise to sunset. It will also be open on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day holidays.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2020-02-03 10:53:192020-02-06 09:52:44City of San Diego’s Hodges Reservoir Reopens Feb. 5 for Recreation
The Santa Fe Irrigation District approved three percent water rate increases for the next three years at a Jan. 16 hearing. The first bills will go out to customers on April 1 using a new five-tier residential rate structure that differentiates between meter sizes in higher tiers.
The rate increases aim to help meet the district’s objectives to ensure equity across customer classes, encourage conservation and maintain financial stability as it faces challenges such as the rising costs of imported water.
Encinitas, CA—To encourage water conservation and reduce runoff that can carry pollutants into local waterways and beaches, Olivenhain Municipal Water District has partnered with San Dieguito Water District and Santa Fe Irrigation District to offer discounted rain barrels to area residents.
The City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department last week took a major step toward completing an innovative project to improve water quality in Lake Hodges. A newly installed oxygenation system, designed by city engineers, will introduce highly oxygenated water to the bottom of the reservoir to reduce the accumulation of excess nutrients and harmful algae growth.
The increase of nutrients and algae in the water has been caused by human activities in the watershed upstream of the reservoir, including residential and commercial development, agriculture, and land clearing. Degraded water quality can restrict the ability to move water in and out of the reservoir.
“The ‘Speece cone’ is a fairly unique method for adding oxygen to a reservoir – there are only a few of them in the world,” said Jeff Pasek, project manager at the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department. “This project derived from a planning study that was done about five years ago, which identified oxygenation using the ‘Speece cone’ as being the most cost-effective way of addressing the water quality problems in Hodges.”
Last week, the 130,000 pound cone – named after the inventor of the technology, Richard Speece – was lowered eighty feet to the bottom of the reservoir.
Streamlined operation for maximum efficiency
The precisely coordinated operation involved lifting the 20-foot tall stainless steel cone with a large crane, while simultaneously driving a barge out from underneath. Once the cone was lowered into the water, divers headed to the bottom of the reservoir to unhook the cone from the crane, check to make sure it settled in the correct spot, and fasten it down.
In order to build a solid foundation underwater, crews excavated approximately 11 feet of silt from the bottom of the reservoir and constructed a concrete base. Before submerging the cone, crews installed and tested a pump that will move water through the cone. A large diffuser pipe was then lowered and connected to the cone by divers. The diffuser will distribute the oxygen-rich water throughout the reservoir.
Now underwater, the cone will distribute oxygen-rich water throughout the reservoir to reduce the accumulation of excess nutrients and prevent harmful algae growth. Photo: Water Authority
Local and regional benefits at Hodges Reservoir
Hodges Reservoir is owned and operated by the City of San Diego, and it serves the San Dieguito Water District and the Santa Fe Irrigation District. It is connected to the San Diego County Water Authority’s Olivenhain Reservoir as part of the Emergency & Carryover Storage Project, which is designed to ensure regional water reliability in case of emergencies or if the region is cut off from imported water supplies.
“There are multiple benefits to this project – first and foremost being the water quality improvements for Hodges Reservoir,” said Goldamer Herbon, a senior water resources specialist at the Water Authority. “Ancillary benefits include operational flexibility for regional supply benefits and preventing the accumulation of mercury, which can be harmful to people and wildlife that eat fish from the reservoir.”
The California State Department of Water Resources awarded the City of San Diego a $3.4 million grant funded by the San Diego Integrated Regional Water Management program to complete the oxygenation project, which began in February 2019.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/SpeeceConeAerial_845x450-scaled-e1575410592641.jpg450845Kristiene Gonghttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngKristiene Gong2019-12-03 17:26:002019-12-06 15:23:32New Oxygenation System to Improve Reservoir Water Quality
The Santa Fe Irrigation District is moving forward with a proposed three-year rate plan that would raise total revenue for the district by 3 percent per year over the next three years, beginning early next year, through rate increases and changes in the district’s rate structure.
The district provides drinking and irrigation water to about 20,000 residents in Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach and Fairbanks Ranch. While the overall impact to the district’s bottom line will be a 3 percent revenue increase each year, the impact on individual customers’ bimonthly bills will vary based on the amount of water they use and the size of their water meter.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2019-11-26 09:25:192019-11-26 09:25:19Santa Fe Irrigation District Proposes Raising Rates By 9 Percent Over Three Years
The city of San Diego may release water from Lake Hodges reservoir into San Dieguito River in coming months if heavy rain raises the water level above the maximum permitted.
For safety reasons, the California Division of Safety of Dams has determined that the water level should not be above 295 feet, which is 20 feet below the spillway elevation. If the water nears that level when rain is forecast, city officials will likely open valves at the dam for a controlled release of some of the water. The released water will enter San Dieguito River and eventually the Pacific Ocean.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2019-11-23 08:13:022019-12-03 05:09:59City of San Diego May Release Water from Lake Hodges in Coming Months
RANCHO SANTA FE — The Rancho Santa Fe Irrigation District’s Joint Facilities Advisory Committee held a meeting on Nov. 14 at the irrigation district’s office to discuss the current status of the Lake Hodges Dam, the progress of the Joint Facilities Capital Improvement Program and the current status of Joint Facilities operations.
The Santa Fe Irrigation District board recommended moving forward with a new five-tier rate structure for its proposed three percent water rate increase. The vote was 4-1 with Director Marlene King opposed.
The Santa Fe Irrigation District (SFID) board is expected to make a final decision on the rates by January 2020 to ensure the financial stability of the district and meet its objectives of equity across customer classes and encouraging conservation.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.png00Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/water-news-network.pngMike Lee2019-09-24 09:44:102019-09-26 09:47:14Santa Fe Irrigation Selects Multi-Tiered Structure For Water Rate Increases
