Tag Archive for: The San Diego Union-Tribune

Here’s How Much Rain Fell Across San Diego County Before Dawn On Thursday

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

Here are local rainfall totals for the 24-hour period ending at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday. The National Weather Service says that isolated rain and thunderstorms could occur today in the mountains and deserts.

Forecasters also report that there were 17 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the county late Wednesday and early Thursday, and 30 lightning flashes. Virtually all of the activity occurred in the mountains and deserts.

A cooling trend will continue throughout San Diego County and last into the weekend. Thursday’s high in San Diego will be 73. The high on Sunday will be 68, about seven degrees below average.

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Sweetwater Authority Eyes Sand Mining, Material Dredging Opportunities

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by David Hernandez

The board of the Sweetwater Authority is interested in sand mining and material dredging opportunities in and around the South Bay water agency’s two reservoirs.

The agency, which serves National City, Bonita and parts of Chula Vista, plans to solicit interest from sand mining companies to explore the concept — specifically, whether there are opportunities to leverage the Sweetwater and Loveland reservoirs by extracting materials to not only create a revenue stream but also increase the capacity of the reservoirs.

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Water District Approves Rate Increase, Fee Spending Plan

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Julie Gallant

Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors approved an increase to the general untreated water rates, updates to a fire mitigation fee facilities plan, and an agreement to use Mercy Medical for backup ambulance transportation services at their Sept. 10 meeting.

Water rate increases were approved by the RMWD directors on July 9. However, directors revisited the topic to correct a clerical error in the district’s public notice of proposed increases to general untreated water rates.

The original Proposition 218 notice, which informs property owners and customers of proposed water rate increases, incorrectly stated the general untreated water was set to increase from $4.88 to $5.46 per unit beginning Aug. 1. A unit is the equivalent of 748 gallons.

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OPINION: How Bill Defends Against Trump Environmental Rollbacks

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Matt O'Malley

If you’re a local and have hosted a visitor to San Diego, you’ve probably felt pride as you’ve guided people to take in Coronado Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla Cove, our parks and swimming holes along Mission Bay, and perhaps the new and growing waterside paths along Chollas Creek. Our beaches, bays and waterways are central to who we are as San Diegans and to our unique way of life. But in a heavily urbanized region clean water doesn’t just happen; it takes hard work and stewardship.

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OPINION: Why Atkins Bill Would Hurt California’s Water Progress

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Jeffrey Kightlinger

California’s contemporary effort to modernize the water system in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta officially began in 2006.

George W. Bush was president of the United States and Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California. Their administrations signed a planning agreement. And the search for a solution was on.

Thirteen years, two governors and two presidents later, we are all still at it.

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San Diego City Council Takes The Leap Into Community Choice Energy

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Rob Nikolewski

The city of San Diego is about to enter the power-purchasing business.

On a 7-2 vote Tuesday afternoon, the San Diego City Council approved the formation of a community choice aggregation, or CCA, energy program. The council also approved a joint powers agreement that will see San Diego partner with Chula Vista, La Mesa, Encinitas and — by all indications — Imperial Beach to take the place of San Diego Gas & Electric when it comes to purchasing sources of electricity within their jurisdictions.

 

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Newsom Plans To Veto Bill That Would Have Blocked Trump’s Rollback Of Endangered Species Protections

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Phil Willon

Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to veto a bill passed by California lawmakers that would have allowed the state to impose strict endangered species protections and water pumping restrictions for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Newsom’s intentions, confirmed by his spokesman on Saturday, comes less than 24 hours after state lawmakers passed the sweeping legislation.

 

The overall intent of the bill was to shield California from the Trump administration’s rollbacks of environmental laws and workplace protections, but Newsom said the legislation fell short of that promise.

 

 

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School Programs Are Cultivating Interest in Gardening

/in , /by /The San Diego Union Tribune by Heather Holland

Children and gardens have been a common theme throughout literature. From “Jack and the Beanstalk” to “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Secret Garden” to “The Lorax,” our storytellers have found beautiful and fantastical ways of emphasizing the connection between children and things that grow.

In a more real way, strengthening that connection between youngsters and the green world continues today in the blank spaces of school play yards that have been turned into school gardens.

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Agreement Close On Buena Vista Lagoon Restoration

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union- Tribune by Phil Diehl

A proposal to keep deeper, more open water at the western end of the Buena Vista Lagoon is part of modifications that could make a proposed restoration at last palatable to all the property owners involved.

“It would still remove the weir, but would also protect the St. Malo open areas, as well as create some critical areas of deeper water,” said Keith Greer, regional principal planner for the San Diego Association of Governments, in a presentation Tuesday to the Carlsbad City Council.

 

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San Diego Region Leaders To Visit White House Following Latest Beach Closure From Tijuana River Sewage

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union- Tribune by Joshua Emerson Smith

Imperial Beach shorelines remain closed after nearly 100 million gallons of sewage-tainted runoff recently poured over the border from Mexico.

Local officials plan to visit the nation’s capital in coming weeks to urge lawmakers to fund an U.S. EPA blueprint released this summer for capturing sewage-tainted flows in the Tijuana River.

The planned visit, spearheaded by Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina, comes after his city experienced its latest beach closure from water pollution streaming over the Mexico border.

 

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