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Gov. Brown Names 3 To San Diego River Conservancy Governing Board

Gov. Jerry Brown has named four San Diegans to various boards, including three to the San Diego River Conservancy Governing Board. The three are Benjamin Clay of San Diego, Clarissa Falcon of Bonita and Elsa Saxod of San Diego, the governor’s office said Wednesday. The state Legislature created the San Diego River Conservancy in 2002 to preserve the San Diego River area and, in turn, the residents and wildlife that are directly affected by the river’s conservation. The governing board is composed of local, state and federal officials and currently has 13 members, 11 of whom vote on board matters.

Salton Sea Survival Plans Rely On Ocean Water Pumped From Mexico

Once considered pipe dreams, the concept of saving the Salton Sea by tapping ocean water from Mexico, to keep the accidental salt lake from drying up, will get an official consideration at two meetings in the desert this week. The California Natural Resources Agency will look at three competing proposals at a hearing in Coachella Monday, and in El Centro on Thursday.

Jim Madaffer Takes Over As Water Authority Board Chair

Former City Councilman Jim Madaffer will begin a two-year term on Oct. 1 as chair of the San Diego County Water Authority board. Madaffer, who represents San Diego on the 36-member board, was vice chair and in line to assume the top role. He succeeds Mark Muir, who represents the San Dieguito Water District. “The Water Authority is one of our region’s most important institutions, and I’m committed to continuing our long tradition of providing safe and reliable water supplies that sustain 3.3 million people and our $220 billion economy,” said Madaffer.

Water Authority Hands Out First Water-Use Efficiency Award

The San Diego County Water Authority Friday honored Japanese ceramics and electronics manufacturer Kyocera for reducing the annual water usage by its San Diego plant by nearly 20 percent since 2014. The Water Authority presented Kyocera with the Water Innovation & Efficiency Award at the Industrial Environmental Association’s 34th annual Environmental Conference at the San Diego Convention Center. The award is the agency’s inaugural recognition of San Diego companies that are mindful of their water usage. Kyocera has reduced its water usage by more than 6 million gallons since 2014, resulting in an annual reduction of $62,500 in water costs, according to the Water Authority.

Plug Pulled On Seawater Desalination Plant At Camp Pendleton Over Costs, Permits

The San Diego County Water Authority announced Friday it would cease work on a seawater desalination plant at Camp Pendleton because of excessive permitting and cost hurdles by the State Lands Commission. The Water Authority’s Board of Directors approved a $4.05 million contract to develop the desalination pilot facility in 2015, with additional funding from state and federal agencies. However, the necessity for the plant has lessened as local municipalities like the City of San Diego developed their own water purification programs. The Water Authority claims that the State Lands Commission added additional permitting hurdles as the need for the plant dropped.

Council OKs $614 Million For ‘Cutting Edge’ Recycled Drinking Water Project

The San Diego City Council has approved borrowing $614 million to begin construction of the city’s innovative recycled drinking water project. The first phase of Pure Water — scheduled to begin construction in 2019 and open in 2021 — would use proven purification technology to recycle wastewater into 30 million gallons a day of drinking water. The loan comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and will cover 49 percent of the $1.25 billion project. There will be a second reading of the ordinance by the council in two weeks to officially authorize the loan.

OPINION: San Diego’s Summer Tourism Boom Was Brought To You By Water

Three months ago, we predicted then that this would be one of the most successful summers for tourism in our county — and the season didn’t disappoint. More than 11 million people visited the county over the past three months, spending $3.5 billion and boosting our local economy. While it may not seem obvious, record-breaking tourist activity is only possible with access to a safe and reliable water supply. Every hotel stay, beach day and theme park visit bolsters the tourism industry’s annual economic impact of $17.9 billion. Take Comic-Con: 130,000 pop-culture fans attended the convention in July, generating a regional economic impact of $147.1 million.

OPINION: No, Californians Cannot Be Fined For Using Too Much Water

Following California’s adoption of new water efficiency legislation in May, quite a lot has been written about the implications for urban water providers and their customers. The dominant emerging narrative is that by signing these “draconian measures” into law Gov. Jerry Brown has made it “illegal to shower and do laundry on the same day,” that individuals using more than 55 gallons of water per day will be subject to “hefty fines,” and that state authority over local water utilities has expanded in ways that “amount to tyranny.”

Water Authority Conditionally Backs $17 Billion Delta Tunnels Plan

The San Diego County Water Authority’s board of directors gave conditional support Thursday to the California WaterFix, the state’s $17 billion plan to upgrade key water infrastructure.

San Diego joins the Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles and Santa Clara County Water District in Silicon Valley in backing one Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature long-term projects.

The massive project would divert water from the Sacramento River as it enters the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and carry it to existing federal and state pumping stations in the southern part of the delta through one or two 35-mile tunnels.

Wetlands Restoration To Begin As Part Of Del Mar Mesa Preserve Expansion

Nearly 112 acres of habitat and old agricultural lands in the Carmel Valley area will be restored into wetlands starting in September, the San Diego Association of Governments announced Friday. SANDAG acquired the land, referred to as Deer Canyon East, in June, shortly after state and federal agencies claimed successful rehabilitation of the adjacent 31-acre Deer Canyon West site.