It was just 18 months ago when the commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation warned that the Colorado Water River system was in danger of collapse unless wholesale water use reductions were enacted — cutbacks much bigger than the system has ever seen.
On June 27, the San Diego County Water Authority kicked off its first Citizens Water Academy since 2020, when COVID-19 forced a shutdown of the program. The academy offers attendees the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Water Authority’s life-sustaining mission.
Participants learn firsthand about critical water issues affecting the region and go behind the scenes with water planners, managers, and engineers for an inside look at the water delivery system.
The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors on August 25, announced the hiring of David J. Edwards as the agency’s new general counsel after a nationwide search. He starts his post on Oct. 3, replacing Mark Hattam, who is staying on staff for a few months before retirement to help with the transition.
Edwards has served as deputy city attorney and lead counsel for the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power since 2011, defending the city’s water rights in the Eastern Sierra and the Los Angeles Aqueduct. He brings nearly 17 years of public service at LADWP, the past 12 of which directly relate to water, natural resources, power, and public utility/agency issues. Edwards received his juris doctorate degree from Arizona State University, and he is bar-certified in California, Arizona, and Colorado.
Edwards’ current practice focuses on water rights/resource development, the Endangered Species Act, Native American issues, sustainability, legislative/regulatory affairs, and other environmental considerations related to public power/alternative energy development, CEQA and compliance with open government laws, including the Brown Act. He also brings significant experience working on issues related to the Colorado River, the Imperial Irrigation District, and the Salton Sea.
The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors on Thursday announced the hiring of David J. Edwards as the agency’s new general counsel after a nationwide search. He starts his post on Oct. 3.
Hattam, the outgoing general counsel, started with the Water Authority in 2016 and has spent most of the past three decades litigating water issues in California.
“It’s hard to lose Mark Hattam. He served the Water Authority with distinction and handled extremely complex issues with great intellect and instinct,” said Water Authority Board Chair Gary Croucher. “At the same time, we are thrilled to welcome David Edwards, who brings with him a wealth of experience and impressed the Board with both his legal acumen and his knowledge of Western water. We look forward to his many contributions to the San Diego region.”
As general counsel, Edwards will advise the Water Authority’s Board and executive staff on a range of legal matters, including the agency’s litigation over rates set by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The Water Authority is the San Diego region’s wholesale water supplier, providing imported supplies and desalinated seawater to 24 member agencies that serve 3.3 million residents and support a $240 billion economy.
The Board of Directors approved Edwards’ terms of employment during its regular monthly meeting. Edwards will report directly to the Board.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the Water Authority’s team of dedicated water professionals and board members at this critical juncture in the history of water in the West,” Edwards said. “San Diego County has positioned itself well for the future – but we know that future will be full of complex challenges that require continued determination to sustain the region’s economy and quality of life.”
A two-day conference in San Diego and Tijuana seeks to forge regional solutions for cross-border water issues by breaking down academic, political and administrative boundaries.
The theme of RE:BORDER 2019 is “The Water We Share.” RE:BORDER is a new initiative from San Diego State University President Adela de la Torre that each year will examine a significant transborder issue of the California-Baja California border region in partnership with our Mexican university and community collaborators.
Hundreds of Bakersfield agriculture, oil and political leaders came together March 7 to examine the challenges and opportunities associated with providing California residents and businesses with a secure, reliable supply of clean water. Lest the wet winter create a sense of complacency around one of the state’s most vital needs, specialists from various fields urged collective attention to the costly and increasingly complex problems that surround sourcing, storing and conveying water across the Golden State.
Since taking office Jan. 7, Gov. Gavin Newsom has not indicated how he intends to approach one of the state’s most pressing issues: water. Former Gov. Jerry Brown wasted eight years trying to force California to push through his misguided $19 billion Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta twin-tunnels scheme, which wouldn’t add a drop of new water to the state’s supply. It’s time to set a new course. Newsom should signal that it’s a new day in California water politics by embracing a more-sustainable water policy that emphasizes conservation and creation of vast supplies of renewable water.
The biggest ticket item on California’s November ballot, tucked between the governor’s race and local elections, is $8.9 billion in bonds to help modernize California’s sprawling waterworks. The measure, which was authored by a former state water director, would fund scores of projects, from shiny new desalination plants to upgrades of old dams and aqueducts to restoration of tainted watersheds, including San Francisco Bay. The initiative, Proposition 3, comes as a historic drought has exposed the vulnerabilities of California’s water infrastructure, and it has become apparent that hotter, drier times ahead will test the adequacy of state supplies.
When I started my term as board chair of the San Diego County Water Authority in October 2016, California was mired in drought but the San Diego region had sufficient supplies regardless of the weather. Thankfully, just a few months later, epic rain and snow significantly improved water supply conditions statewide, but not before validating our long-term strategy to develop a drought-resilient portfolio of water resources that protect the region during dry times. In fact, we had enough water to store 100,000 acre-feet of water for the future – a testament to regional foresight, coordination, hard work and investments by ratepayers.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
