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California’s Water Board Eyeing New Water-saving Regulations Statewide

Many Californians could soon be required to cut back on their water use, but some question if it will go far enough. In a marathon eight-hour workshop Wednesday, the state’s Water Resources Control Board gave the public a chance to weigh in on its new strategy to increase water supplies statewide to protect against future drought conditions.

California Proposes Delaying Rules Aimed at Reducing Water on Lawns, Concerning Environmentalists

California regulators this week proposed delaying new rules aimed at reducing how much water people use on their lawns, drawing praise from agencies that said they needed more time to comply but criticism from environmentalists who warn that the delay would damage the state’s already scarce supply.

Funding for Water Projects Takes $200 Million Bite

The state’s money problems are taking a $200 million bite out of funding for drinking and wastewater projects.

The state Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday to approve the cuts as part of a statewide belt tightening effort.

Slew of Water Bills Swirl Around Sacramento

Senior water rights holders have arguably the sweetest deal in California water. They often have ironclad deals and some even get access to substantial water during the worst of drought.

But three new bills in the state legislature are taking aim at senior water rights in an attempt to level the playing field.

Opinion: California’s Water Battles Continue Despite Record Rain and Snow

On Monday, California water officials slogged through deep snow 7,000 feet above sea level, west of Lake Tahoe, to affirm what everyone already knew: A series of Pacific storms has generated record-level amounts of precipitation, filling reservoirs, inundating low-lying towns and fields and threatening more disastrous flooding as the Sierra snowpack melts.

Its negative aspects aside, the immense amount of rain and snow is welcome relief from drought that has plagued the state for the past three years.

California Water Board Urged to Declare Emergency at Mono Lake

California authorities face renewed pressure to preserve the valuable salty waters of the Mono Lake — as despite recent rainfall, a historic drought and demands from the Los Angeles area have depleted it.

In a workshop Wednesday, the state Water Resources Control Board discussed Mono Lake’s current conditions amid the impacts of severe drought and ongoing diversions.

Opinion: Western States Play Game of Chicken Over Colorado River

You would have to be at least a septuagenarian to remember “Rebel Without a Cause,” a 1955 movie that starred James Dean and depicted the lives of aimless teenagers.

The film’s most memorable scene was a game of chicken in which two boys raced cars side by side toward a cliff and the first one to bail out was the loser. The “winner,” however, died when his car hurtled over the cliff.

El Centro Implements New Drought Mandates

The City Council voted unanimously to move into Stage 2 of the city’s water shortage contingency plan as required by the state Water Resources Control Board in response to increasing drought conditions.

The July 5 vote came in direct response to an emergency regulation passed on May 24 by the Water Resources Control Board, which required water suppliers, such as cities or the Imperial Irrigation District, to implement Stage 2 of their respective plans, according to El Centro Public Works Director Abraham Compos.

Erica Wolski Hired as Ramona Water District’s New General Manager

Erica Wolski, a former senior technical manager at Woodard & Curran, is the new general manager at Ramona Municipal Water District.

Wolski, 44, who starts in the position on Wednesday, has been a Ramona resident since 2019 and a San Diegan since 2010. She said she is looking forward to helping the water district develop its transparency and customer engagement.

Local Group Files Papers in Fight Over Kern River

A new player has entered the legal fray over the Kern River — the public. Actually, it’s a consortium of Bakersfield and other nonprofit, public interest groups that hope to sway the state Water Resources Control Board to, ultimately, re-water the mostly dry Kern River through town. The Flowing Kern Coalition made its debut Tuesday when it filed a notice of intent to appear at an upcoming proceeding on the Kern River. The Water Board’s Administrative Hearing Office announced in July it would begin the process of deciding whether the river has available water and, if so, how much on Aug. 17. This all stems from a 2007 court ruling that the Kern Delta Water District had forfeited some of its rights to the river.