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Study: Snowpack Will Become a Less Reliable Predictor of Drought in Western U.S.

In the next 16-45 years, two-thirds of Western states may have to turn away from snowpack and find new tools to predict drought.

And by the late century, scientists estimate that area will grow to four-fifths of the western United States, according to a new paper in Nature Climate Change.

“When the temperature warms, the phase of the precipitation is likely to change from snow to rain. So less snowpack is something that’s pretty likely,” said lead author Ben Livneh, an assistant professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Changes in Snowmelt Threaten Farmers in Western U.S.

Farmers in parts of the western United States who rely on snowmelt to help irrigate their crops will be among the hardest hit in the world by climate change, a new study reveals.

California Dam Operators Can’t Dodge Fish-Endangerment Claims

Federal and regional operators of Southern California’s Twitchell Dam lost their bid to dismiss claims the dam causes unlawful killing of endangered steelhead trout, but they won’t face an emergency injunction restricting their operations, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Santa Fe Irrigation District to Appoint New Director, Applications Due May 8

The Santa Fe Irrigation District is seeking a new local representation after Division 1 Director Kenneth Dunford submitted his resignation. Dunford sent notice to the district and his fellow board members that he had made a commitment to move to Carlsbad; his last day of service was March 31.

The vacancy will be filled by the appointment process and the new board director will serve until the November 2020 election.

Shows That Teach Creates Free Online Educational Videos

The San Diego County Water Authority’s long-running and highly popular school assembly programs are suspended as students nationwide stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic. To help students, parents and teachers continue learning about water and science, the Water Authority is partnering with Shows That Teach, a Southern California company that specializes in school education programs, to produce a series of free online educational videos.

Opinion: California Water War Re-ignited

The COVID-19 pandemic, we have been told, is transforming how we live, but one aspect of life in California appears immune to change: the state’s perennial war over water.

President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom may have set aside their incessant squabbling over most issues to cooperate on the pandemic, but they are poised for showdown over who controls the state’s vital water supply.

Shows That Teach-San Diego County Water Authority-Educationa

Shows That Teach Creates Free Online Educational Videos

The San Diego County Water Authority’s long-running and highly popular school assembly programs are suspended as students nationwide stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic. To help students, parents and teachers continue learning about water and science, the Water Authority is partnering with Shows That Teach, a Southern California company that specializes in school education programs, to produce a series of free online educational videos.

The videos will feature topics like local water supplies in the San Diego region, how clean our tap water is, proper ways to wash hands, and more.

“Everything has changed for us water-education school-assembly performers,” said Mark Beckwith, founder of Shows That Teach. “With the schools closed, our young audiences have disappeared. So we simply changed our means, not our mission!”

The professional writers and performers at Shows That Teach are creating fun, informative and engaging online videos to address many water-related topics while holding the attention of young students who are learning from home.

“Just as with our live shows, if kids are not engaged, trying to ‘teach’ is pointless,” said Beckwith. “So our videos are produced in a fun YouTube style.”

Engaging educational videos

The educational videos will each be approximately six minutes long and will be released periodically in coming weeks. Along with water and science topics, the videos will address staying safe and healthy during the coronavirus pandemic and general character affirmations such as generosity for elementary school students.

Watch now on YouTube/Vimeo.

For more than 30 years, the Water Authority’s school education program has been a core component of the agency’s community outreach efforts. The program has reached tens of thousands of students and teachers to improve water knowledge across the region.

Education programs offered by the Water Authority are popular with schools throughout San Diego County, because they are engaging and help teachers meet instructional requirements. Many of the programs are free. For more programs and resources, go to sdcwa.org/education.

San Diego Mayor Thanks Water Treatment Plant Employees

The City of San Diego’s public utilities team including water treatment plant employees continues to work to provide its customers with high-quality drinking water during the coronavirus pandemic.

Pipeline 5 Upgrades in North San Diego County Halfway Complete

This week, crews are installing a carbon fiber lining inside Pipeline 5 in North San Diego County between Fallbrook and Escondido. The work is essential to maintain the 96-inch pipeline that delivers untreated water from Lake Skinner in southwest Riverside County to the Lower Otay Water Treatment Plant in southern San Diego County.

The work began at the end of March when Pipeline 5 was shut down for the installation of two internal steel bulkheads. The bulkheads allow the rest of the pipeline to stay in service while work is performed in an isolated section.

“Ensuring that water supplies continue to be reliable for all of the region’s 3.3 million residents and businesses is our priority,” said Jim Fisher, director of operations and maintenance at the Water Authority. “We are performing this essential repair to one of our largest pipelines to make sure that there are no interruptions in service to our member agencies.”

Framework for Agreements to Aid Health of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a Starting Point With An Uncertain End

Voluntary agreements in California have been touted as an innovative and flexible way to improve environmental conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the rivers that feed it. The goal is to provide river flows and habitat for fish while still allowing enough water to be diverted for farms and cities in a way that satisfies state regulators. But no one said this would be easy.