Tag Archive for: Water Supply

Zero Delta Smelt Found in Latest Search. New Habitat Hopes to Change That

/in , , /by /GV Wireby Jim Jakobs

An annual search for a tiny endangered and contentious fish in the sprawling California Delta has once again come up empty.

The state’s annual Fall Midwater Trawl Survey found no delta smelt in September’s sampling of the critical waterway. The last time the rare fish turned up in a survey was in October 2017 when just two were found. Hoping to reverse the recent trend, the Westlands Water District and the California Department of Water Resources announced the completion of a Delta habitat restoration project on Wednesday.

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Historic Deal Revives Plan for Largest US Dam Demolition

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Gillian Flaccus

An agreement announced Tuesday paves the way for the largest dam demolition in U.S. history, a project that promises to reopen hundreds of miles of waterway along the Oregon-California border to salmon that are critical to tribes but have dwindled to almost nothing in recent years.

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Outsiders Are Wary of San Diego’s Multibillion-Dollar Pipeline Plan

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Opposition is building against San Diego’s dream of erecting a $5 billion pipeline to the Colorado River in the name of resource independence.

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Researchers Predict More Frequent, Severe Megastorms Due to Climate Change

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby City News Service

A study last week predicts that massive, often-devastating “hundred-year storms” may occur three times as often and be 20% more severe in the U.S. due to climate change. The researchers, in a paper published in the American Geophysical Union journal Earth’s Future, found that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase at a rapid rate, the continental U.S. would likely see such mega-storms every 33 years.

The occurrence of historic rainfall events, like the ones that caused Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and California’s Great Flood of 1862, are likely to increase faster than lower-magnitude events, which already happen about every decade, according to UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain.

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First Rains of Year Didn’t Bring Much to Northern California — But Another Storm is Coming

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Molly Burke

In some places, more than an inch of precipitation fell Friday in Northern California while other places, including Sacramento, saw only a fraction of that. Whatever came down in the first rains of the season were a mere drop in the bucket.

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Will the West Figure Out How to Share Water?

/in , , /by /Deseret Newsby Sofia Jeremias

In Crowley County, Colorado, sugar beets and alfalfa used to line the fields. It’s cantaloupes were famous.

But that all changed about three decades ago when most of the farmers sold their water rights to rapidly growing cities on the Front Range.

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Coronavirus Lockdown Caused Dramatic Changes in Water Consumption, Research Finds

/in , , /by /Phys.Orgby Joe Stafford

New research has found that the coronavirus lockdown led to dramatic changes in water consumption in England and Wales, and that some of these are likely to continue even after the pandemic.

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FPUD Making Plans for 100th Anniversary

/in , /by /Fallbrook Village Newsby Joe Naiman

On June 5, 1922, the Fallbrook Public Utility District was incorporated. FPUD has begun the process of planning for the district’s 100th anniversary.

During FPUD’s Oct. 27 board meeting a 5-0 vote created an ad hoc committee which will engage in more detailed planning activities. The board also approved an agreement with Jeff Crider to research and write a book on the history of FPUD.

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Water Utility Hero of the Week-Otay Water District-primary

Water Utility Hero of the Week, Matthew Carriveau, Otay Water District

/in , /by

Editor’s Note: This feature highlights water utility employees in the San Diego region working during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure a safe, reliable and plentiful water supply. The water industry is among the sectors that are classified as essential. Matthew Carriveau, Otay Water District Customer Pump Mechanic I, is the Water Utility Hero of the Week.

Water Utility Hero of the Week: Matthew Carriveau

Job/Agency: Otay Water District Pump Mechanic I

How did you become interested in working in the water industry?

When I was in the U.S. Navy I worked on distilling units turning seawater into drinking water. I really enjoyed operating and maintaining that equipment so I was open to a career that involved similar work.

How has your job changed during the pandemic?

My partner and I drive separate vehicles and we wear masks. Our meetings involve Zoom and take place on the computer.

How are you keeping safe?

I wash my hands a lot more and try to stay away from other people as much as possible.

What are you most looking forward to after the crisis ends?

I look forward to travelling around the country. I have had to cancel 3 or 4 trips that I had planned due to COVID-19 restrictions. My wife and I want to go back to Kauai and that will probably be our first destination when travelling becomes safer.

The Water Utility Hero of the Week highlights essential work performed during the COVID-19 pandemic by employees of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies.

San Diego County Water Authority Member Agency Map

County Renews IRWM Agreement

/in , , /by /Fallbrook Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Integrated Regional Water Management agreement between San Diego County, the city of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority was scheduled to expire Dec. 31, but the IRWM will be extended for at least another five years.

The county Board of Supervisors voted 5-0, Wednesday, Oct. 28, to approve a new memorandum of understanding with the city and the County Water Authority. That agreement will cover the period from Jan. 1, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2025.

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