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In California water news this weekend …
How California’s on-site water recycling can boost conservation
“Despite enduring droughts for much of the past 15 years, California continues to lead the nation in water consumption. During these dry periods, some of the state’s local governments began to look for ways to diversify their water supplies away from lengthy pipelines and expensive, out-of-state sources. In 2012, San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission began developing the Onsite Water Reuse Program to investigate whether water reuse, also known as water recycling, in buildings could be a solution to California’s water problem. “There weren’t any state or national regulations,” Paula Kehoe, the director of water resources at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, told Business Insider. Kehoe and her team created a permitting program to streamline the adoption of on-site water-reuse systems developed by private businesses. … ” Read more from Business Insider.
Gov. Newsom vetoes Wood bill on coastal water regulation during droughts
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a state Assembly bill by Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) on Thursday that would beef up water regulations during droughts on the coast. AB 1272 would have made the State Water Resources Control Board outline guidelines for water use and diversion in some coastal watersheds during times of drought. “While I support efforts to protect coastal watersheds from the extreme dry conditions exacerbated by climate change, this bill creates significant, ongoing costs in the millions of dollars that should be considered in the annual budget process,” Newsom wrote in his veto message. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
FDA elevates recall in 7 states of California farm’s rice, which may contain foreign ‘rodent’ object
“Federal regulators have elevated a recall involving 27,600 bags of wild rice from a Northern California farm distributed to seven states due to concerns that the product may contain a foreign object that “appears to be of rodent origin.” The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said the recall of Lundberg Family Farms Wild Blend Rice one-pound bags would be elevated to a Class II after the Butte County company’s voluntary recall was first issued on May 10. A Class II recall is for a product that “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences” as opposed to a Class III which is not likely to have health effects. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
California reservoir levels dropped by billions of gallons in July. Here’s why
“California’s scorching July heat not only shattered temperature records, it also removed billions of gallons of water from the state’s largest reservoirs. From July 1-18, about 4.1 billion gallons of water evaporated from California’s biggest reservoir, Shasta Lake. This loss highlights challenges water managers face not just this summer, but in a hotter, drier future with a thirstier atmosphere. “If we have less coming in and more going out, we’re going to be struggling to manage the system moving forward if there’s more demand,” said Christopher Pearson, an associate research hydrologist with the Desert Research Institute. “The system gets out of whack, just like your checkbook does.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Science for salmon – Part 2: Who’s who when it comes to baby fish?
“A Juvenile Production Estimate (JPE), as we discussed in Part 1 of this essay, is an estimate of the number and timing of outmigrating juvenile spring-run Chinook Salmon (“spring run”) as they enter the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is an important tool for protecting these fish because it helps water managers anticipate when these salmon may be at risk of becoming entrained in water diversions as well as serving as an important check on the status of this population. In this part, I’ll describe the cutting-edge genetic and modeling tools we’re using to distinguish spring run from the other Central Valley Chinook. This series will finish with a final installment full of the quantitative modeling we’re developing to pull in all the salmon and environmental data and actually produce a forecast of juvenile spring-run production. … ” Read more from the IEP.
Solano releases California Forever report
“Solano County raised concerns about the impacts of California Forever’s East Solano Plan, citing questions over water, traffic, taxes, agriculture, Travis Air Force Base, and other issues in its initiative report released Thursday evening. The county estimates that the first phase of the project would lead to an estimated annual fiscal deficit of $5.9 million for the county and $6.5 million for the fire district, and the full buildout would lead to annual deficits of $103.1 million and $ 88.8 million, respectively. The report was compiled to outline the potential impact and magnitude of the plan and was agreed upon at a Board of Supervisors Meeting last month. The report will be presented to the board on Tuesday morning when supervisors will decide whether to place the initiative on the ballot or enter a development agreement directly. … ” Read more from the Vacaville Daily Reporter.
California heat has dried out tall grass fed by winter rain, making the fire outlook more worrisome
“With weeks still to go before the heart of fire season hits, more than 242,000 acres have already burned in California — about double the typical area for this time of year, according to statistics from the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The number of fires that have started so far is typical for this period of the summer, but intense early summer heat waves have dried out the landscape and raised the wildfire risk, turning a seasonal outlook that had looked relatively rosy into a major question mark. “The wildfire situation throughout the West has continued to escalate, and unfortunately I think will escalate considerably further in the days to come,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said in a briefing Thursday. “The last 30 days have been the warmest period on record for a very large portion of California and the West.” … ” Read more from NBC News.
In commentary this weekend …
CA’s new mandatory water conservation rules punish inland cities and agriculture
Katy Grimes writes, “California’s drought conditions are actually historically normal. So are our occasional heavy wet winters – Despite Gavin Newsom’s moldy talking point that there is a climate crisis in California and the state is facing “a more extreme future.” It’s not hard to plan for droughts and wet years – if politicians were honest. But Newsom’s goal isn’t to deliver more water to the people – it’s to thrust the state into a permanent water crisis. Remember these figures: 50% of California’s water supply goes to environmental uses right off the top. Of the remaining 50%, urban use is only 10% and agriculture uses 40%. State water officials and legislators are once again talking about water conservation-only priorities while water storage projects are perpetually delayed. … ” Read more from the California Globe.
When government agencies mistreat environmental justice partners
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, writes, “This short but important newsletter is about one thing – Restore the Delta’s view of the deteriorating commitment from the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) to Delta communities. Restore the Delta, Little Manila Rising, California Indian Environmental Alliance, and the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness worked with DSC for three years to produce the Delta Environmental Justice Report. While this work was done collectively, I am only writing this on behalf of Restore the Delta based on our organization’s observations. What started as a wonderful government-CBO collective began to sour several months ago with mistakes being made by new DSC project managers including lost invoices and poor outreach to participating organizations. These seemingly small but significant signs were our foreshadow into the DSC’s neglect towards the communities in need of direct government care. Our last collective meeting led to a metaphorical wrestling match for participants to receive a copy of the report that was submitted to Governor Newsom’s office for approval. … ” Continue reading at Restore the Delta.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Randy Record announces retirement from EMWD’s Board of Directors
“After 24 years representing Division 3 of Eastern Municipal Water District’s (EMWD) service area, Board Member Randy Record, announced today that he will not be seeking reelection in November 2024. He will be retiring from service on EMWD’s Board of Directors effective December 6, 2024. Since EMWD’s formation in 1950, there have only been four Division 3 representatives serving San Jacinto and surrounding areas. Record and his father, Clayton Record, Jr., are two of those representatives, collectively serving for 30 of the agency’s nearly 75-year history. “It’s been an honor to serve on EMWD’s Board for more than two decades,” said Record. “EMWD has always been committed to forward-thinking principles which not only provides its communities with the highest quality and reliable services possible, but also serves as an example of a premier organization for other agencies across the state and nation to emulate. … ” Read the full article at Eastern Municipal Water District.
Jeff Sutton: Coming home
“There is a saying that goes; “you can never go home again,” but Jeff Sutton is proving you can. The phrase refers to our tendency to have unrealistic or only nostalgic memories of where we spent our formative years, but for Sutton, he is returning to the irrigation district his great-great-grandfather helped create and the place his family has called home for more than 150 years. What he plans to do next, is not relive the past, but help usher in a new era for the Sacramento Valley. In the 19th-Century, the Suttons ventured west seeking new opportunities and a new way of life. They’d end up on a plot of land just north of what is now the town of Maxwell. Soon after planting their first crops, George Mock Sutton set forth a family tradition of servitude to the region. Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
Robyn Grimm, PhD, named as new CEO of the California Water Data Consortium
“The California Water Data Consortium is excited to welcome Robyn Grimm, PhD, as its new chief executive officer, effective August 1. Dr. Grimm brings her extensive experience in water research, policy, and data infrastructure to the role, aiming to drive innovative solutions for California’s pressing water data challenges. “We are thrilled to welcome Robyn and her visionary leadership to our team,” says Kristine Johnson, a member of the Consortium’s Board of Directors and Chair of the CEO Search Committee. “Robyn’s dynamic energy, innovative spirit, and collaborative approach are needed to advance the Consortium’s impact uniting people and institutions to ensure all Californians have access to the best water data. With Robyn at the helm, supported by our dedicated and talented team, the Consortium is poised to spearhead new water data infrastructure investments and solutions necessary for faster response to water and climate emergencies, improved access to safe, affordable drinking water, and adapting water management for climate change.” … ” Read more from the California Water Data Consortium.
Appointments …
Anne Hoskins, of San Luis Obispo, has been appointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Hoskins has been Senior Vice President of Policy and Market Development – Energy Technology at Generac Power Systems since 2022 and Advisor at Swift Solar since 2022. She was an Advisor at Brimstone from 2022 to 2023. Hoskins was Chief Policy Officer at Sunrun from 2016 to 2022. She was a Member of on the Maryland State Public Service Commission from 2012 to 2016. Hoskins was Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability at PSEG from 2007 to 2013 and a Visiting Research Scholar at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University from 2012 to 2013. She held several roles at Verizon from 1998 to 2007, including Senior Counsel and Regulatory Counsel. Hoskins was an Associate at McCarter and English from 1995 to 1998. She was an Attorney at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency from 1994 to 1995. Hoskins was Public Capital Program Coordinator for the Center for Policy Alternatives from 1989 to 1991. She served as a Policy Advisor in the New Jersey Governor’s Office of Policy and Planning from 1986 to 1989. Hoskins is a member of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Economics and Business Management from Cornell University, a Master of Public Affairs degree from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Hoskins is a Democrat.
Eric Rodriguez, of South Pasadena, has been appointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Rodriguez has been Vice President at Barclays since 2024. He was Vice President at Citi from 2021 to 2024. Rodriguez held multiples roles at Samuel A. Ramirez & Co. Inc. from 2015 to 2018, including Vice President and Associate Vice President. He was an Associate at BOK Financial from 2015 to 2017. Rodriguez was an Associate at Bank of America Merrill Lynch from 2013 to 2014. He was a Water Treatment Specialist for the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2005. Rodriguez is a Trustee Emeritus at Brown University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Brown University and a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Rodriguez is a Democrat.
Podcasts …
Science-in-Short: Environmental DNA: An Interview with Andrea Schreier
“Living organisms everywhere are leaving behind clues of their presence. Known as environmental DNA, or eDNA for short, this genetic information is being used by conservation ecologists like Andrea Schreier to better understand the dynamics and health of our California Bay and Delta ecosystems.”
UNFOLD: That dam removal project
The world’s largest dam removal project is underway along the 250-mile Klamath River in California and Oregon. By the end of 2024, four of the river’s six dams will be demolished. UC Davis scientists are studying whether it will help salmon populations rebound. The fishes’ ear bones could hold clues to their future. In this episode of Unfold, host Amy Quinton discusses the topic with co-host Kat Kerlin, who has written a multi-media story about whether restoring the river to its natural state will also restore decimated salmon populations.
TAPPED: Taming the Colorado
“The Colorado River is the most dammed waterway in the US, but what was it like before? We go back to the battle over Parker Canyon Dam and how it changed Arizona’s rights to the river’s water forever.”
WE GROW CALIFORNIA: What the heck is the Chevron deference with Paul Minasian
“Paul Minasian, long-practicing California water rights attorney, is back! Paul joins Darcy and Darcy in the studio to explain the Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS)overturning of what was known as the Chevron doctrine. Darcy and Darcy ask Paul about the impacts this ruling may have on Federal (and State) Water Project Operations, water projects, timing impacts, and more. Spoiler Alert! The United States Constitution plays a key role moving forward! Imagine that! Listen in!”
TALKING UNDER WATER: SCOTUS overturns Chevron deference. Now what?
In June, the United States Supreme Court overturned a 40-year-old precedent called “Chevron deference” in the “Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo” case. Chevron deference essentially meant that in cases where interpretation of a law developed by Congress was grey the courts would yield their decisions to the primacy agency in charge of enforcing the law. With this latest ruling, deference will not be given to those agencies, however, and the courts will be the ones to decide the outcome. To better understand the impact this might have on the water industry, this episode features two interviews. In the first, Co-host Bob Crossen spoke with Jessie Rosell, a partner in Lathrop GPM’s PFAS practice, about the impacts of Chevron on PFAS regulations and how the regulatory process may shift and change in the wake of his latest Supreme Court ruling. In the second interview, Co-host Katie Johns spoke with Seth Brown, executive director for the National Municipal Stormwater Alliance, about the impacts he anticipates seeing and what it means for the water sector.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Humanitarianism
Yemen is a country that had abundant water in the past but experiences scarcity of water today. Agriculture, specifically, the Khat trees has resulted in a severe water scarcity issue that has impacted their communities. Solving this problem requires financial help from the international communities. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
Weekend reads …
NEW BOOK: Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability
“Flooding, drought, forever chemicals: these dire stories are symptoms of a global water system under serious stress. Creating effective water management practices requires a wholistic understanding of water management in the twenty-first century. In Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability (Publication date: June 27, 2024; Island Press), Shimon C. Anisfeld, Senior Lecturer II and Research Scientist at the Yale School of the Environment, provides students, professionals, and policy makers with the critical knowledge base for understanding and managing complex water problems. Anisfeld explores the entire gamut of water issues, from dams to desalination, flooding to famine, prior appropriation to pumped storage, and sanitation to stormwater.
How California’s weather — weird, wonderful, catastrophic — shapes the state and its people
“The winter before last, my wife and I were driving back to L.A. from Mammoth when our car began veering across the lane markers as dust devils rose from the desert floor. We were in an Antelope Valley windstorm. A barely visible 18-wheeler about 100 yards ahead of us suddenly toppled over. By the time we had crept through the storm, we had counted at least a dozen more semis lying on the shoulder like tipped cows. What had caused such violent winds? Did we miss any warning signs? Was such strange weather in fact remarkably common? William A. Selby’s comprehensive account of California’s varied meteorological phenomena, multitudinous microclimates and seasonal extremes, “The California Sky Watcher: Understanding Weather Patterns and What Comes Next,” solves many such mysteries of the climate that creates — and is created by — the state’s landscape and civilization. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Klamath Water Users Association reporting impacts to irrigation caused by power shut-offs
“The Klamath Water Users Association, a group that represents farms and ranches in the Klamath Reclamation Project, says that de-energizing is impacting ranchers in the area who use irrigation pumps on their crops. Irrigation pumps are powered by electricity, bringing water away from local lakes and marshlands into drier areas. Pacific Power de-energizes lines in impacted areas during fire season to reduce wildfire risk, but services that require that energy are also impacted. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
300K gallons of water used illegally at Klamath County marijuana grow site
“Three people were arrested on multiple charges, including the illegal use of water, during an authorized raid at an illegal marijuana grow on Keno Worden Road Thursday. According to the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, the raid was on property owned by 70-year-old Roxie Ann Ottenbacher. During the search, police found five large greenhouses on the property which contained approximately 3,780 illegal marijuana plants. They also found thousands of feet of PVC piping, plastic drip tubing, potentially harmful fertilizers, as well as copious amounts of trash and debris. Additionally, police say that over the course of three months, an estimated 295,000 gallons of water was used illegally at the grow site. … ” Read more from KOBI.
Sen. McGuire announces rebuild of Rio Dell’s water system post-earthquakes
“Senate President pro-Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast), along with state and local leaders and the Rio Dell community, kicked off a total rebuild of the city’s water system Wednesday, July 17, at the Douglas Street water tank in Rio Dell. The project Sen. McGuire helped lead is funded by a $12.9 million investment by the State of California approved in the days following the December 2022 earthquake. Once completed, McGuire says the planned upgrades will completely replace the City’s aging water system, including major damages sustained in the 2022 earthquake, at zero expense to residents. … ” Read more from KRCR.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Nevada County emergency water shortage is real
“A statewide water organization recently published the story “NID Faces Dry Summer After Wet Winter,” alerting its public agency members about the emergency water shortage: “The Nevada Irrigation District (NID) is conserving like it’s 2022, as if the last two wet winters never happened while water levels at two of its reservoirs plummet toward the halfway mark,” wrote the Association of California Water Agencies. As unusual as our local emergency water shortage is, it is real. The situation has nothing to do with drought or NID’s overall water supply. The district entered this year with above-average reservoir storage with ample Sierra Nevada snowpack to provide its source water. The issue is severe damage to infrastructure high up at Lake Spaulding, which is owned by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Until that damage is repaired, no water can flow into NID’s primary conveyance canals that bring water down to the foothills. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
PG&E confirms delay to South Yuba Pipe repair until mid-September
“The South Yuba Pipe, an approximate one-mile stretch of the South Yuba Canal directly below Spaulding owned by PG&E, was damaged in a rockslide in February. Repairs were slated to be completed by the end of August. Now, it’s mid-September. Heavy-lift helicopters were to bring in pipe segments and set them on the concrete footings this week. No heavies were seen in the vicinity of Spaulding and so we asked PG&E for an update. Spokesperson Paul Moreno replied to our email, stating: “PG&E’s contracted heavy-lift helicopters are being diverted to support critical state and federal agencies’ firefighting needs as a result of the increased national fire activity and critical need for heavy-lift helicopters. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
Sewage sent into Lake Tahoe after line break. Beach closed but no threat to public: ‘It just smells bad’
“Sewage overflowed into Lake Tahoe after a private contractor working in Carnelian Bay hit the sewer export pipeline Thursday night. Crews from the North Tahoe Public Utility District have repaired the pipeline after it was breached around 8 p.m., but the area around Carnelian West Beach was closed until further notice after sewage overflowed into a parking lot and into the lake, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Department and county health officials. “All local and water quality agencies have been notified and the NTPUD is working with authorities to sample and test the water quality,” said the utility in a news statement. The department also reassured residents there was no risk to the area’s drinking water system. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Northern California town lifts fluoride requirement it once fought for in 1950s
“The legacy of a public health achievement in Oroville — adding fluoride in drinking water — is now on its way to being reversed as Oroville councilors pleaded for personal choice over its widely-researched public health benefits, leaving health experts worried on dental care costs likely increasing for rural children. The City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday and passed an ordinance to begin working with the California Public Utilities Commission on lifting its fluoride requirement with Cal Water. The requirement has been in place since 1957, thanks to a grassroots movement of citizens in the late 1940s and 1950s which pushed the City Council at that time to directly request the CPUC to order Cal Water to add fluoride; tension between the city and the utility ran deep at the time. … ” Read more from the East Bay Times.
NAPA/SONOMA
Tailor state water rules to local needs
Melanie Bagby, member of the Cloverdale City Council and the board of directors of the League of California Cities, writes, “Where the Eel River and the Russian River watersheds meet on the North Coast, the century-old Potter Valley water infrastructure project plays a pivotal role in providing water to the city of Cloverdale. The forthcoming changes to the Potter Valley project — coupled with new, sweeping state water conservation standards — will significantly impact the water supply and how much it will cost to secure water for our community. These changes must be regionalized to meet the unique water needs of our community. The decommissioning of the PG&E-owned Potter Valley Project — a 1900s-era hydroelectric facility that provides energy and water from the Eel River to communities south, including cities of Ukiah, Cloverdale, and Healdsburg — will significantly impact our region’s water supply and present a challenge in meeting residents’ existing water demands. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
BAY AREA
Here’s how ocean temperatures are impacting weather in San Francisco
“Another heat wave is hitting inland California, with triple-digit temperatures possible less than 20 miles from San Francisco on Friday. Parts of the city may briefly hit 80 degrees Friday before dropping back to the 60s and 70s for the weekend. While much of California experiences its hottest month on record, San Francisco remains relatively chilly. The average high this July is 70.1 degrees at the downtown weather station near Duboce Triangle. This is far from unusual, as a Chronicle analysis found San Francisco has the coldest summer of any U.S. city with more than 500,000 residents. The city averages just one day at or above 80 degrees each July. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
CENTRAL COAST
Harmful plankton bloom hits Capitola, impacting local health and economy
“A harmful plankton bloom, commonly referred to as a red tide, is washing up in Capitola, impacting the local community’s health and economy. “Sometimes you’ll see the county posting signs, quarantining mussels and other shellfish if they detected some kind of a toxin in that shellfish, they don’t want humans to eat it,” said Santa Cruz Harbor Master Blake Anderson. “It can definitely slow the fishing down. Fishing isn’t that great in a red tide, but we are still seeing some people do it.” Surfer Rafael Petroni described the water as “dark, murky brownish water that sometimes has a little smell to it and tastes a little different.” … ” Read more from KSBY.
$5.5M water tank project in Santa Paula nearly finished
“Two replacement water tanks in Santa Paula that store supplies for drinking and firefighting are nearing completion. Construction for the Mesa Tanks Replacement Project began in 2022 and a couple of months of work remain, said Jonathan Royas, the city’s deputy city manager. The old tanks were rusted out and water leaked, he said. One new tank is online and the other needs to be tested before going online, Royas said. The water tanks are located off Montclair Drive on a hilltop west of Highway 150. On Tuesday, officials gathered to acknowledge nearly $960,000 in federal funds for the project secured by Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Westlake Village. Brownley secured the money in the fiscal year 2024 interior, environment and related agencies funding bill, her office said. The money was first announced in March. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
EASTERN SIERRA
Another delay for Rush Creek restoration
“Aging Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) infrastructure is further delaying the construction of the long-awaited modification to Grant Lake Reservoir necessary to reliably deliver the high flows needed to restore Rush Creek. Moving water around Grant Dam into Rush Creek has long involved an engineered work-around with limited ability to mimic natural runoff in wetter-than-average years. Now, in addition to that unresolved situation, a rotovalve that controls water flow into the aqueduct intake tunnel has partially failed, an the California Department of Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams has told DWP that the rotovalve must be replaced before the long-planned outlet construction can begin. The 88-year-old rotovalve suffered cavitation damage—pitting the metal components inside the valve. Running the system at lower capacity is the only way to prevent complete failure. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Excessive heat warnings in effect for desert and mountain communities in Southern California
“An excessive heat warning was issued Saturday for Southern California’s inland and desert communities, with triple-digit temperatures forecast through next week, bringing an elevated fire risk to some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Portions of Los Angeles County, including Palmdale and Lancaster, as well as smaller towns in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley, can expect to see temperatures of 100 to 110 degrees. The warning is in effect through 10 p.m. Wednesday. Heat warnings were also issued for mountain areas of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and for desert communities in the Inland Empire such as Victorville and Apple Valley. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SAN DIEGO
Measure to fund San Diego’s stormwater infrastructure will not be on November ballot
“San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera has decided to withhold a proposed stormwater funding measure from the November 2024 ballot, he announced Friday. Elo-Rivera, along with Council President Pro tem Joe LaCava and a coalition of community advocates, decided to withdraw efforts to place the item on the ballot because of “substantial changes” to ACA 1, a proposed state ballot measure which, if approved by voters, would have set the threshold for voter approval of local infrastructure funding at 55%. “Revenue specifically dedicated for our stormwater system is the best way to address longstanding needs and make San Diego a cleaner, healthier and safer city,” Elo-Rivera said. “The two-thirds voter approval threshold for infrastructure revenue is undemocratic and has stood as an impediment to San Diego making critical improvements. Our coalition saw real hope in the proposal to change the threshold to 55% and were confident voters would strongly support the ballot measure we were advancing. … ” Read more from NBC 7
SEE ALSO: Politics Report: Elo-Rivera Pulls Plug on Flood Prevention Ballot Measure, from the Voice of San Diego
Tijuana River sewage flows into San Diego County last year broke all records since 2000
“The amount of contaminated water laced with raw sewage that is flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border into San Diego County exceeded 44 billion gallons in 2023, the most on record in the last quarter-century, according to a new report. And this year’s volumes could surpass all records should the region get more damaging rainstorms. As of June, the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) has recorded 33.55 billion gallons of polluted water flows in the river, which makes its way into the Tijuana River Valley and the Pacific Ocean. That’s enough water to fill more than 50,000 Olympic swimming pools. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: Rep. Juan Vargas says he’s hopeful about Mexico’s efforts to address sewage pollution, from KPBS
