[Lars] Mitchell, 52, a contractor, has succinctly hit upon twin facts that have driven San Diego County water policy for 70 years: the region does not own most of its water supply, and water is often a zero-sum business — for every winner there must be a loser.
When the San Vicente Dam opened in 1943, engineers were already thinking about how to make it higher — a vision celebrated Wednesday by many who came to dedicate a new version of the venerable structure that’s 117 feet taller than the original.
The Rainbow Municipal Water District, which is the focus of a takeover bid by the larger Fallbrook Public Utilities District (FPUD), has filed a claim against FPUD saying its attempt to absorb Rainbow constitutes a breach of contract.
When the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a new Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems Permit last year, there was great alarm on the part of local governments, real estate developers and others affected by it.
State lawmakers are deep into what hopefully are final negotiations for a major bond issue asking voters to provide billions for critical water projects throughout this drought-plagued state.
“The crews are building what boosters say represents California’s best hope for a drought-proof water supply: the largest ocean desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere. The $1 billion project will provide 50 million gallons of drinking water a day for San Diego County when it opens in 2016.”
“San Diego will spend $1 million during the next two years educating the public about the city’s plan to recycle treated sewage into drinking water. The money, which the City Council approved on Tuesday, will help San Diego move forward with plans to create a drought-proof water supply that would decrease reliance on expensive imported water.”
“The weekend before nine wildfires erupted in the San Diego area, scores of state firefighters were sent along with engines and aircraft to the region – knowing that the forecast of a heat wave and gusty winds was setting the stage for a tinderbox.”
“Every once in a while, strange odors drift over the waters of the Oceanside Harbor, prompting some boat owners to speculate that their neighbors may be illegally dumping sewage in the marina.”
“Brush fires broke out Wednesday in more than half a dozen spots in northern San Diego County and spread at a dangerous pace as hot, dry, erratic winds, backed by record temperatures, raked Southern California for a second day.”
“Nine fires in all were burning an area of more than 14 square miles as another day of sky-high temperatures and dry winds were expected Thursday, county officials said.”
“When San Diego County was hit with harsh Santa Ana winds late last month — in the middle of spring, for the first time in anyone’s memory — that served as a stark warning of the possibility of a horrible fire season because of California’s extreme drought.”
“A pair of wildfires flared and thousands of residents fled amid drought conditions and spiking heat in California, but both blazes had calmed as night fell and the winds that had whipped them diminished.”
“Driven by hot, dry winds, fast-moving brush fires in San Diego and Santa Barbara counties burned hundreds of acres Tuesday and forced mandatory evacuations in both areas.”
“The San Diego County Water Authority must do more to address the environmental impacts of its water supply sources, San Diego Coastkeeper said in a new lawsuit.
“The suit, filed Monday in San Diego Superior Court, cites alleged violations of the California Environmental Quality Act.”
“Less outdoor watering, limiting vehicle washing and using recycled water whenever practical is being urged by a San Diego City Council panel in response to the region’s ongoing drought.”
“Helix Water District customers will be able to give insight, information and input at a May workshop as the district prepares to unveil its first strategic plan.”
“The transfer of water from the Imperial Irrigation District to San Diego and the Coachella Valley has netted the IID nearly $85 million over a 10-year period, and is expected to net the district more than $2.7 billion from 2009 through 2047, according to IID projections.”
“The Escondido City Council endorsed a plan Wednesday to spend an estimated $285 million over the next 15 years on infrastructure that would allow the city to transform all its sewage into irrigation water.
“Council members said it was the best option for the city, where lack of sewer capacity threatens to stymie future commercial and residential development.”
