Southern California

California wildlife officials have concluded an environmental review of the controversial Cadiz water pumping project is severely flawed, and cannot be used to approve a key stream and lakebed alteration permit. The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife says scientists for Cadiz and the Orange County-based Rancho Santa Margarita Water District wrongly claimed that a spring vital to bighorn sheep is not connected to the aquifer from which the project would draw water.

Henry N. Wochholz, who used his strength and knowledge to create a “strong foundation” for Yucaipa Valley growth, died Nov. 24. He was 92. “The contributions, fiscal prudence, and foresight of Hank Wochholz will always be remembered,”  said Joseph Zoba, general manager at the Yucaipa Valley Water District, where Wochholz was a board member for more than four decades.

The storm that pelted Southern California on Thursday flooded roadways, triggered mud and debris flows in the burn areas of Malibu and dumped several inches of snow on mountain passes, shutting down the 5 Freeway through the Grapevine for much of the day. … Since the start of the water year on Oct. 1, downtown Los Angeles has received more than 4 inches of rain — more than the average amount of precipitation for this time of year and significantly more than last year, when about 1/10 of an inch of rain fell.

Related Articles:

• Associated Press: Storm brings flood fears to Southern California burn areas
• The San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego’s wildfire danger plunges after back-to-back storms​
• Los Angeles Times: The fire-and-flood cycle returns with a vengeance in Los Angeles with fierce rain and mudslides
  

Oxnard and Port Hueneme beach closures in recent years shared the same culprit — the Oxnard wastewater treatment plant. When the power goes out and the backup generator doesn’t kick in, wastewater that’s not fully treated heads straight to the ocean.

November wildfires in California exacted a terrible toll, from the horrific devastation of the Camp Fire up north to the destruction wreaked by blazes in the greater Malibu area. Here we provide a detailed FAQ about how the Woolsey Fire affected the Santa Monica Mountains area, what the future holds for our region’s largest natural space, and what it all means for the Bay.

Del Mar is a picturesque place that’s name means “of the sea,” in Spanish. That’s becoming increasingly true. Del Mar is one of countless coastal communities in California and across the U.S. that is seeing the impacts of climate change and preparing for worse to come.

Related Articles:

• The Weather Channel: With Sea Level Rise in Mind, San Francisco Port Gets Dozens of Ideas for Redeveloping Embarcadero Piers
• Marin Independent Journal: Belvedere delays repair work on crumbling seawall

 

The Woolsey fire was a 14-mile-long wall of flames when, on the morning of Nov. 9, it jumped the 101 Freeway and began tearing through the Santa Monica Mountains. Less than a week later, the National Park Service confirmed that the fire had burned nearly 88% of the federal parkland in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.