In Response to Water Authority’s “There’s More to Drought-Proofing Than Water Mandates”
When we need it most, the San Diego County Water Authority has slashed our mandatory conservation targets from 25 percent to zero. Why? The Water Authority is the public agency that sells us our water; its member agencies bring in more money when we waste water and less money when we conserve water. We called …
San Diego Water Authority Is Pretending the Drought Is Over; It’s Not
Our executive director, Tracie Barham, wrote this op-ed for Voice of San Diego. Tracie calls out the Water Authority for cutting mandatory conservation measures when we need them most. Without mandatory conservation, San Diego is positioning itself to fall back into the same short-sighted planning that built the state’s drought inadequacies in the first place. …
There is a cheaper, better way to manage our water supply
Despite December’s onslaught of El Niño rains, the vast majority of our region’s water suppliers missed state-mandated conservation targets–for a second month in a row. In this new year, still firmly gripped by the worst drought in our state’s history, we cannot settle for this indifference and lose the progress we made in meeting conservation …
2014 Annual Report: The Power of One
The most important number to San Diego Coastkeeper is the power of one—you. Every day, we pursue more fishable, swimmable, drinkable water throughout San Diego County. And none of it happens without your passion, dedication and support. In 2014, our staff of seven brought science, education and advocacy to bear on pressing water issues. Our …
Is San Diego Saving Water?
Though the State Water Board has had water use restrictions in place since August 2014–and they seem to be working, the Monterey Herald quoted Governor Jerry Brown recently saying he’s not ready to add to the restrictions statewide: “I’m reluctant to expand the coercive power of state authority,” Brown said. “In a democracy, it is …
The Vicious Cycle Making Our Drought Worse and Worse (unless we stop it)
We’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news: California has found itself in the worst drought in recorded history. More bad news: Climate change and drought are trapped in a vicious cycle. As one gets worse, so does the other. This vicious cycle is called the “Water-Energy Nexus.” But here’s the good news: …
Birds Losing Habitat as We Pull the Water Out From Under Them
How is San Diego’s water supply connected to other locations throughout our region? This blog, written by PhD Candidate Alida Cantor, looks at a particular connection: birds at the Salton Sea. A quick background The Colorado River supplies over half of San Diego’s water. The Colorado also supplies water for many other users– 25 million …
Water is Too Important to Compare to Gold: Q & A with Waterkeeper Matt O’Malley
With the worst drought in recorded history parching the state, water and water sourcing options are hot topics. In this two part series (read part one), we chat with our Waterkeeper Matt O’Malley, who discusses the Colorado River, future water prospects and much more. 70 percent of California’s precipitation occurs north of Sacramento, yet 75 …
We Haven’t Come Close to Meeting Conservation: Water Supply Q & A with Waterkeeper Matt O’Malley
With the worst drought in recorded history parching the state, water and water sourcing options are hot topics. In this two part series (read part two), we chat with our Waterkeeper Matt O’Malley, who discusses the Colorado River, future water prospects and more. Part 1 of 2 Why is water considered the lifeblood of the …