Drought in San Diego County
Good Morning, I’m Matt Hoffman, in for Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, September 1st.
San Diego County may not be immune to the drought. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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Yesterday, state lawmakers approved the CARE Court plan proposed by Governor Newsom.
The new civil court system would allow a county judge to evaluate people suffering from addiction and severe mental illness, and potentially order treatment and housing for them.
Supporters see it as an alternative to the broken system that cycles people through jails, hospitals and back to the streets.
Civil and disability rights groups have argued CARE Court would violate civil rights and criminalize homelessness.
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As this week of excessive heat continues, Cal Iso called for another Flex Alert today.
The agency is asking for voluntary conservation from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight.
Ways you can reduce energy use include raising your thermostat temp to 78 , not using dishwashers, washers and dryers or electric car chargers,
And of course, turning off lights.
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San Diegans are getting the clearest picture yet of which neighborhoods are most impacted by incarceration.
New data from the 20-20 Census compiled by the Prison Policy Initiative shows which areas of California send the most people to state prisons.
Our media partner inewsource reports that residents in Barrio Logan, Southeast San Diego and Encanto are twice as likely to be in prison than the average Californian.
Advocacy groups say the data highlights disparities faced by African Americans and Latinos in the criminal justice system.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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Local water managers say San Diego County is mostly protected from the drought that’s squeezing water supplies in California and the Western United States.
But KPBS Environment reporter Erik Anderson says the region is not immune to the mega-drought punishing the west.
San Diego County’s Olivenhain reservoir is an anomaly in the west. The man-made lake is pretty much full. “The reservoir is a 24-thousand acre foot reservoir that supplies water to our aqueduct. Nadir Baig says that’s a year’s worth of water for about 60-thousand families. He’s an operator here, moving water in and out of the reservoir located near Escondido. This lake was built to help the region cope if imported water gets cut off. San Diego County Water Authority officials say the emergency water is just one tool they’ve developed over three decades to keep local water taps running. “We are secure, but we still need to do our part. Because these hotter dryer conditions are our foreseeable future.” The Authority’s Kelly Rogers says raising the San Vicente dam, building the Carlsbad desalination plant, and water rights deals with the Imperial Irrigation District all play a role. Rogers says the projects are expensive, but vital. “It’s like your retirement, when you’re younger. You’re like oh gosh I may never need that, but when you’re retired, you’re like. Wow. All the investments are paying off.” But, San Diego isn’t completely insulated from a climate change-driven drought that is strangling water flows in the Colorado River basin. The Bureau of Reclamation’s commissioner says all of the west’s main water sources are suffering. Camille Calimlim Touton painted the situation in stark terms during a senate committee hearing in July. Touton 2 “Hydrological variability. Hotter temperatures leading to earlier snowmelt. Dry soils, all translating into earlier and low runoff. This is coupled, as the committee has mentioned, with the lowest reservoir levels on record.” The bureau has twice called for Colorado River users to cut back the amount of water they take. And Touton told lawmakers more drastic cuts are needed. “Between two and four million acres feet of additional conservation is needed just to protect critical levels in 2023.” The critical levels she’s talking about are water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the west’s largest reservoirs fed by the Colorado River. The Pacific Institute’s Michael Cohen says both have been shrinking at unprecedented rates. “So we’ve seen since the drought began. Really in the year 2000, so already 23 years of drought. We’ve lost about 170 feet of elevation in Lake Mead. And the forecasts are projecting that Lake Mead could drop, even another 50 feet in the next two years.” That could put the system dangerously close to a condition water managers call Deadpool. Deadpool “Oh Jesus. Oh, that’s not good. No no no. oh you’re not going to walk that one off. Oh that’s so gross. Uuuuhhhh. No, not the Ryan Reynolds Deadpool. Deadpool happens when the lake’s level drops below the valves which send water downriver to Arizona and California. Lake Mead is just 150 feet away from Deadpool. If that happens San Diego could lose half of its drinking water. Cohen says the water rights the Authority bought from the Imperial Valley would be worthless. “There’s a chance that if the different Colorado River Water users can’t come to an agreement that current rules will continue to apply, and that Lake Mead will continue to be drawn down. Creating the crisis that we’re really seeing right now because people see this coming.” And while water managers may see the crisis coming, it is still hard to cut back. Cohen says California will probably end this year using more than its share of Colorado River water. “And most of that overuse is actually not coming from the irrigation district, it's coming from the Metropolitan Water District. And that’s because California itself is in a massive drought.” Metropolitan is the region’s largest water wholesaler, serving Los Angeles and many surrounding water districts. The consequences of taking too much water now, could be dire. Federal officials are giving water users a chance to determine where cuts will happen. If they can’t, the federal government promises to make that decision for them. Erik Anderson KPBS News
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Migrant deaths from exposure have long been a fact of life in Imperial County, but recent data show deaths are on the rise.
inewsource reporter Sofía Mejías Pascoe explains.
"MEJIAS-PASCOE: Footprints in the gravel, a discarded water bottle – to James Cordero, the signs of migrant travel in the desert are unmistakable.It’s how he decides where to stash water jugs. A lifeline to those crossing into the U.S. through the desert between ports of entry. As temperatures tick up, so do demand for supplies. CORDERO: “This area that we're on, we used to have to come every month. We couldn't stock it fast enough.” MEJIAS-PASCOE: But the supplies don’t always find those who need them. At least 50 migrants died in Imperial County while attempting to cross the desert between 2018 and 2020, the latest available data from Border Patrol.For KPBS, I’m inewsource reporter Sofía Mejías Pascoe."
inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS.
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Fences have closed off Harborside Park in Chula Vista.
Bulldozers moved in yesterday as part of a city effort to clear a homeless encampment.
KPBS reporter M.G. Perez was there.
Chula Vista city workers moved in to demolish tents and clear trash left behind in Harborside Park following reports of criminal activity and public health risks. The City Council voted to close the park for at least 90-days….displacing dozens of homeless people. Harborside Elementary School is nearby where Veronica Reiplinger’s 4 year old granddaughter Annabelle just started transitional kindergarten. “I agree there’s a homeless problem and I agree we need to address it. But they shouldn’t be living in a public park where other people want to go and spend time…we can’t go there.” The city could extend the park’s closure longer as officials try to figure out the best way to make this space safer and available to everyone. MGP KPBS News
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Coming up.... San Diego County moves forward with its climate action plan. We’ll have that story and more, next, just after the break.
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San Diego County Supervisors are pushing forward with their climate-friendly plan to reshape life in the area.
KPBS Environment reporter Erik Anderson says major changes are coming.
Supervisors are looking to cut back on things that contribute to a warming climate and that could dramatically change life in the county. San Diego 350’s Steve Gelb says it means decarbonizing power, transportation and agriculture. Steve Gelb, San Diego 350 “So I think we’re looking at a healthier and really more enjoyable way of life for San Diego if we move forward.” The framework calls for more electric vehicles and electrifying buildings, including people’s homes. Vista city council member Corrina Contreras says people will also have to change the way they get around. Corrina Contreras, Vista city council member. “We need to seriously invest in active transportation programs, like cycling, walking and taking public transit.” California is mandating all counties get to net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. Erik Anderson KPBS News
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The second annual Afro Con takes place this weekend at the Jackie Robinson Family Y-M-C-A.
The convention focuses on Afrofuturism, which the organizers describe as a movement in literature, music, art, and film featuring futuristic or science fiction themes that incorporate elements of Black history and culture.
KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando spoke with founder LaWana Richmond and filmmaker Diemiruaye Deniran.
Here’s their conversation.
That was LaWana Richmond and Diemiruaye Deniran speaking with KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando.
Afro Con kicks off with a party tomorrow night (Friday). The convention is Saturday and Sunday at the Jackie Robinson Family Y-M-C-A.
To register for free tickets, go to Afro-con-dot-net.
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LOTS OF SMILES AND WAGGING TAILS IN EL CAJON YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY)… AS A FLIGHT CARRYING MORE THAN 100 RESCUED BEAGLES ARRIVED SAFELY.
KPBS REPORTER KITTY ALVARADO SAYS THE DOGS WILL SOON BE READY FOR THEIR FOREVER HOMES.
San Diego Humane Society staff and volunteers watch as precious cargo arrives at Gillespie Field … 108 rescue beagles. Their arrival was filled with happiness and excitement … President of the San Diego Humane Society Dr. Gary Weitzman unloaded the first pup off of the plane … She’s really excited and she really is and she deserves to be first time she’s out of a research lab so this is really great news These are no ordinary rescues; nat sounds They are the last batch of 4000 beagles saved from a Virginia-based company that breeds and sells animals for use in scientific testing. The rescue came after the department of justice filed a lawsuit. first time she’s out of a research lab so this is really great news They will immediately place them in foster homes but they will need donations to support their care until they’re well enough to go to forever homes. we’re ecstatic to be able to help them to get into backyards and living rooms and a family that they love Kitty Alvarado KPBS News
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Matt Hoffman. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
