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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPipeline 01 - Winter 2012T H E O TA Y W A TER DISTRICT • P R OUDLY SERVING E A ST C OUNT Y A ND TH E S OUTH B A Y SINC E 1956 A NE W SLE T T E R FOR CUS T O M E R S OF T HE OT A Y W ATER DISTRICT FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL 619.670.2222 OR GO TO WWW.OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quarterly by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at www.otaywater.gov. Copyright © 2012 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. winter 2012 San Diego County’s Water Supply Outlook Brightens for 2012 Wet Winter, Conservation and Legal Victories Help Improve Conditions San Diego County’s water supply outlook for 2012 appears much brighter than it did a year ago, according to a recent San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) report. The CWA attributed the improved conditions to several factors. A wet winter in 2010/2011 led to substantial improvements in reservoir levels locally, statewide and along the Colorado River. In addition, regional water demand has remained well below pre-drought levels, enabling water agencies to better manage available supplies. Water storage along the Colorado River, San Diego County’s source for more than half of its water supply, has increased as well. Additionally, key State Water Project reservoirs in Northern California, the source of roughly 20 percent of the region’s water supply, added nearly 2 million acre-feet of storage in 2011. These reservoirs are now well above their average levels for this time of year. Similarly, water storage levels in Southern California have improved significantly. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the primary water supplier for six Southern California counties, projected its storage reserves would hit a historic high of 2.4 million acre-feet by the end of 2011. In San Diego County, local reservoir storage rose 19 percent from the previous year. In other positive news for the county, a recent court ruling reestablished a valuable water transfer agreement with Imperial Irrigation District. This agreement now provides 80,000 acre-feet of water to San Diego from the Colorado River. Combined with another 80,000 acre-feet of supplies conserved from the lining of the All American and Coachella Canals in the Imperial Valley, 160,000 acre-feet of water provided additional support to San Diego County’s $186 billion economy and 3.1 million residents. Although storage levels have increased in Northern California reservoirs, the first Sierra Nevada snow survey has found some of the driest conditions in years due to the warm weather the state has been experiencing. In addition, significant challenges still exist with transporting the water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. These obstacles continue to limit the supply that is available to import to Southern California and adversely affects wholesale prices. Additionally, the demand on the Colorado River continues to grow from other Basin states, which diminishes the benefit of the increased storage levels. While significant advancements have been made to diversify the region’s water supply portfolio, we must remain aware of the challenges that still exist and conservation must continue to be a part of daily life for all Southern Californians. El Pronóstico del Suministro de Agua en el Condado de San Diego es bueno para el 2012 Invierno lluvioso, conservación y victorias legales han ayudado a mejorar las condiciones El pronóstico del suministro de agua para el Condado de San Diego se ve mejor para el 2012 que hace un año, según un informe reciente de la Autoridad del Agua del Condado de San Diego (CWA, por sus siglas en ingles.) La CWA atribuyó las mejoras en las condiciones a varios factores. Un invierno lluvioso en 2010/2011 llevó a mejoras sustanciales en el nivel de los embalses a nivel local, estatal y a lo largo del río Colorado. Además, la demanda regional de agua se ha mantenido muy por debajo de los niveles anteriores a la sequía, y esto ha permitido a las agencias de agua mejorar la administración de los suministros disponibles. El almacenamiento de agua a lo largo del río Colorado, que es la fuente de más de la mitad del suministro de agua del Condado de San Diego, también ha aumentado. Además, los embalses principales del proyecto de agua del estado al norte de California, que es la fuente de aproximadamente veinte por ciento del suministro de agua de la región, agregaron cerca de 2 millones de acre-pies de almacenamiento en el 2011. Estos depósitos están ahora muy por encima de sus niveles promedio para esta época del año. Del mismo modo, los niveles de almacenamiento de agua en el Sur de California han mejorado significativamente. El Distrito de Agua Metropolitano del Sur de California, el proveedor principal de agua para seis condados del Sur de California, proyectó que sus sus reservas de almacenamiento alcanzarían un máximo histórico de 2.4 millones de acre-pies al final de 2011. En el Condado de San Diego, los depósitos de almacenamiento han aumentado un diecinueve por ciento más que año anterior. En otras noticias positivas para el condado, un reciente fallo judicial restableció un acuerdo importante de transferencia de agua en California. Este acuerdo ahora ofrece 80,000 acre-pies de agua a San Diego desde el río Colorado. En combinación con otros 80,000 acre-pies de los suministros conservados del revestimiento de los canales All American y Coachella en el Valle Imperial, 160,000 acre-pies de agua proporcionan un apoyo adicional a la economía del Condado de San Diego de $186 mil millones y de 3.1 millones de residentes. Aunque los niveles de almacenamiento en los embalses del norte de California han incrementado, existen todavía condiciones de sequía, según dice una encuesta de nieve realizada de la Sierra Nevada, debido al clima cálido que se ha estado experimentando en el estado. Además, aún existen importantes desafíos con el transporte del agua a través del Delta de Sacramento-San Joaquín. Estos obstáculos continúan limitando el suministro que está disponible para la importación al Sur de California y por lo tanto resulta en el aumento de los precios al por mayor. Además, la demanda en el río Colorado continúa creciendo, lo que reduce el beneficio de tener altos niveles de almacenamiento. Aunque se han hecho avances significativos para diversificar el abastecimiento de agua de la región, debemos ser conscientes de los retos que aún existen y la conservación debe seguir siendo parte de la vida diaria para todos los residentes del Sur de California. Are you still receiving paper bill statements in the mail? Sign up to receive electronic bill statements from Otay Water District. Help reduce paper waste and save yourself time by conveniently managing your finances with just the click of a button. To enroll go to www.otaywater.gov and click on the Customer Service tab or call (619) 670-2222. ¿Sigue recibiendo su estado de cuenta por correo? Inscríbase hoy para recibir su estado de cuenta del Distrito de Agua de Otay en forma electrónica. Ayude a reducir el desperdicio de papel y ahorre tiempo manejando sus finanzas con sólo el clic de un botón. Para inscribirse, visite www.otaywater.gov y haga clic en la ficha de servicio al cliente o llame al (619) 670-2222. Copyright © Nan Sterman 2011. All rights reserved. Nan Sterman’sPlant Soup Inc. Otay Water District – Board of Directors The Board of Directors meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 pm in the Board meeting room. The public is encouraged to attend at 2554 Sweetwater Spring Bvd., Spring Valley, CA. PresidentJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov Vice PresidentDavid Gonzalez, Division 1dgonzalez@otaywater.gov TreasurerGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@otaywater.gov Board MemberJaime Bonilla, Division 2jbonilla@otaywater.gov Board MemberMark Robak, Division 5OtayWater@cox.net At theGarden For more class information and prices visit www.thegarden.org Do you feel overwhelmed at the thought of making your garden more water smart? Do you wonder what it might cost or how it would look? Do you stress about where to start? Please join me on February 18th, at Otay Water District’s Water Smart Gardening Workshop for Homeowners. I’ll start with a list of opportunities to save water in your garden. I’ll talk about designing to save water. I’ll show you inspiring photos of beautiful low water plants and gardens. I’ll touch on low water irrigation technologies, and suggest ways to get started. We’ll have plenty of time to go into detail, but in the meantime, here’s a preview of four big water saving opportunities: changing out the plant palette, managing how long and how often you water, keeping your irrigation system in good repair, and converting from overhead spray to in-line drip irrigation. First, consider the plants that grow in your garden. Lawns are the number one water guzzlers in our gardens. In fact, Otay Water District offers customers a dollar for every square foot of lawn they replace with low water plants. If you have small children, enjoy the grass at a nearby park. If you worry about your dog, stop stressing, he or she will find another spot to do their duty. Several years ago, I replaced my lawn with a low water, native sedge meadow. My water bill fell immediately, and my dog has yet to explode. A low water meadow is only one of many options for replacing lawn. Maybe a patio would serve you as well. Maybe you’d like a vegetable garden (there are ways to save water there, too). Or, replace lawn with a bed of low water plants. There is an enormous palette of beautiful, low water and low maintenance plants that grow exceptionally well in our gardens. Many people assume that low water gardens are by definition succulent gardens. Low water gardens can certainly include succulents, but there are many, many low water plants that are not succulent. You might even grow some of these plants already: California lilac, monkey flower, rosemary, lavender, flowering sage, grape, and pomegranate to name just a few. The low water palette is versatile enough to suit any style home and garden, from Mediterranean to Zen, English to edible, formal to naturalistic. Some plants are native to California, while others are native to Australia, South Africa, Chile, and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Collectively, these plants make up the Mediterranean plant palette. If an irrigation clock controls your irrigation system, chances are you don’t pay it too much attention. Reality is, plants need different amounts of water at different times of year. They are thirstiest in summer, least thirsty now during the cool, shorter and wetter days of winter. In fact, most gardens can go weeks or months at a time, now, without being watered. Is your system on or off? What’s the condition of your irrigation system? All systems, even automated ones, need some human attention from time to time. This weekend, make a point of turning the irrigation on, one zone at a time. Walk each zone. Look for breaks, leaks, poorly aimed spray heads, and spots where the water just doesn’t reach. Fix these problems and you’ll save water. To save even more water, convert from overhead spray to in-line drip irrigation. Drip is nearly twice as efficient as overhead spray. It is also more efficient than high-efficiency spray heads. Conversion costs are often offset by the amount you save on water. Hire a professional or, if you are a do-it-yourselfer, give it a go. Most in-line drip manufacturers have extensive how-to resources on-line. I’ll explain more about all of these topics on February 18th. Hope to see you there! Saturday, February 4 — 10:00 am - 12:00 pm FREE HOME COMPOSTING WORKSHOP FRee home composting workshop taught by Certified Master Composters from the Solana Center for environmental Innovation. Learn the basics of composting, how to compost with worms and how to save water in the process! to register for this class, please call the Solana Center at (760)-436-7986 X 225. Sunday, February 12 — 10:30 am - 12:00 pm FALL in LOVE WITH BEES! Beekeeper and Bee Advocate, Geoff Kipps-Bolton of www.bees-on-the-net.com will share the secret lives of bees and basic introduction to beekeeping. FRee for Members, Non-Members 15.00. Saturday, February 25 — 10:00 am - 12:00 pm BEAUTIFUL SMALL SPACE GARDENS Learn how to create a sparkling jewel of a landscape for your condominium, cottage, side yard or smaller front or backyard. Landscape Designer Christiane holmquist will show you inspiring visual examples of completed projects and answer questions about how to make the most of your small space garden. helpful for people wanting to divide larger landscape plans into manageable sized projects. Members 20.00, Non-Members 25.00. AWArD fOr ExCEllEnCE For the third time in five years, Otay Water District’s Information Technology (IT) and Strategic Planning Department has received the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC) Excellence in Information Technology Practices Award. The award recognizes cities and special districts that exceed industry practices in their IT departments. The program requires an extensive audit, documentation of policies and procedures, and validation of those practices against industry standards. Three qualified IT directors from California cities and special districts review each application and determine the winners. Out of the hundreds of cities and special districts in California that applied for this year’s award, only 16 city IT departments and five special districts, including Otay, received the prestigious recognition. Otay Water District is proud to announce that one of its water awareness poster contest winners, Cisco Gonzalez, has been chosen by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) for their 2012 “Water is Life” calendar. Cisco, a student at Clear View Elementary School in Chula Vista, was recognized at a celebration on December 7 in Los Angeles. Students throughout Southern California submitted their original artwork during the region’s annual poster art competition. The top regional entries were then forwarded to MWD where some of the posters were selected for their school calendar. The 2012 Water is Life calendar features 36 student posters that were selected from hundreds of entries submitted by MWD’s 26 member agencies. All posters will be on tour at participating water districts in 2012. You can find this year’s poster contest information at www.otaywater.gov. When asked why he drew the poster, Cisco replied, “well, without water, there is no life.” Otay Poster Contest Winner recognized by Metropolitan Water District FREE WATER SMART GARDENING WORKSHOP FOR HOMEOWNERS Saturday, February 18 — 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Nan Sterman, award-winning author, tV and radio personality, and expert on water smart gardening will give a free 90-minute presentation for homeowners. torn on how to toss your turf? Learn how to get started. Choose the right plants for your climate and discover where to find water smart plants. An irrigation expert will also discuss how to irrigate your landscape efficiently and how smart irrigation controllers work. Location: the Garden Amphitheater at the Water Conservation Garden, 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West, el Cajon, 92019. Availability is limited to the first sixty people and reservations are required. to register, please contact Richard Namba at 619-670-2730 or richard.namba@otaywater.gov. Water news Smartphone App now Available Staying informed on key water issues just got easier with the launch of the San Diego County Water Author- ity’s mobile app, Water News. The app gives users mo- bile access to Water Authority news releases, videos, hot topics, board documents, legislative information and a 24-hour water-related news feed. This free app is now available in the Android, Apple and BlackBerry marketplaces. For more information or to download the mobile app, visit the Water Authority’s website at www.sdcwa.org/ mobile-news-app. Copyright © Nan Sterman 2011. All rights reserved. Nan Sterman’sPlant Soup Inc. Otay Water District – Board of Directors The Board of Directors meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 pm in the Board meeting room. The public is encouraged to attend at 2554 Sweetwater Spring Bvd., Spring Valley, CA. PresidentJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov Vice PresidentDavid Gonzalez, Division 1dgonzalez@otaywater.gov TreasurerGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@otaywater.gov Board MemberJaime Bonilla, Division 2jbonilla@otaywater.gov Board MemberMark Robak, Division 5OtayWater@cox.net At theGarden For more class information and prices visit www.thegarden.org Do you feel overwhelmed at the thought of making your garden more water smart? Do you wonder what it might cost or how it would look? Do you stress about where to start? Please join me on February 18th, at Otay Water District’s Water Smart Gardening Workshop for Homeowners. I’ll start with a list of opportunities to save water in your garden. I’ll talk about designing to save water. I’ll show you inspiring photos of beautiful low water plants and gardens. I’ll touch on low water irrigation technologies, and suggest ways to get started. We’ll have plenty of time to go into detail, but in the meantime, here’s a preview of four big water saving opportunities: changing out the plant palette, managing how long and how often you water, keeping your irrigation system in good repair, and converting from overhead spray to in-line drip irrigation. First, consider the plants that grow in your garden. Lawns are the number one water guzzlers in our gardens. In fact, Otay Water District offers customers a dollar for every square foot of lawn they replace with low water plants. If you have small children, enjoy the grass at a nearby park. If you worry about your dog, stop stressing, he or she will find another spot to do their duty. Several years ago, I replaced my lawn with a low water, native sedge meadow. My water bill fell immediately, and my dog has yet to explode. A low water meadow is only one of many options for replacing lawn. Maybe a patio would serve you as well. Maybe you’d like a vegetable garden (there are ways to save water there, too). Or, replace lawn with a bed of low water plants. There is an enormous palette of beautiful, low water and low maintenance plants that grow exceptionally well in our gardens. Many people assume that low water gardens are by definition succulent gardens. Low water gardens can certainly include succulents, but there are many, many low water plants that are not succulent. You might even grow some of these plants already: California lilac, monkey flower, rosemary, lavender, flowering sage, grape, and pomegranate to name just a few. The low water palette is versatile enough to suit any style home and garden, from Mediterranean to Zen, English to edible, formal to naturalistic. Some plants are native to California, while others are native to Australia, South Africa, Chile, and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Collectively, these plants make up the Mediterranean plant palette. If an irrigation clock controls your irrigation system, chances are you don’t pay it too much attention. Reality is, plants need different amounts of water at different times of year. They are thirstiest in summer, least thirsty now during the cool, shorter and wetter days of winter. In fact, most gardens can go weeks or months at a time, now, without being watered. Is your system on or off? What’s the condition of your irrigation system? All systems, even automated ones, need some human attention from time to time. This weekend, make a point of turning the irrigation on, one zone at a time. Walk each zone. Look for breaks, leaks, poorly aimed spray heads, and spots where the water just doesn’t reach. Fix these problems and you’ll save water. To save even more water, convert from overhead spray to in-line drip irrigation. Drip is nearly twice as efficient as overhead spray. It is also more efficient than high-efficiency spray heads. Conversion costs are often offset by the amount you save on water. Hire a professional or, if you are a do-it-yourselfer, give it a go. Most in-line drip manufacturers have extensive how-to resources on-line. I’ll explain more about all of these topics on February 18th. Hope to see you there! Saturday, February 4 — 10:00 am - 12:00 pm FREE HOME COMPOSTING WORKSHOP FRee home composting workshop taught by Certified Master Composters from the Solana Center for environmental Innovation. Learn the basics of composting, how to compost with worms and how to save water in the process! to register for this class, please call the Solana Center at (760)-436-7986 X 225. Sunday, February 12 — 10:30 am - 12:00 pm FALL in LOVE WITH BEES! Beekeeper and Bee Advocate, Geoff Kipps-Bolton of www.bees-on-the-net.com will share the secret lives of bees and basic introduction to beekeeping. FRee for Members, Non-Members 15.00. Saturday, February 25 — 10:00 am - 12:00 pm BEAUTIFUL SMALL SPACE GARDENS Learn how to create a sparkling jewel of a landscape for your condominium, cottage, side yard or smaller front or backyard. Landscape Designer Christiane holmquist will show you inspiring visual examples of completed projects and answer questions about how to make the most of your small space garden. helpful for people wanting to divide larger landscape plans into manageable sized projects. Members 20.00, Non-Members 25.00. AWArD fOr ExCEllEnCE For the third time in five years, Otay Water District’s Information Technology (IT) and Strategic Planning Department has received the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC) Excellence in Information Technology Practices Award. The award recognizes cities and special districts that exceed industry practices in their IT departments. The program requires an extensive audit, documentation of policies and procedures, and validation of those practices against industry standards. Three qualified IT directors from California cities and special districts review each application and determine the winners. Out of the hundreds of cities and special districts in California that applied for this year’s award, only 16 city IT departments and five special districts, including Otay, received the prestigious recognition. Otay Water District is proud to announce that one of its water awareness poster contest winners, Cisco Gonzalez, has been chosen by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) for their 2012 “Water is Life” calendar. Cisco, a student at Clear View Elementary School in Chula Vista, was recognized at a celebration on December 7 in Los Angeles. Students throughout Southern California submitted their original artwork during the region’s annual poster art competition. The top regional entries were then forwarded to MWD where some of the posters were selected for their school calendar. The 2012 Water is Life calendar features 36 student posters that were selected from hundreds of entries submitted by MWD’s 26 member agencies. All posters will be on tour at participating water districts in 2012. You can find this year’s poster contest information at www.otaywater.gov. When asked why he drew the poster, Cisco replied, “well, without water, there is no life.” Otay Poster Contest Winner recognized by Metropolitan Water District FREE WATER SMART GARDENING WORKSHOP FOR HOMEOWNERS Saturday, February 18 — 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Nan Sterman, award-winning author, tV and radio personality, and expert on water smart gardening will give a free 90-minute presentation for homeowners. torn on how to toss your turf? Learn how to get started. Choose the right plants for your climate and discover where to find water smart plants. An irrigation expert will also discuss how to irrigate your landscape efficiently and how smart irrigation controllers work. Location: the Garden Amphitheater at the Water Conservation Garden, 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West, el Cajon, 92019. Availability is limited to the first sixty people and reservations are required. to register, please contact Richard Namba at 619-670-2730 or richard.namba@otaywater.gov. Water news Smartphone App now Available Staying informed on key water issues just got easier with the launch of the San Diego County Water Author- ity’s mobile app, Water News. The app gives users mo- bile access to Water Authority news releases, videos, hot topics, board documents, legislative information and a 24-hour water-related news feed. This free app is now available in the Android, Apple and BlackBerry marketplaces. For more information or to download the mobile app, visit the Water Authority’s website at www.sdcwa.org/ mobile-news-app. T H E O T AY W A TER DISTRICT • P R OUDL Y SERVING E A ST C OUNT Y A ND TH E S OUTH B AY SINC E 1956 A NE W SLE T T E R FOR CUS T O M E R S OF T HE O TAY WATER DISTRICT FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL 619.670.2222 OR GO TO WWW.OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quarterly by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at www.otaywater.gov. Copyright © 2012 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. winter 2012 San Diego County’s Water Supply Outlook Brightens for 2012 Wet Winter, Conservation and Legal Victories Help Improve Conditions San Diego County’s water supply outlook for 2012 appears much brighter than it did a year ago, according to a recent San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) report. The CWA attributed the improved conditions to several factors. A wet winter in 2010/2011 led to substantial improvements in reservoir levels locally, statewide and along the Colorado River. In addition, regional water demand has remained well below pre-drought levels, enabling water agencies to better manage available supplies. Water storage along the Colorado River, San Diego County’s source for more than half of its water supply, has increased as well. Additionally, key State Water Project reservoirs in Northern California, the source of roughly 20 percent of the region’s water supply, added nearly 2 million acre-feet of storage in 2011. These reservoirs are now well above their average levels for this time of year. Similarly, water storage levels in Southern California have improved significantly. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the primary water supplier for six Southern California counties, projected its storage reserves would hit a historic high of 2.4 million acre-feet by the end of 2011. In San Diego County, local reservoir storage rose 19 percent from the previous year. In other positive news for the county, a recent court ruling reestablished a valuable water transfer agreement with Imperial Irrigation District. This agreement now provides 80,000 acre-feet of water to San Diego from the Colorado River. Combined with another 80,000 acre-feet of supplies conserved from the lining of the All American and Coachella Canals in the Imperial Valley, 160,000 acre-feet of water provided additional support to San Diego County’s $186 billion economy and 3.1 million residents. Although storage levels have increased in Northern California reservoirs, the first Sierra Nevada snow survey has found some of the driest conditions in years due to the warm weather the state has been experiencing. In addition, significant challenges still exist with transporting the water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. These obstacles continue to limit the supply that is available to import to Southern California and adversely affects wholesale prices. Additionally, the demand on the Colorado River continues to grow from other Basin states, which diminishes the benefit of the increased storage levels. While significant advancements have been made to diversify the region’s water supply portfolio, we must remain aware of the challenges that still exist and conservation must continue to be a part of daily life for all Southern Californians. El Pronóstico del Suministro de Agua en el Condado de San Diego es bueno para el 2012 Invierno lluvioso, conservación y victorias legales han ayudado a mejorar las condiciones El pronóstico del suministro de agua para el Condado de San Diego se ve mejor para el 2012 que hace un año, según un informe reciente de la Autoridad del Agua del Condado de San Diego (CWA, por sus siglas en ingles.) La CWA atribuyó las mejoras en las condiciones a varios factores. Un invierno lluvioso en 2010/2011 llevó a mejoras sustanciales en el nivel de los embalses a nivel local, estatal y a lo largo del río Colorado. Además, la demanda regional de agua se ha mantenido muy por debajo de los niveles anteriores a la sequía, y esto ha permitido a las agencias de agua mejorar la administración de los suministros disponibles. El almacenamiento de agua a lo largo del río Colorado, que es la fuente de más de la mitad del suministro de agua del Condado de San Diego, también ha aumentado. Además, los embalses principales del proyecto de agua del estado al norte de California, que es la fuente de aproximadamente veinte por ciento del suministro de agua de la región, agregaron cerca de 2 millones de acre-pies de almacenamiento en el 2011. Estos depósitos están ahora muy por encima de sus niveles promedio para esta época del año. Del mismo modo, los niveles de almacenamiento de agua en el Sur de California han mejorado significativamente. El Distrito de Agua Metropolitano del Sur de California, el proveedor principal de agua para seis condados del Sur de California, proyectó que sus sus reservas de almacenamiento alcanzarían un máximo histórico de 2.4 millones de acre-pies al final de 2011. En el Condado de San Diego, los depósitos de almacenamiento han aumentado un diecinueve por ciento más que año anterior. En otras noticias positivas para el condado, un reciente fallo judicial restableció un acuerdo importante de transferencia de agua en California. Este acuerdo ahora ofrece 80,000 acre-pies de agua a San Diego desde el río Colorado. En combinación con otros 80,000 acre-pies de los suministros conservados del revestimiento de los canales All American y Coachella en el Valle Imperial, 160,000 acre-pies de agua proporcionan un apoyo adicional a la economía del Condado de San Diego de $186 mil millones y de 3.1 millones de residentes. Aunque los niveles de almacenamiento en los embalses del norte de California han incrementado, existen todavía condiciones de sequía, según dice una encuesta de nieve realizada de la Sierra Nevada, debido al clima cálido que se ha estado experimentando en el estado. Además, aún existen importantes desafíos con el transporte del agua a través del Delta de Sacramento-San Joaquín. Estos obstáculos continúan limitando el suministro que está disponible para la importación al Sur de California y por lo tanto resulta en el aumento de los precios al por mayor. Además, la demanda en el río Colorado continúa creciendo, lo que reduce el beneficio de tener altos niveles de almacenamiento. Aunque se han hecho avances significativos para diversificar el abastecimiento de agua de la región, debemos ser conscientes de los retos que aún existen y la conservación debe seguir siendo parte de la vida diaria para todos los residentes del Sur de California. Are you still receiving paper bill statements in the mail? Sign up to receive electronic bill statements from Otay Water District. Help reduce paper waste and save yourself time by conveniently managing your finances with just the click of a button. To enroll go to www.otaywater.gov and click on the Customer Service tab or call (619) 670-2222. ¿Sigue recibiendo su estado de cuenta por correo? Inscríbase hoy para recibir su estado de cuenta del Distrito de Agua de Otay en forma electrónica. Ayude a reducir el desperdicio de papel y ahorre tiempo manejando sus finanzas con sólo el clic de un botón. Para inscribirse, visite www.otaywater.gov y haga clic en la ficha de servicio al cliente o llame al (619) 670-2222.