Water Resource Issues

Desalination Versus Conservation, Who Wins?

As California grapples with some of its driest weather on record, the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) continues to negotiate the purchase of desalted water from a yet-to-be built plant in Huntington Beach. It's a move that may provide the land of citrus with drought-proof H20- ... More >>

Santa Ana Sucker Wins in Court to Chagrin of Inland Water Agencies

The Santa Ana sucker won in federal court in--where else?--Santa Ana, sucker!Technically, it was the Obama administration's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that Judge James V. Selna ruled for, rejecting the challenge inland water agencies mounted over expansion of the natural habitat for the endanger ... More >>

Jay Famiglietti, UCI Hydrologist, Hoses State's Water Future in Doc Last Call at the Oasis

The water crisis documentary Last Call at the Oasis won an "Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking" award at the just-concluded Newport Beach Film Festival. Surely helping propel Academy Award winning filmmaker Jessica Yu's production, which opens in Irvine Friday, is UC Irvine hydrologist Jay Famigl ... More >>

Santa Ana Sucker, Little Fish at Center of Water Agencies' Suit Against Feds, Gets a Legal Assist

​Inland water agencies may say they want to work with government regulators on a Santa Ana River habitat for a tiny fish known as the Santa Ana Sucker, but as long as the H2O providers press their lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, four conservation groups will press back. The Si ... More >>

Whale Watching

Captain Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari

Santa Ana Sucker Habitat Expansion Sucks, Lawsuit-Threatening Water Agencies Tell Feds

Sucker punched​A dozen water agencies serving nearly 3 million Southern California residents have formally warned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that it the federal agency does not want to be sued, it must rescind the recent expansion of critical habitat areas for the Santa Ana Sucker, ... More >>

Art of Haiti Opening Gala

Orange County Center for Contemporary Art

There's a Different Water Crisis Going on Here

​The so-called worldwide water crisis is being linked to current and future wars, disease and populations shifts.In fact, today's Huffington Post reports on a study showing water shortages will impact 70 percent of U.S. counties by 2050.But, back here in 2010, a different kind of water crisis has ... More >>

Poseidon Desalination Plant Making a Comeback in Huntington Beach

Photo by James BunoanPossible setting for Poseidon misadventure​Nick Schou way back in 2003 covered the environmental problems with a proposed water desalination plant in Huntington Beach, but Surf City's City Council went ahead and gave Poseidon Resources a tentative approval three years later.No ... More >>

Wax On, Wax Off: Mammoth Mountain is a Northern Outpost of Southern California

Flickr user jcookfisherLast week's storms brought the mountains to life for snowboarders all over Southern California. With well over 14 inches at local spots like Baldy, Mountain High and Bear, people grabbed their boards and headed for higher altitudes. Mammoth Mountain, the southern part of ... More >>

"Blue Gold" Kicks Off Unique Film Series Tonight

​Before Blue Gold: World Water Wars screened at April's Newport Beach Film Festival, Irvine-based indie filmmaker Sam Bozzo vowed it would be his first and last documentary because it proved so arduous to make.At least Blue Gold, which is about the world's water shortage and based on the ground-br ... More >>

2-Day Film and Discussion Event at UCI Addresses Critical Water Issues

John Huston channels William Mulholland and Jack Nicholson clueless Angelenos in Roman Polanski's classic Chinatown.​UC Irvine's revelation that it would host free "water-and-film" events Friday night and Saturday morning and afternoon immediately produced visions of a giant kiddie pool plopped in ... More >>

Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl: Home Sweet Home

Discovery Science Center

Earth Day Gets the Shorts at Newport Beach Film Fest

Blue Gold: World Water WarsEarth Day is Wednesday, but the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF), in partnership with the Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends and the Orange County Parks Department, celebrates Sunday, April 26. A program of Earth Day-appropriate short films, curated by the festival's co ... More >>

OC Toilet-to-Tap Plan Wins Funding in Omnibus Package

Included in the land- and water-conserving Omnibus Public Land Management Act signed into law today by President Obama is a bill providing $6 million in federal funding to help finance future phases of the Orange County Groundwater Replenishment Project--a.k.a. the "toilet to tap plan." The pr ... More >>

Orange County's "Toilet-to-Tap" Technology is Catching On

In November of 2000 for OC Weekly, I wrote "Waste Waterworld: Will Poop-to-Tap Plan Raise a Stink?" Oh, the comments I got from water officials for using words like "pee," "poop" and "the Ewww! Factor" in a piece about the Orange County Water District and Sanitation District's planned $600 million G ... More >>

Nanny State Wants Us To Go Thirsty

The South Coast Water District is considering an ordinance that, among other things, would prevent restaurants from bringing water to customers who haven't requested it. The law is intended to stymie water shortages or something, but screw that. My pet peeve: Restaurants cheaping you out on water an ... More >>

Octopus' Garden

Ocean Friendly Gardening

Passing the Hat

Cold War Kids

Forget It, Jake

Chinatown

It's Your Money

But the government spends it

UCI Arts Plaza

Seemed like a good idea at the time . . .

Turning Water into Whine

Environmental concerns stall HB desalination plant

Mr. Spineless, to You

New suit, more questions ON DA, ARCO

No Blood for Water!

Drinking the water Dana Rohrabacher surfs in

Boned Again

TO: Anthony "Tony" Rackauckas, Orange County District Attorney

FROM: Anthony "Tony" Pignataro

Return of the Native?

Wish they all could be California plants

Clean Water, Murky Politics

The developers win again

Letters