Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) lawsuits

Two continuing lawsuits, one federal and one state, threaten supplemental water transfers from Imperial to San Diego. Listed below are reports on the issue as I find them in addition to my own posts. Directly to the point, here is the Superior Court legal record; and my original Nov. 10 post which contains many background links on the subject.

• Mar 8, 2010: Opinion: the litigation needs to stop – Imperial Valley Press
• Feb 27, 2010: Federal takeover of IID water if QSA not appealed? – Imperial Valley Press
• Feb 23, 2010: Just Warming Up: Death of QSA would spell trouble – Imperial Valley Press
• Feb 20, 2010: IID Director OK with no Quantification Settlement Agreement – Imperial Valley Press
• Feb 19, 2010: Quantification Settlement Agreement formally invalidated- Imperial Valley Press
• Feb 18, 2010: QSA continuing progress report – Imperial Irrigation District
• Feb 14, 2010: How to poison relations between Imperial Valley and San Diego
• Feb 14, 2010: Our Opinion: We must stop being own enemy – Imperial Valley Press Online
• Feb 10, 2010: IID board hears second QSA opinion
• Feb 3, 2010: Opinion, Imperial Valley Press: Public needs to be engaged in QSA
• Jan 28, 2010: Update on lawsuits that threaten San Diego’s water transfers from Imperial
• Jan 14, 2010: San Diego’s supplemental water: still too premature to push the panic button?
• Dec 17, 2009: Don’t worry, be happy, our water’s safe
• Dec 14, 2009: Update on the ruling affecting water transfers from Imperial to San Diego
• Dec 11, 2009: Legal challenge threatens water transfer between Imperial and San Diego
• Nov 10, 2009: Water transfer from Imperial to San Diego faces new legal challenges

Purified Recycled Water (Indirect Potable Reuse) Study

The possibility of providing highly advanced treatment/purification to wastewater in order to blend it with raw reservoir water and then giving it final treatment for distribution has been a controversial topic in San Diego’s quest for new water resources.

• Feb 18, 2010: The San Diego Water Department has a Water Reuse Study web page with some late information on Phase II of the Indirect Potable Reuse study. There’s also background on the Independent Advisory Panel, and information about public involvement.
• Feb 9, 2010: Monthly project update – Public Utilities Dept.
• Jan 27, 2010: San Diego recycled water project gets a boost from the city council
• Jan 27, 2010: Coalition has hand in water recycling plan – SignOnSanDiego
• Jan 14, 2010: San Diego recycled water presentation at UCSD
• Dec 14, 2009: Water reuse is imperative for a sustainable San Diego
• Oct 15, 2009: Wastewater treatment and water recycling/reuse in San Diego
• Jul 1, 2009: Bringing water to Balboa Park
• Jun 27, 2009: Water recycling at Viejas

Adobe Falls and SDSU’s housing project

Here is information on SDSU’s Master Plan project to build residential housing for faculty and staff in the Adobe Falls area. This is an issue that local news media have not reported on since 2007.

• Mar 4, 2010: In response to my question whether an appeal will be filed, Gina Coburn, Communications Director for the San Diego City Attorney’s office wrote me: “Given the pendency of litigation, we are limited by what we will comment on. We will point out, however, that the City and Redevelopment Agency will appeal the Court’s denial of our writ. The lawsuit only addressed SDSU’s Campus Master Plan Expansion, and did not address any other separate redevelopment projects in the area.” She added that her office will not comment on specifics of the appeal and that it cannot comment on what any other parties in the lawsuit might do
• Mar 2, 2010: Judge signs final decision; SDSU expansion may proceed along Alvarado Creek and Del Cerro
• Feb 4, 2010: Judge issues proposed decision on SDSU’s EIR challenges
• Jul 30, 2009: Adobe Falls updates
• July 26, 2009: Alvarado Creek and the future of Adobe Falls

San Vicente Dam raising project

The San Diego County Water Authority is managing a project to raise the San Vicente Dam by 117 feet. Click here for their project website.

• Feb 18, 2010: San Vicente Dam first phase construction 50% complete
• Nov 18, 2009: San Vicente Dam photo tour
• Oct 13, 2009: A quick look at the San Vicente Dam-raising project
• July 9, 2009: San Vicente Dam-raising project begins

Wind farms in East County and beyond

The region around San Diego has attracted the attention of companies pushing wind farms while local residents and others who consider the towering turbines a threat to environmental and aesthetic values raise objections.

• Feb 17, 2010: Ocotillo wind farm in the works – Imperial Valley Press Online
• Feb 10, 2010: Wind Power Industry Convenes in San Diego Amid Howls Over Which Way Stimulus Funds Are Blowing – Xconomy
• Feb 9, 2010: Foreign energy firms getting windfall of U.S. stimulus funds – SignOnSanDiego
• Feb 7, 2010: Wind turbine getting seismic shakedown – SignOnSanDiego
• Jan 29, 2010: Community controversy over proposed energy projects – KPBS
• Jan 22, 2010: 3 Energy Projects Proposed For Rural San Diego County – KPBS
• Jan 22, 2010: Helix Wind S322 Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Withstands Major Storm – AZoCleantech
• Jan 13, 2010: Wind farm: A damaging blow – SignOnSanDiego
• Nov 15, 2009: East County wind farms