Borrego Sun - Since 1949

A 70-year-old man from Thermal is in stable condition after testing positive for West Nile virus. This is the first case in the Coachella Valley this season. Two other cases have been reported in Riverside County so far. The last fatality from West Nile in the county was in 2008.... — Updated 8/27/2015

July was a good month for water conservation for the San Diego region. The region used 32 percent less water than the same month in 2013. San Diego is at its lowest water usage since 1975. The heavy rain from Hurricane Dolores helped the percentage of water conservation. Water... — Updated 8/20/2015

A historically-strong El Niño storm could bring drought relief to the state of California in its four-year-drought. In a new study, El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), published on Monday, scientists found that the rising global temperatures will lead to more intense El Niño st... — Updated 8/18/2015

David Carle, a California State Parks Ranger for 27 years and his wife, Janet, are the authors of “Traveling the 38th Parallel: A Water Line Around the World.” Last Spring the two presented a talk about their book at the Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center. Accordin... — Updated 8/18/2015

With a drought-doomed California, farmers are turning to oil fracking wastewater to grow food. The wastewater containing toxins like acetone, oil and methylene chloride, which causes cancer, has been used to grow fruit, nuts and other crops. The waste water is being sold to 90... — Updated 8/14/2015

On Aug. 13 federal climate officials said the strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean could possibly become one of the most powerful on record. According to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center all of the computer models indicate a powerful El Niño will pea... — Updated 8/13/2015

In the first month of California’s mandatory water cutbacks- this June- Californians have already used 27 percent less water. The unexpected record rainfall in Southern California this July will probably be another good month for water conservation since sprinklers were used l... — Updated 7/31/2015

The California Water Foundation released information from a poll on Wednesday reporting that a majority of Californians would be willing to have higher water rates in order to increase water availability. 62 percent claim they wouldn’t mind paying from $1.00 - 4.00 more on each w... — Updated 7/30/2015

The rain broke records but only made a small impact on the drought. Southerland Reservoir, east of Lake Wolfard, received more than the other county reservoirs, with two inches of rainfall. According to the director of San Diego’s Public Utilities, Halla Razak, those two inches w... — Updated 7/22/2015

While California is experiencing its fourth year of a severe drought, and a senior scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech and a professor of Earth System Science at U.C. Irvine, Jay Famiglietti said California only has one year of water supply left in its reservoirs,... — Updated 7/21/2015

A press release from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states that more than 40,000 miles of rivers and streams are currently threatened by pollution. According to tests submitted by the state to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Colorado River region shows... — Updated 7/21/2015

Here are a few examples of how we use, or rather misuse our precious water supplies around the world. California residents have been forced to reduce their water use as bottled water, fracking, and big Agro companies continue to pump water. Nestle and other companies, including... — Updated 7/16/2015

California’s historic drought may be meeting up with what many climate models are indicating could become an historic El Nino event this winter. Typhoons, cyclones and a gigantic storm moving towards China are shifting trade winds from west to east and pushing warmer water t... — Updated 7/10/2015

Last year Governor Jerry Brown called for a voluntary 20 percent cutback in water use due to the drought emergency. In May, Californians had already reduced by 29 percent, even though Brown’s mandatory statewide 25 percent cutbacks weren’t put into place until June. The data for... — Updated 7/2/2015

The Coachella Valley Water District and the Desert Water Agency said they’ve cut their water use back by 17 and 26 percent, as compared to their usages in 2013. The city of Indio has reduced to 18 percent and Mission Springs Water District (serving Desert Hot Springs) cut their u... — Updated 6/24/2015

A. Inside a home: Take shorter showers, fill the bath tub with less water Turn off running water when brushing teeth or washing hands Wash only a full load of clothes Use an efficient dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes See Resources below for many more suggestions... — Updated 6/18/2015

The drought affects more than just California. An emergency state has been declared by Governor Kate Brown in nineteen counties in the state of Oregon, but that hasn’t stopped Nestle from trying to build a water-bottling plant on the side of the Columbia River. Protesters argue t... — Updated 6/17/2015

Last year, almost $700 million was set aside when Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency. The money was intended to help California communities that have been depleted by the on-going drought. According to the state Finance Department, close to half of that money... — Updated 6/17/2015

Over one hundred irrigation districts and others with some of the oldest water rights in California are being told by California regulators to cease pumping from drought-diminished streams and rivers in the Central Valley. The curtailment order was issued on June 12 by the State... — Updated 6/17/2015

For the first time in the state's history, the Governor's Executive Order requires all residents and directed several state agencies, including the State Water Board, to take immediate action to safeguard the state's remaining potable urban water supplies in preparation for a... — Updated 6/11/2015

These days, many desert-dwellers are in the process of or are considering removing non-native oleander shrubs from their property. Not only has the Borrego Water District recommended replacing oleanders with more drought tolerant plants, but oleanders can also present a danger to... — Updated 5/26/2015

The April 22 meeting started off with the presentation of a refund check of $33,050 to the Borrego Water District (BWD) from Joint Powers Insurance Authority. “Congratulations. You’re one of 110 agencies that have received a refund. Keep up the good work,” they were told for f... — Updated 5/22/2015