Water Conditions,
January Storms
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The storms that soaked most of the state during the first half of January did more than bring smiles to farmers and ski resorts. They also helped boost the state’s water supplies – and the spirits of our water managers.
Over the first three weeks of January, 27 reservoirs in the Sacramento, coastal, and San Joaquin basins gained over 2
million acre-feet of water.
Lake Oroville, the State Water Project (SWP)’s main water supply reservoir, saw gains of over 200,000 acre-feet and last Friday, the State Water Project Allocation to Metropolitan and the other state water contractors bumped up to 15%.
Of the 12 major reservoirs in California, 10 are above average for this time of the year. More detail can be found in the latest
Water Supply Conditions Report
.
Closer to home, Diamond Valley Lake storage is above 700,000 acre-feet, which is about 126% of the historical average. Additionally, statewide Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is a major source of Southern California’s water supply, is also above normal.
Another positive trend of note for Metropolitan and local water agencies this year: Southern California received significant rain after several years of lagging behind the north. Los Angeles’ rainfall, for example, is now at about 168% and San Diego is about 153% of what is typical for this time of year. This healthy precipitation has helped keep the water demands down.
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Science Saturday: The Science of Water
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This Saturday, Feb. 2, the Western Science Center in Hemet will host “Science Saturday: The Science of Water” from 10:30am – 1pm. The Center is adjacent to Metropolitan's Diamond Valley Lake Visitors Center and the two facilities have a long tradition of collaborating on events to educate and entertain the public.
Science Saturday
is held on the first Saturday of each month. This weekend's family-friendly event is a partnership between Metropolitan, Eastern Municipal Water District and the Western Science Center, and will feature a variety of water activities for all ages.
This includes Metropolitan’s augmented reality sandbox which allows users to create rainstorms, lakes and rivers and see how they alter landscapes, A water model, which represents Met's 240+ mile system of pipelines, tunnels, pumps and treatment plants, will also be part of the learning activities.
“It’s a wonderful event for the whole family. The kids have fun and everyone learns something new,” says
Blanca Biller
, of Metropolitan’s Education Unit.
Metropolitan has a limited number of free passes for the Western Science Center that can be used for this event. If you are interested in getting up to two tickets, email
us.
Tickets will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.
The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday and regular admission is $8 per person. The DVL Visitor Center is open on weekends and admission is free.
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WaM: There's a New President in Town
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T
he new president of the Women at Metropolitan (WaM) employee resource group has an amazing professional and personal journey she hopes will inspire others.
Meang Kour
, came to Metropolitan 28 years ago, after graduating from Cal Poly Pomona as a civil engineer. She has worked on the Inland Feeder, Badlands Tunnel project, was the first female Plant Engineer at Weymouth, managed the site preparation work for the Ozone Retrofit Project at Deimer, and led the Treatment Plant team as a project manager for conveyance and distribution work. The jobs were often stressful but
Meang
“loved the work and making things happen.”
While working on these important projects,
Meang
and her husband raised three children. She credits Met for being supportive and helping employees find a good work-life balance.
Recently,
Meang
moved to the Real Property Group to manage the desert housing program and other district-owned housing. “I’ve never been one to stand on the sidelines,” she says of taking on this assignment.
Meang
came to the United States from Cambodia when she was 12 years old. Living first with a sponsor family in Georgia and then in Seattle, she learned to speak English, and immersed herself in a new country and culture. Rather than looking back though, she would rather look forward. As the new president of WaM, she hope to share with others her spirit of enthusiasm, commitment and a desire to seize opportunities for success.
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