Tag archives: groundwater basin

Montecito GSA Meeting
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 11, 2022

The Montecito Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (Montecito GSA or Agency) will meet for its quarterly Board Meeting on Tuesday, October 11 at 9:30 am. Topics of discussion will include projects and actions which may be included in the Groundwater Sustainability Plan now and in the future. The meeting will be held in person at […]

Will Montecito Run Out of Water?
By Bob Hazard   |   September 21, 2021

As of mid-September, 50 out of the 58 California counties are reporting either “extreme” or “exceptional” drought status. Montecito falls into the “extreme drought” category. While Montecito’s water supply appears secure for the next three years, all bets are off if continued drought becomes the new norm, or if Montecito Water District (MWD) customers are […]

New Stores at Montecito Country Mart
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   February 11, 2021

Two new stores are calling Montecito Country Mart home as business picks up throughout the Mart following the lifting of the state’s stay-at-home order in January. “People are here, they are shopping and eating, all in a safe way,” says Mart rep Kristin Teufel, who introduced us to the new shops earlier this week.  The […]

Montecito Water District’s Newest Hire Aims to Strengthen Our Underground Water Supply
By Nick Schou   |   December 3, 2020

Six years ago, former California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law landmark water management legislation consisting of several bills which bundled together were called the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The law made history by finally mandating a statewide campaign to protect and preserve the groundwater basins that collectively make up the reserves of California’s […]

A Few Things Everyone in Montecito Should Know About Water Part 1
By Carolee Krieger   |   July 2, 2020

The Public Trust, Montecito, and the Sources of Our Water Water is a Public Trust Resource. The Public Trust Doctrine, codified by Roman Emperor Justinian in 535 AD, affirms the public’s fundamental right to water as a common resource. This right was reiterated in Britain’s Magna Carta, and later enshrined in the constitutions of the […]

Montecito’s Missing Water
By Nick Schou   |   June 18, 2020

On June 15, Nick Turner, executive director of the Montecito Water District (MWD), gave a two-hour slideshow presentation to the public which outlined the agency’s proposed rate changes that will impact roughly 4,600 households. Thanks to a proposed 50-year Water Supply Agreement (WSA) with Santa Barbara, Montecito will receive a guaranteed supply of agua secured […]

The Water Wells of Montecito
By Bob Hazard   |   March 28, 2019

After a wet November, a damp December, and a soggy January, February, and March, the good news is that Montecito water bills have never been lower. Seventeen storms have dropped 32 inches of water drenching our community. The heavy downpours in Montecito have temporarily eliminated our “extreme drought” designation but have raised a number of […]

Mobile Command Center Unveiled
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   February 28, 2019

Earlier this month the Santa Barbara Police Department accepted and unveiled a new 32-ft long, 12-ft tall, custom mobile command unit that will be dispatched during community events, emergency situations, and disasters. The $350,000 vehicle was purchased by the Santa Barbara Police Foundation and One805, a local non-profit that was born after the Thomas Fire […]

Montecito Falling Behind on Recycled Water
By Bob Hazard   |   August 30, 2018

Recycling of treated wastewater is environmentally responsible and can create a significant new water supply for both landscaping water (sometimes referred to as non-potable or “purple pipe” water) by surface spreading, or even better, indirect potable reuse (IPR) by injecting the purified water into local groundwater basins as recharge water for later withdrawal as a […]

More Liberal Observations
By Montecito Journal   |   August 23, 2018

Oh, dear. I see that the Journal has published more political emails. I really wish you wouldn’t. They’re mostly pretty stale, even the anti-Trump ones. Les Conrad reaches almost the same degree of derangement, if in less colorful prose. Right off, he suggests that our least Biblically inspired president (in itself, not a bad thing; […]