Tag archives: water

Montecito Association (MA) members have identified three issues – water security, including lifetime independence from drought; effective recycling with re-use of wastewater; safety and security from future flood and debris flows – as critical issues facing Montecito that need to be explored and resolved as the community looks toward a better future. To resolve any […]

Last week’s editorial identified the five top concerns facing the residents of Montecito as (1) Safety and Security from future fire, flood, and earthquake; (2) Rebuilding Public and Private Infrastructure; (3) Protecting and Preserving the Semi-Rural Character of Montecito; (4) Traffic Gridlock in Montecito; and (5) Water Securityand Water Independence from future drought. Identifying challenges […]

On Saturday, May 4 at 3 pm, over 750 Rancheros Visitadores from 37 states and six countries will parade in pink on horseback and carriages along Alisal Road through downtown Solvang to Old Mission Santa Inés. For the eighth year in a row, the Rancheros have chosen to partner with Wrangler Jeans and the Tough […]

In Search of Dragons I’ve just finished reading your touching (and accurate) tribute to our remarkable friend, Julian Nott (“He Landed Safely,” MJ # 25/13). In addition to being a “…physicists, thinker, inventor, and bon vivant…” Julian had a devious, some might say “twisted” sense of humor, which inspired me to write more than a […]

Signs of Trouble What a surprise! During a Sheriff’s raid on a drug house, they found our stolen road signs; check out the attached image!  Montecito’s iconic road signs are 100% privately funded through donations to the Montecito Community Foundation. Most community members are unaware of the Montecito Community Foundation’s work (the conversion of a […]

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 […]

Unlike a Rolling Stone By the way, the drought is over. I don’t care what the experts say, look at the moss on the 100-year-old wall at the Santa Barbara cemetery. Plants don’t have an agenda. Dan SeibertSanta Barbara Money Laundering Explained As always, I appreciate MJ publishing my letters and anytime you may comment […]

At this month’s Montecito Association monthly board meeting, SB County Water Resources Deputy Director Tom Fayram reported on Montecito’s debris basins following the strong storms over the last several weeks. “We’ve been going full throttle since January,” Fayram said, adding that hundreds of trucks have been in Montecito clearing debris basins, sometimes 24 hours a […]

In this community, business-as-usual is no longer an option. Separate silos for water and sanitary decisions are as dated as hula hoops. Why? Water in all forms is one of our most fundamental resources. Increasingly, communities are realizing a need for districts to work together on water solutions that deliver more efficient use, integrated management […]

A Burning Issue Do they read the Montecito Journal in distant Hope Ranch? I hope so.For several months oil has been seeping out of the bluff between Hope Ranch and the beach and it is hot enough that it is burning underground. There have been repeated efforts to stop it by burying it but this […]

A Non-Scientific View Last week, Montecito Journal’s front-page photo of the Romero debris catch basin filled with tons of rocks, coupled with your words stating Montecito had fared the last major storm “very well,” left me wondering why you are still writing about the installation of several steel nets. If what we have in our […]

A succession of winter storms has dropped four to six inches of intense rainfall on Montecito, and so far, cleaned-out debris basins, combined with wider creek channels, have saved the day. Now is an ideal time to pause and reflect on how you as an individual can help to make the Montecito community a safer […]

Last week many Montecito residents endured evacuations due to a series of several rain storms that hit our area, bringing much needed wet weather to the County.  Montecito Water District reports that Thursday’s storm in particular brought significant precipitation over the Santa Ynez River upper watershed, and was seemingly concentrated over Jameson Lake, a key […]

For the last five years, deep sea diver and marine photographer Bob Evans and his wife, Susanne Chess, have been working on a paradigm busting project – a more sustainable means of converting saltwater into fresh water. The project, C+E=DOW desalination, is a new way of looking at the process and is predicted to have […]

Is the drought over for a while?None of us knows.Is water security important?Of course. Is this security worth having your monthly water bills increase a quarter to a third more? If your average monthly water bill is $150, how happy will you feel if it goes to $200 a month, especially during normal rain times […]

Earlier this month, Montecito Water District’s Strategic Planning Committee met to review the current status of a potential long-term Water Supply Agreement with the City of Santa Barbara. Phase 2 negotiations resumed in late March 2018, spearheaded by Nick Turner, MWD’s General Manager.  Turner and MWD staff, along with District consultant David Moore of Clean […]

California’s aging State Water System with its surface canals and pumps was designed to meet the needs of 25 million California farmers and urban users. Today, it struggles to provide sustainable water for 40 million current state residents. Fortunately, technology – at a price – can help solve the problem, especially for coastal communities, if […]

“It’s all Trump’s fault”! Leftists instantly reach for the “Hate-Trump Card” as a knee-jerk reaction to virtually every “crisis.” Do you remember Democrats and the seedier media blaming Robert (“F**k Trump”) De Niro for the shooting and attempted assassination of president Ronald Reagan? I don’t. A certified mental case shot at the president because, as […]

The best way to predict the future is to watch those who are working hard to create it. It is fascinating to reflect on how fast the world is changing. The Auto Industry Last week, the Los Angeles Times reported that Alphabet Inc’s Waymo has become the first company to receive a permit from the […]