East County Magazine
County share: Sustainability hacks during the holiday season
Sustainable gifts are always in. Photo from Pexels.com East County News Service Dec. 10, 2025 (San Diego County) — Going green and being sustainable poses some challenges, and can be especially difficult to navigate during the holiday season. Gving and receiving gifts and packages of all makes and models — and most come with wrapping of all types — plus
Loveland Reservoir water transfer at 21% but coming to an end, SWA says
Photo of Loveland Reservoir by Ostan Patton By Karen Pearlman Dec. 9, 2025 (Alpine) – Sweetwater Authority’s plan to leave Loveland Reservoir with at least 25 percent of its water capacity during the most recent transfer of water into the Sweetwater Reservoir has not gone as originally planned, as shared with East County Magazine on Dec. 5. Sweetwater Authority (SWA), the special
East County AWP construction boosts cost, but officials say recycled water supply is worth the price
By Mike Allen Photo: Education Center at AWP plant December 5, 2025 (Santee) — Three years into construction, the massive East County Advanced Water Purification Program is approaching the finish line late next year when the region’s sewage now being treated at Point Loma will be pumped to a new Santee plant and converted to drinkable, purified water. Last
Loveland Reservoir draining underway brings pushback from East County residents
Loveland Reservoir showing what is left of the public fishing zone. Photo by Ostan Patton By Karen Pearlman Dec. 5, 2025 (Alpine) – It’s been three years since Loveland Reservoir was drained by Sweetwater Authority to “deadpool” level for the first time ever, leaving the area susceptible to environmental challenges, killing fish and increasing fire hazards. Now another extreme draining is underway by Sweetwater Authority (SWA),
Trump aims to open California coast to oil drilling; Senator Padilla and Governor Newsom denounce plan
Draft proposal seeks six California lease sales despite clear legal limits and decades of bipartisan coastal protections By Miriam Raftery Photo: dead seabirds killed by the Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska in 1989. Source. November 20, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – The Trump administration today released its draft 2027 to 2032 Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing plan, the most aggressive
Long-awaited victory: Glorietta Canyon saved after two-decade quest
Some native plants have already begun to show up in Glorietta Canyon, like this chinchweed that’s growing on the pad where the previous owner of the property had his trailer. Photo courtesy Anza Borrego Foundation East County News Service Nov. 18, 2025 (Borrego Springs) — A nearly two-decade conservation effort has culminated in a major victory for the Anza-Borrego
Board of Supervisors to discuss land use on Nov. 19
East County News Service Nov. 14, 2025 (San Diego County) — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is continuing a critical conversation about the future of housing and development in the unincorporated areas of the county, including Spring Valley, Lakeside and Casa de Oro. The Board of Supervisors will discuss land use legislations at its meeting at
Governor Newsom attends COP30 Climate Summit that President Trump skips, after UN warns of highest C02 spikes in history
California has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 20% since 2000, while state’s GDP rose 81% By G. A. McNeeley November 13, 2025 (Brazil) — Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere jumped by the highest amount on record last year, soaring to levels never seen in human civilization. That’s “turbocharging” the earth’s climate and causing more extreme weather, the
Pumpkin Smash event turns Halloween waste into environmental wins
Local students join I Love A Clean San Diego to divert organic waste from landfills Story and photo via I Love a Clean San Diego November 4, 2025 (Spring Valley) — On Monday, November 3, students at Sweetwater Springs Elementary School participated in a unique post-Halloween event aimed at reducing organic waste and promoting environmental education. Hosted by I Love
Vegetables sprout in new $1.67 billion County Crop Report
By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office November 1, 2025 (San Diego) – Agriculture values rose by just over 1% to $1.67 billion, and vegetable and vine crops thrived in San Diego County’s Annual Crop Report released today. The new Crop Report, which covers the 2024 growing season, showed the county’s list of Top 10 crops changed slightly
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
LAKESIDE PLANNERS TO HOLD HEARING THURSDAY AND VOTE ON SAND MINE EIR
East County News Service October 22, 2018 (Lakeside) – The Lakeside Community Planning Group will hold a public hearing this Thursday on an environmental impact report on a controversial sand mining project proposed in the El Monte Valley. After public comments and discussion, planning group members are expected to vote on the project’s EIR. The meeting will be held
22 CA LEGISLATORS JOIN GLORIA IN DEMANDING THAT FEDERAL GOV’T STOP INHUMANE ROUNDUP OF WILD HORSES IN MODOC NF
East County News Service October 17, 2018 (San Diego) – Approximately 1,000 of California’s wild horses are currently being rounded up by the federal government with many at risk of being sold for potential slaughter by the United States Forest Service (USFS). Today, California State Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) and 22 of his legislative colleagues demanded the USFS cease this inhumane
STATE MOVES TO REDUCE METHANE LEAKS THAT FUEL CLIMATE CHANGE
By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service Photo: A new rule from the California Public Utilities Commission will require more inspections of gas distribution systems in order to reduce leaks. (Wikimedia Commons) October 15, 2018 (San Francisco) – The state’s gas utility companies are going to have to spend about $300 million over the next three years to find, fix
COUNTY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT STAFF FACES STIFF OPPOSITION FROM IRATE LAKESIDE RESIDENTS OVER PROPOSED SAND MINE PROJECT
By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor Photo, left, by Paul Kruze October 12, 2018 (Lakeside) — Members of San Diego County’s Planning and Development staff bravely faced some 500 irate Lakeside residents at a recent loud and often rowdy standing room only meeting at the Lakeside Community Center over a proposed sand mine project at the El Monte Valley.
GOV. BROWN SIGNS LANDMARK CLIMATE ACTION BILL; U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT WARNS OF “LIFE OR DEATH” CONSEQUENCES OF INACTION
By Miriam Raftery October 8, 2018 (Incheon, South Korea) – California must get 60 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2030 and 100 percent clean energy sources by 2045, under the landmark Senate Bill 100 signed into law by Jerry Brown as one of his final acts as Governor. Days later, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on
COUNTY WINS HIGHEST LEED AWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY
By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office Image via Bruce Heimbach October 8, 2018 (San Diego) – The County of San Diego has become the first county in California and the second in the nation to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum certification – its highest distinction – in its LEED for Communities program. LEED stands
STRAW BALE HOME IN CAMPO HONORED AS ENERGY CHAMPION BY SDG&E, WILL BE FEATURED ON GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL TOUR OCT. 21
By Miriam Raftery Photos: Simple Construct Hear our interview on KNSJ radio with homeowners Brian and Susan Fallgren, Simple Construct builder Rebeca Tasker, and SDG&E communications manager Helen Gao. View video on the home’s construction and view tour of the finished residence. July 14, 2018 (Campo) – Inspired by historical California adobe homes, Brian and Susan Fallgren in Campo teamed
BRAVE THESE HAUNTED TRAILS AT COUNTY PARKS
East County News Service October 1, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) — Ready to get spooked? County parks invite you tor a haunted adventure through the woods. Don’t forget to dress up in your favorite Halloween costume! Click the links below for details on each of these haunting experiences: Saturday, Oct. 13: 15th Annual Spooky Trails at Hellhole Canyon County Preserve Saturday, Oct.
SKYLINE CHURCH PLAN FOR SENIOR FACILITY ON OPEN LAND DRAWS CONTROVERSY
By Miriam Raftery September 25, 2018 (Rancho San Diego) – The Valle de Oro Planning Group has voted 12-2 on September 4th to oppose a proposal by Skyline Church to build a senior living facility on 9 acres of open land north of Highway 94 in Rancho San Diego. Planners and long-time community residents say that when the evangelical megachurch
EIR FOR EL MONTE SAND MINING PROJECT NOW AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: HEARING SET SEPT. 25 IN LAKESIDE
By Miriam Raftery August 31, 2018 (Lakeside) – The County has published a draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the controversial El Monte Sand Mining Project. A public meeting will be held at the Lakeside Community Center located at 9841 Vine Street Lakeside, CA 92040 on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 from 5:30 to 8:00 P.M. County staff will
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.