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.
HANNAH GBEH TO SPEAK ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURAL ISSUES SEPT. 20 IN SANTEE
East County News Service September 11, 2018 (Santee) – Hannah Gbeh will be the featured speaker at the East County Democratic Club meeting on Thursday. September 20 at Jimmy’s Restaurant in Santee (9635 Mission Gorge Rd.) Dinner and social hour start at 6 p.m. with the meeting at 7 p.m. Gbeh is an environmental impact report preparer, organic
SUBSTATION AND NEW POWER LINES PROPOSED FOR TORREY WIND IN MCCAIN VALLEY
By Miriam Raftery Photo: Sunrise Powerlink tower dwarfs mountain ridges in McCain Valley September 7, 2018 (Boulevard) — Boulder Brush LLC (Terra-Gen) is seeking a major use permit to construct and operate a gen-tie line and substation/switchyard facilities on 110 acres of private land in McCain Valley south of I-8. The gen-time line would carry energy from the Terra-Gen
360-DEGREE VIEW FROM THE TOP: VOLCAN MOUNTAIN SUMMIT
By José Eli Villanueva, County of San Diego Communications Office September 8, 2018 (Julian) – Get motivated to do the 3-mile hike to Volcan Mountain Summit near Julian by watching this 360-degree video. Visit sdparks.org for information on all our County trails. To watch 360-degree videos, you’ll need the latest version of Chrome, Opera, Firefox or MS Edge
BLUE GREEN ALGAE INVADES EAST COUNTY LAKES
The naturally-occurring algae can form toxic blooms, causing severe illness in humans, kill pets, livestock, and other animals By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor September 3, 2018 (San Diego )– Some people believe in the health benefits of blue green algae as nutritional supplements found at health food stores. But too much of it can make humans very sick and
BILL WOULD PHASE OUT FOSSIL FUELS IN CALIFORNIA BY 2045
Update: This bill has been signed into law by Governor Brown. By Miriam Raftery August 29, 2018 (Sacramento) – California could become the first state in the nation to generate 100 percent of its power from renewable energy resources. A bill by State Senator Kevin del Leon would require California to reach that goal by 2045. The measure has
PUBLIC URGED TO SPEAK OUT ON WIND TURBINE IMPACTS AT TORREY WIND SCOPING MEETING AUG. 23 IN BOULEVARD
By Miriam Raftery August 11, 2018 (Boulevard) — Terra-Gen’s proposed Torrey Wind project (with up to 30 giant turbines each up to 586 tall and 4.2 megawatts) in Boulevard is moving through the planning process quickly. Boulevard Planning Group Chair Donna Tisdale is asking all who have concerns or information to share on impacts of wind turbines to come
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: THE WEASELS ARE BACK!
By Miriam Raftery August 10, 2018 (Lakeside) – Weasels haven’t been seen for five years at Lakeside’s Lindo Lake County Park. But this morning, photographer Billy Ortiz videotaped a welcome sight: a weasel has returned. “This weasel brings me more joy than any other animal, just cracks me up watching its antics,” he wrote on Facebook. Ortiz adds this
SANTEE COUNCIL DELAYS VOTE ON SLOW GROWTH INITIATIVE, EFFECTIVELY TO 2020
By Mike Allen Photo: Pam Kerzner testified, “We don’t need any more houses,” citing traffic delays. August 9, 2018 (Santee) — Voters in Santee hoping to have more say in future development projects will have to wait two more years to do so, following the City Council’s vote last night to prepare a report on the initiative’s possible impacts instead
MAKE BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON THE GREATEST EVER
Earn an A+ in sustainability this school year with tips from Waste Management Source: Waste Management August 7, 2018 (San Diego) – As millions prepare to head back to school, Waste Management of Southern California is offering parents, students and educators practical tips to make this school year more sustainable by reducing, reusing and recycling right, in and
READER’S EDITORIAL: WHILE ROME (AND MOST EVERYWHERE ELSE) BURNS
The Trump administration is taking action, but in precisely the wrong direction. By Mel Gurtov, published by Common Dreams The sky above Soda Bay, Calif. is seen on July 30, 2018 as the River Fire burns. (Photo: Bob Schoenherr/flickr/cc) August 5, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) — By now we’re accustomed to learning that every year brings record high
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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.