East County Magazine
La Mesa hosting Home Energy Fair in March
East County News Service February 5, 2026 (La Mesa) — With San Diego County residents navigating some of the highest utility rates in the nation,…
Navy officials meet with Warner Springs community to address PFAS in water
Printer-friendly versionBy Karen Pearlman with additional reporting by Miriam Raftery Jan. 14, 2026 (Warner Springs) — Dozens of local residents and business owners visited the CAL Fire Station in Warner Springs on Jan. 12 to glean information from the United States Navy and several other federal groups as well as state and county water agencies about PFAS and their impact
“Forever chemical” crisis seeps into Southern California: from Sweetwater Reservoir to Orange County, districts grapple with how to protect drinking water supplies
Printer-friendly versionPhoto: PFAS have been detected in Sweetwater Reservoir, via Sweetwater Water Authority By Karen Pearlman Jan. 8, 2025 (San Diego County) — “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” goes the line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, describing sailors surrounded by undrinkable ocean water. That old phrase also fits today. Obtaining clean,
Reader’s Editorial: Venezuela could yield more profits from ecotourism than from oil
Printer-friendly version By Renee Owens, wildlife biologist Photo by Renee Owens: capybaras and sunset in Venezuela’s llanos January 7, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) — Having lived and worked in Venezuela, I can no longer remain silent amidst all the clueless rhetoric. Venezuela is more than a cliché of dictators and oil. It is a wondrous place and a cautionary tale
The Water Conservation Garden gears up for a blooming 2026
Printer-friendly version Photo of a buttefly at the Dorcas E. Utter Butterfly Pavilion at The Water Conservation Garden and story by Karen Pearlman Jan. 3, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) — The Water Conservation Garden, the 6-acre botanical showcase of sustainable landscaping and water-wise gardening adjacent to Cuyamaca College, has rooted out its slate of events for Winter and Spring 2026. The schedule includes educational opportunities,
PFAS “forever chemicals” found in Warner Springs groundwater: Navy to host open house January 12 and provide testing of wells at nearby properties
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Updated Dec. 31 with comments from the Warner Spring Community Sponsor Group chair and a local winery representative, plus a statement from the Vista Irrigation District. December 27, 2025 (Warner Springs) — The U.S. Navy has announced that PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” have been detected in groundwater in Warner Springs. The contamination is believed to be linked to a
County share: Sustainability hacks during the holiday season
Printer-friendly versionSustainable 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 —
Loveland Reservoir water transfer at 21% but coming to an end, SWA says
Printer-friendly versionPhoto 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
East County AWP construction boosts cost, but officials say recycled water supply is worth the price
Printer-friendly versionBy 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.
Loveland Reservoir draining underway brings pushback from East County residents
Printer-friendly version 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
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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.
FRIENDS OF LOVELAND RESERVOIR ASK PUBLIC HELP AFTER FOREST SERVICES DENIES REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP RESTORE SUNRISE-TO-SUNSET ACCESS
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery July 11, 2024 (Alpine) – The nonprofit Friends of Loveland Reservoir has been advocating for a return of sunrise-to-sunset hours at Sweetwater Reservoir. Such access was agreed to along with an easement as part of a land-swap deal between the U.S. Forest Service and Sweetwater Water Authority (SWA) years ago, but in recent years amid tightened
AFTER OTAY FIRE, LA MESA CITY MANAGER OFFERS ASSURANCES ON SAFETY OF PROPOSED BATTERY STORAGE SITE IN LA MESA
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Image: Rendering of proposed Murray Project in La Mesa, via Enersmart’s project website July 8, 2024 (La Mesa) – A battery fire at the Gateway energy storage facility in Otay Mesa in May forced evacuation of nearby businesses for nearly two weeks. Enersmart has proposed building a battery energy storage facility at 8131 El Paso
AFTER OTAY FIRE, LA MESA CITY MANAGER OFFERS ASSURANCES ON SAFETY OF PROPOSED BATTERY STORAGE SITE IN LA MESA
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Image: Rendering of proposed Murray Project in La Mesa, via Enersmart’s project website July 8, 2024 (La Mesa) – A battery fire at the Gateway energy storage facility in Otay Mesa in May forced evacuation of nearby businesses for nearly two weeks. Enersmart has proposed building a battery energy storage facility at 8131 El Paso
AFTER OTAY FIRE, LA MESA CITY MANAGER OFFERS ASSURANCES ON SAFETY OF PROPOSED BATTERY STORAGE SITE IN LA MESA
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Image: Rendering of proposed Murray Project in La Mesa, via Enersmart’s project website July 8, 2024 (La Mesa) – A battery fire at the Gateway energy storage facility in Otay Mesa in May forced evacuation of nearby businesses for nearly two weeks. Enersmart has proposed building a battery energy storage facility at 8131 El Paso
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: JUNE BLOOMS
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service July 8, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)– Junebug Owens sent in this idyllic image taken in late June of her Belgian Malinois mix dog, Ellie, lolling amid blossoms from a purple flowering Jaracanda tree and a scarlet Bougainvillea. Printer-friendly version
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: JUNE BLOOMS
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service July 8, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)– Junebug Owens sent in this idyllic image taken in late June of her Belgian Malinois mix dog, Ellie, lolling amid blossoms from a purple flowering Jaracanda tree and a scarlet Bougainvillea. Printer-friendly version
CRITTER ENCOUNTERS: RAMONA RESCUE IS HAVEN FOR INJURED AND DISABLED ANIMALS
Printer-friendly versionBy Mimi Pollack Photo: Finley the Fennec Fox July 6, 2024 (Ramona) — In the United States, there is a problem with people acquiring exotic animals without really doing their research. People bring these pets home as tiny babies, not realizing that they can grow to be quite large as adults. For example black and white Argentine
CRITTER ENCOUNTERS: RAMONA RESCUE IS HAVEN FOR INJURED AND DISABLED ANIMALS
Printer-friendly versionBy Mimi Pollack Photo: Finley the Fennec Fox July 6, 2024 (Ramona) — In the United States, there is a problem with people acquiring exotic animals without really doing their research. People bring these pets home as tiny babies, not realizing that they can grow to be quite large as adults. For example black and white Argentine
18 LOCAL WATER SYSTEMS FAIL SAFE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS; 16 MORE ARE AT RISK
Printer-friendly version Update: Hear our in-depth interviews with state water officials, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio. By Miriam Raftery July 3, 2024 (San Diego) – The State of California has released its 2023 Drinking Water Needs Assessment, including a dashboard listing water systems that failed state or federal standards for safe drinking water. In San Diego
18 LOCAL WATER SYSTEMS FAIL SAFE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS; 16 MORE ARE AT RISK
Printer-friendly version Update: Hear our in-depth interviews with state water officials, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio. By Miriam Raftery July 3, 2024 (San Diego) – The State of California has released its 2023 Drinking Water Needs Assessment, including a dashboard listing water systems that failed state or federal standards for safe drinking water. In San Diego
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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.