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Rainwater harvest open house with H2O-ME

Rainwater harvest open house with H2O-ME and Brook Sarson

SAN DIEGO REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARDAPPOINTS DAVID W. GIBSON AS NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICER

SAN DIEGO REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARDAPPOINTS DAVID W. GIBSON AS NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

                                               

October 22, 2009

Contact:   Lori Costa                                            

858-467-2952

       

SAN DIEGO REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD

APPOINTS DAVID W. GIBSON AS NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICER

The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board is pleased to

announce the appointment of David W. Gibson as its new Executive

Officer.

Employed by the San Diego Water Board since 2000, Mr. Gibson currently

serves as Branch Chief for the Water Quality Restoration and Standards

Branch.  In this capacity, he oversees multiple programs, including

Water Quality Standards and Basin Planning, the development of Total

Maximum Daily Loads, Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment, and the

Compliance Assurance Unit.   

Mr. Gibson brings 20 years of cumulative experience in public service

in leadership roles in water quality monitoring, management and

regulation to the position of Executive Officer, having served as a

watershed biologist with the City of San Diego and founding the San

Diego Stream Team prior to joining the San Diego Water Board.  He is a

fifth generation San Diegan and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in

Biology from San Diego State University.

The San Diego Water Board considered a diverse and highly qualified

candidate pool before making the appointment.   "Mr. Gibson has

demonstrated a deep understanding of the many critical and wide-ranging

issues facing the San Diego Region at this time.  He possesses the

organizational, decision-making and consensus-building skills the San

Diego Water Board is looking for in an Executive Officer," said

Richard Wright, Chair of the Board.

Mr. Gibson will succeed John Robertus, who is retiring from the San

Diego Water Board after serving as its Executive Officer for 14 years.

Mr. Gibson will manage a staff of more than 70 employees.  "At a time

when resources of all kinds are in short supply, the need to protect

water quality and ensure reliable supply has never been greater.  The

challenges and complexity of water quality protection demands more than

ever our best efforts and creative solutions." 

 

The Mission of State Water Board and nine Regional Water Quality

Control Boards is to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of

California's water resources and ensure their proper allocation and

efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations. 

The San Diego Region includes 11 watersheds located in San Diego, Orange,

and Riverside counties extending from the crest of the Peninsular

Mountain Range to the sea. The region is home to 3.8 million people,

supports thousands of businesses, and hosts millions of visitors, and

yet retains some of the highest quality natural resources and biological

diversity in the state.  The surface and ground waters in the San Diego

region support a variety of important beneficial uses, including: water

supply, recreation and aesthetic enjoyment, and habitat for fish and

wildlife.

  

-----------------------------------

State Water Resources Control Board

Office of Public Affairs

Phone: 916.341.5254

Fax: 916.341.5252

Email: info@waterboards.ca.gov

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The Graduate's New Word: Algae

The popular line from The Graduate can usher in the new era now... "One word. Plastics." can now be described as "One word. Algae."
 

Thanks to the rapidly advancing field of Algaculture, the blue-green revolution continues at a hopeful pace.  This is not breaking news, but there are signs that this technology is reaching a practical level faster than expected.  Exxon and General Atomics are investing hundreds of millions of dollars on applied research.  If this doesn't give you hope for the process, than consider the other potential uses of algae as a dietary supplement, water treatment, and other beneficial uses.

Not all algae is created equal though and in many cases, algal blooms have a devastating effect on local ecosystems.  In the Sacramento River, the first 40 miles of river are as pristine as the headwaters at the base of Mt. Shasta.  Once the river dips into agricultural land, the nutrient rich runoff and slower waters are perfect for Algae blooms.  The clarity of the water is drastically reduced and the algae clings to rocks and increases turbidity.  Perhaps this is a contributor to the decline in fish populations, it's not the algae's fault though, they are merely being fed an endless buffet of nitrates and phosphates from fertilizer runoff from one of the greatest Agricultural areas in the United States.

Would it be possible to trap the runoff before it hits the river and allow Algal blooms to be contained in pools and harvested for nutrients and potential biofuel?  Could we improve river water quality by fixing the nitrogen in the Algae before it contaminates the river?  Could farmers utilize this veggie diesel/biofuel to power their tractors, combines, and shakers and reduce their reliance on traditional diesel?  All of this remains to be proven through basic applied research, but from an early stage analysis of the state of the art and the millions of dollars of investment from big oil companies, I believe that the answer is yes.