Metropolitan Water District Of Southern California

The Blue Planet Foundation, a nonprofit environmental education group, was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through its new Community Partnering Program. The funds will be used to stage the fifth annual Children's Water Education Festival. Information: (714) 378-3362.

John H. Lauten, a lawyer who helped plan the invasion of Normandy as an Army captain during World War II and later became the first non-engineer to oversee the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, has died. He was 96. Lauten died of natural causes March 22 at an assisted-living facility in Simi Valley, his family said. As general manager of the MWD from 1974 to 1977, Lauten "provided aggressive leadership" as he diligently worked to develop critical energy sources and educate the public on the need for water conservation during a time of drought, Jeffrey Kightlinger, the district's current general manager, said in a statement.

The Governmental Affairs Committee of the Tustin Chamber of Commerce will hold its next meeting at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at 399 El Camino Real. A representative from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will speak on "Water Delivery to Southern California." Information: (714) 544-5341.

A wise man once said: Everything is easy, once you know how. Tell that to the frustrated native-plant gardener and suggest she find a copy of this book. Unlike other new titles on California flora, this ring-bound reference provides the how, why, when and where for growing scores of different species and cultivars -- practical information that can lead to success.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has leased about 26,000 square feet of office space at Arroyo Parkway Plaza, 1111 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena, with a five-year lease valued at $2.4 million. Spencer-Scott Real Estate Group represented the tenant and Grubb & Ellis Commercial Brokerage Services represented the landlord.

Just Add Water: This weather report on the Weather Channel will be about drought: the cable station will air a new documentary called "The Unforgiving Sky" on April 20. Hosted by meteorologist Jeff Morrow, the program will focus on the problems of drought in Southern California and Florida. The special includes interviews with representatives from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UCLA.

The Municipal Water District of Orange County has appointed Peer Swan to represent Irvine as a director on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In a 3-2 vote, water officials chose Swan, a Newport Coast resident, to join four other directors from around the county to represent municipal water interests on the Metropolitan board.

John E. Maulding of Hacienda Heights has been selected to the 51-member board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which covers the six counties of Southern California. Maulding, a former board member of the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, is senior vice president of Willdan Associates, a civil engineering and planning firm based in Industry.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has chosen a name for its $2-billion reservoir being built in southwest Riverside County: Diamond Valley Lake. When filled in three years, the reservoir will become the region's biggest water storage facility, holding 260 billion gallons, enough to meet the annual needs of 6 million people. The mammoth project has gone by its construction name, the Eastside Reservoir Project, while MWD officials debated the name issue.

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and two Republican congressmen have raised concerns about a proposal to pump large amounts of water from an extensive Mojave Desert aquifer, while environmental groups are calling on California Gov. Gray Davis to oppose the project.

The Blue Planet Foundation has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through the district's new Community Parenting Program. The funds will be used toward the fifth annual Children's Water Education Festival in Irvine in May.

The Governmental Affairs Committee of the Tustin Chamber of Commerce will hold its next meeting at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at 399 El Camino Real. A representative from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will speak on "Water Delivery to Southern California." Information: (714) 544-5341.

People in Southern California are always being admonished to store extra water for emergencies. Just in case they have ignored the warnings, officials from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California dedicated a $2-billion man-made lake Saturday that will eventually hold a six-month supply. It is the largest earthen dam project in the United States and the seventh-largest in the world.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has chosen a name for its $2-billion reservoir being built in southwest Riverside County: Diamond Valley Lake. When filled in three years, the reservoir will become the region's biggest water storage facility, holding 260 billion gallons, enough to meet the annual needs of 6 million people. The mammoth project has gone by its construction name, the Eastside Reservoir Project, while MWD officials debated the name issue.

The Municipal Water District of Orange County has appointed Peer Swan to represent Irvine as a director on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In a 3-2 vote, water officials chose Swan, a Newport Coast resident, to join four other directors from around the county to represent municipal water interests on the Metropolitan board.

One of the most effective ways to fight drought conditions is through the use of reclaimed water. Direct use of this water is primarily for irrigation. For example, parks, street medians, cemeteries, golf courses, freeway landscaping and school yards are among the areas utilizing reclaimed water. Reclaimed-water use is not limited to irrigation, though. Industrial uses include process water for paper plants and power plant cooling.

Two schools have received a $452 "mini-grant" from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to study the relationship of the Santa Ana River to North County's drinking water. Esperanza High School teacher Frank Jahn will combine skills with Stumpf Elementary School teacher Donelda Warhurst for a cooperative program.