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Drought cause: Poor planning, over-development

Posted by: Maven on July 25, 2009 at 4:08 pm

From City Watch, this commentary by David Coffin, a candidate for the 51st Assembly Seat:

“Drought has many forms but Mother Nature is only a bit player in today’s water crisis. Our drought is caused primarily by poor planning and over-development. State Senate bill SB610 was supposed to protect water supply but it contains a huge loophole that allows planners and developers to use outdated water management plans that promise sufficient water supplies for growth but never deliver.

The problem is compounded when over-development creates environmental fiasco’s like those that occurred in the Owens Valley, the Mono Basin and the Sacramento Delta thus forcing legal remedies to protect those areas. Those remedies include shutting down State Water Project pumps and redirecting half of the L.A. Aqueducts water back Owens and Mono.

Poor planning and water assessments have had an equally devastating effect on farmers who now have to stop growing crops and layoff employees.

In the end, we end up paying with higher prices and lower allocations and a lower quality of life.”

Read more of this commentary by clicking here.

July 25, 2009 · Filed Under Development & Population

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