Coachella Valley Water District says proposal for groundwater adjudication will drain economy

From MyDesert.com:

Indio’s call for a court-appointed “watermaster” to resolve groundwater disputes “would have potentially devastating effects to the Coachella Valley’s already depressed economy,” Coachella Valley Water District officials said. The water district, with a response to the city’s lawsuit against it, fired the latest volley in a court battle between the two over groundwater rights and responsibilities. The district wants portions of the city’s suit dismissed, and to force the city to name all other regional groundwater users as defendants in its lawsuit – potentially hundreds of well-pumpers.

The move, district officials said, is an attempt to get the city to reconsider its call for a so-called adjudication of the groundwater basin, which would likely mean a court-appointed watermaster who would divide up existing and future groundwater supplies for cities and other users who rely on groundwater. “Indio has continually said they don’t want a general adjudication, although anyone besides the city of Indio who has read the cross-complaint says a general adjudication is exactly what they’ve asked for,” water district general manager Steve Robbins said. “They can’t just make these issues between CVWD and Indio. You either go all the way or you don’t do it.”

Indio Public Works Director Jim Smith denied the claim, saying the city wants a watermaster only to resolve the issues between it and the district. Smith called for an integrated regional water management plan, and for CVWD to stop asserting an authority position over valley groundwater usage that it doesn’t have. “Stronger leadership is needed,” Smith said. “We need to organize ourselves and have buy-in from all of the parties.”

Read the full text of this article from MyDesert.com by clicking here.

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