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Water settlement knots finally untangling

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 1, 2008 at 5:55 am

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

Standing alongside the Escondido Canal on the edge of Hellhole Canyon a few weeks ago, Bo Mazzetti, vice chairman of the Rincon Indian band, could see the outlines of his reservation miles away. The boundary was easy to spot. On one side, green avocado trees. On the other, the Indian side, brown chaparral. The reason for the difference? The water that flows through the canal at his feet, he said.

The canal was built with federal approval more than 100 years ago to divert water from the San Luis Rey River and deliver it to Escondido. The Indian tribes downstream lost an important source of water.

The federal government’s decision was a mistake and it has taken decades of litigation, legislation and negotiation to correct it.

Although a solution was trumpeted years ago, it appears that the sides finally have untangled all of the legal knots. The La Jolla, Pala, Pauma, Rincon and San Pasqual Indian bands, plus Escondido and the Vista Irrigation District, have figured out how to exchange water from the San Luis Rey for Colorado River water.

Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.

December 1, 2008 · Filed Under Indian Water Rights

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