‘09 may deliver deeper water cuts: Coachella Valley braces for possibility of third straight year of drought for California
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 29, 2008 at 7:30 amFrom MyDesert.com:
As the Western drought continues, California is preparing to make deep cuts next year to the amount of water it provides to the Coachella Valley and other communities statewide.
The state Department of Water Resources is preparing to announce preliminary water allotments for 2009 that will be “most likely less than 20percent of what our customers have requested,” spokesman Ted Thomas said. That’s the lowest preliminary projection since 10 percent delivery was predicted in 1993.
The state delivered 60 percent of water allotments last year, and was slated to deliver 35 percent this year. “We’re in a second consecutive dry year,” Thomas said. “There’s concern we could have a third consecutive dry year, which could really be Draconian.”
More from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Heavy users may soon pay more for water; Coachella Valley Water District exploring tiered rate system
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 26, 2008 at 5:53 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Charging so-called “water-wasters” more than those who do conserve could ultimately reduce the valley’s domestic water consumption by up to 37 percent, water district officials said Friday.
Coachella Valley Water District officials are making their case for a tiered rate system that would charge more of rate-payers who exceed their allotment. “The whole goal of this is not to tell people they have to go take their turf out, do this or do that,” water district General Manager Steve Robbins said. “This is really aimed at the bigger residential users who are wasting water.”
Under the preliminary plans, customers would get individualized water budgets based on the size of their lots, their amount of landscaping, and the number of people living in the home. The budgets would be adjusted each month by weather conditions affecting water use. Those who used more than their budgeted water allotment would pay increased water rates — the greater the overuse, the higher the rate.
As plans stand now, 60 percent to 70 percent of customers would see no change or a slight reduction in their water bills, Robbins said.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
La Quinta’s green efforts progress
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on October 9, 2008 at 6:18 amFrom MyDesert.com:
La Quinta’s Green Program is advancing more each day as residents step onboard to save water, electricity and money. And the city is leading by example as it starts the program on a small scale, the city’s assistant city managers said during a lunch meeting with the La Quinta Rotary Club on Oct. 3.
“We’ve looked at city property and buildings first, then turned the focus to affordable housing units,” said Doug Evans, assistant city manager. “We’re trying to help residents understand what they can do. It’s hard for people to figure out these water and energy issues on their own.”
The city’s program involves water conservation, green building, transportation, land use, energy and emissions, recycling and waste and reductions. The city has removed turf from medians, and replaced turf with desert landscaping at City Hall and the senior center.
When developers seek approval for new projects, a major component is making sure there is no turf where it’s not necessary, Evans said. “Place grass where it’s being used. Not just for people to look at it,” Evans suggested.
Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella canal lining project receives award
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 4, 2008 at 7:12 am
From Desert Local News:
GEI Consultants, Inc., one of the nation’s leading water resources, geotechnical, and environmental engineering firms, announced today that the Coachella Canal Lining Project was named the 2007 Project of the Year by the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). As part of a multi-firm team, GEI provided design, construction management, and construction support services for the project.
The Coachella Canal Lining Project is a substantial accomplishment in meeting a goal of the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement to conserve Colorado River water. Prior to lining the last remaining earthen section of the canal with concrete, approximately 26,000 acre-feet of water seeped through the canal annually. Now, instead of losing this precious resource through seepage, the conserved water is conveyed to San Diego for use.
“Water conservation, and the efficient use of water, is an important issue to California and all the other Colorado River Basin states,” said Wayne Dahl, Western Regional Water Manager for GEI, and engineer-of-record for the project. “Winning this award highlights the exceptional cooperation and resourcefulness demonstrated by the project partners to complete the project on schedule with no interruption of water deliveries to Coachella Valley growers.”
The Coachella Valley Water District, the operator of the canal, was able to convey normal water deliveries during construction because the water never stopped flowing. The project team achieved this feat by constructing a new, concrete-lined canal parallel to the old canal within the same right-of-way.
Read the full text of this story from the Desert Local News by clicking here.
Palm Springs is wise to take a green path to sustainability, says editorial
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 5, 2008 at 6:00 amFrom MyDesert.com, this editorial:
Water is becoming more scarce and nearly everything - gas, food, services - is more expensive, but we have the ability to make real change by being more thoughtful about our resources and wasting less.
Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet is leading the charge by outlining steps the city is taking to create a “sustainable community,” which is a community that is self-sustaining by conserving resources, energy and thriving economically because of smart development.
Palm Springs plans to cut water use by 50 percent and reduce energy consumption by 20 percent, and the timing couldn’t be better. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared California in drought conditions Wednesday.
Just how do they plan to do that?
The 20-step plan, “the Palm Springs path to a sustainable community,” calls for greater conservation. Under the plan, agencies should conduct energy, water and waste audits; create new jobs that focus on renewable energy; promote ecotourism; participate in the cities upcoming sustainability summit in November; and work with the College of the Desert to incorporate environmental sustainability training and classes into the upcoming Palm Springs’ campus.
In addition, Palm Springs will develop a recycling action plan focused on zero waste, re-landscape the Tahquitz Canyon median as a showcase of smart water-saving landscaping, award partners who promote sustainability and develop an interactive Web site to spread awareness and get residents involved.
Read more of this editorial from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Desert Water Agency rates to rise $9 a month
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 4, 2008 at 5:52 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Desert Water Agency customers will see a rate increase of about $9 per month on their bills by August, if not sooner. The agency’s board of directors approved the rate hike Tuesday, but not without opposition from critics of the adjustment. About 42 concerned residents attended the agency’s monthly meeting, where many of them voiced their opinions about the increase during a public hearing.
Critics of the adjustment urged the board to postpone the hearing or withdraw the measure entirely, saying the agency ineffectively contacted or informed many customers about the domestic water use resolution.
The board sternly defended its position, saying that it fulfilled every requirement set by California law to duly inform voters, and passed the adjustment 4-1 with director Craig Ewing dissenting.
Ewing was not opposed to the rate increase, but took issue with the way it was designed. “I believe that a rate increase is necessary to cover the increased expenditures that the agency is facing,” he said. But instead of an overall increase, a tiered rate system should be put in place to reward customers with lower rates if they conserve water, he said. “I think the board and the agency (have) justified a need for an increase,” Ewing said.
Read the full text of this story from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Coachella Valley Water District says proposal for groundwater adjudication will drain economy
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 31, 2008 at 7:16 amFrom 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.
Coachella Valley residents need to concentrate on conservation, editorial says; but what do readers think?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 6, 2008 at 5:45 amFrom MyDesert.com, this editorial:
The threat of severe drought is near and desert cities must be part of the solution. Californians, in general, are urged to conserve water now. Why? Because by 2015, water officials statewide predict Riverside County could be unable to provide drinking water to 360,000 people.
The article gives some basic tips for water conservation, including adjusting sprinklers to prevent overwatering. The editorial also says:
Ongoing drought conditions and lower-than-normal snowpack have water officials around the state searching for ways to help their customers conserve. But property owners shouldn’t wait for a mandate. Conserving water is the right thing to do now.
Water districts around the state are preparing for the shortage by planning mandatory conservation programs. This is a smart move because simply asking people to conserve may not be enough to meet the growing demands our population puts on the water supply.
Here in the valley, Coachella Valley Water District officials are considering a tiered billing system that would help conserve water within a year. Based on other districts around the state, the CVWD could keep a base rate for the majority of its customers, but charge higher rates for customers who exceed normal use, according to a tier system. It’s been successful in other districts around the state and deserves consideration in the Coachella Valley.
Meanwhile, we encourage residents to avoid overwatering lawns and consider making other changes in landscaping to conserve water - the desert’s most precious resource.
Read the full text of this editorial from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
In a related article, MyDesert.com published readers comments about the water shortage:
“When will the Coachella Valley cities get aggressive and start charging more money to golf courses? Any HOA that doesn’t convert to desert landscape should be fined heavily. All developers should always plan on desert landscape. It is ridiculous the amount of lawns in this valley; grass is for parks, not your yard when you CHOOSE to live in a desert.”
“There is not a water crisis in the Coachella Valley, but it makes for exciting reading. Those water professionals over at the conference would like everyone to think “crisis,” just like they did back when the last water bond was passed. This is not to say that reasonable use of water should not be the objective of everyone, after all it does cost money.”
More reader comments from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Riverside County predicts crisis in water supply unless new sources are found
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 3, 2008 at 7:24 amFrom MyDesert.com:
In less than seven years, drought-stricken Riverside County might not be able to supply drinking water to 360,000 people - roughly the population of the Coachella Valley’s nine cities. The good news: You can help prevent this dire scenario, through desert landscaping and conservation, officials at the fifth annual Riverside County Water Symposium said Thursday.
About 800 elected officials, water experts and community leaders gathered in Cabazon to share ideas on convincing residents to reduce their water usage and ways that local agencies can collaborate on recycling and conservation efforts.
“We’ve been a victim of our own success: People have taken water for granted,” said Celeste Cantú, general manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, which calculated the shortage projection. “It’s been difficult to say, ‘Hey, we really are in a crisis. We really are in a drought.’”
According to Terrance Fulp, deputy regional director for the Bureau of Reclamation - Lower Colorado Region, this is the driest period in 100 years:
The state water resources on Thursday announced the snowpack water content is at only 67 percent of normal levels. The Colorado River, the valley’s major water source, is “over-allocated,” Fulp said. It could take years for officials to finalize a comprehensive plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which provides water for two-thirds of all Californians. And climate changes will make the Southwest even drier, putting further pressure on resources such as the Colorado River.
Even though this year’s average water runoff is a bit higher than it has been in recent years, it’s not enough to relieve the current conditions. “We’re in eight years of unprecedented drought,” Fulp said.
Read the full text of this story from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Garcia cuts deal with Imperial Irrigation District; all sides seem satisifed with compromise
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 1, 2008 at 5:40 amFrom MyDesert.com:
The Coachella Valley would have a greater say about its power supply from the Imperial Irrigation District under the terms of an agreement announced Tuesday. IID would continue to control the power supply but would give Coachella Valley officials a greater, and more regular, opportunity to comment on planning and staffing decisions that affect customers in the Riverside County part of the district’s service area.
“By working with officials in both counties, you will have a much broader vision and consensus building,” Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, said of the agreement that she negotiated with IID. “There will be more accountability.”
“The IID board is committed to establishing a framework to pursue a sustained and meaningful planning process with elected officials in both Coachella and Imperial valleys,” IID General Manager Brian Brady said in a joint news release with Garcia.
As a result of the agreement, Garcia said she is dropping her bill that eventually could have led to a vote on whether IID’s customers in the Coachella Valley should form their own separate utility for electrical service.
Read the full text of the story from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
In a related editorial, staff of the Desert Sun praised the agreement:
It’s a good compromise and a win for the Coachella Valley and its ratepayers. Congratulations also to Garcia, who worked on this issue with much passion and was able to hammer out an agreement that does not call for additional legislation. Good going, Bonnie.
IID also deserves recognition for the district’s efforts to reach this agreement. Officials could have fought it, but instead are making a commitment to service, calling the move a renewed effort to serve customers.
Under this agreement, IID can move forward and supply better service, and Coachella Valley residents can have a say in that future.
Read the full text of the editorial from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Pipeline project will provide blended reclaimed & irrigation water for Coachella Valley golf courses; will reduce pumping to preserve drinking water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 23, 2008 at 6:02 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Wondering what all the digging’s been about in the Whitewater River and Coachella Valley Stormwater channels? It’s the first phase of the Coachella Valley Water District’s Mid-Valley Pipeline Project, which is 50 percent complete and on schedule to start delivering irrigation water to some valley golf courses by mid-July, district officials said.
The new delivery system will send Colorado River water - via the Coachella Canal - to mid-valley golf courses to reduce the amount of groundwater they use, thus saving drinking water, said Steve Robbins, the district’s general manager.
The valley’s drinking water comes from a vast underground aquifer that is now in overdraft - meaning more water is being pumped out than is being replaced. “We hope the first phase will reduce pumping by about 8,000 acre-feet a year,” Robbins said.
The project is designed to supply a blend of irrigation water & recycled water to some of the over 50 golf courses in the Coachella Valley:
The pipeline will eventually carry irrigation water from the canal to up to 50 golf courses in Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells, Robbins said. Also, a new receiving reservoir at the recycling plant will have the capacity to hold 65 acre-feet of blended canal and recycled water, which will in turn be used initially to serve 12 golf courses.
In the past, the district had been unable to supply golf courses with all the recycled water they needed for irrigation, especially in the summer. When the temperatures head north, so do the snowbirds, which means fewer toilets are flushing across the valley. Fewer toilet flushes mean less water to treat at the recycling plant, said district spokeswoman Heather Engel.
When there’s not enough recycled water available, golf courses have to use groundwater - the valley’s drinking water - for irrigation, she said. By blending canal water with water produced at the recycling plant, the district will have a much larger supply of irrigation water available, she said.
Read the full text of this story from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Residents to oppose water fee increases
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 22, 2008 at 7:51 amFrom MyDesert.com:
Some land owners from La Quinta to the Salton Sea are expected to attend a public hearing Tuesday to protest a proposed fee increase on large water users. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. at Coachella Valley Water District headquarters. Property owners in the area will be able to cast ballots on the proposed fee hike during the meeting, according to district assistant general manager Mark Beuhler.
The water district is proposing a $2.30 increase on its pumping fee for large water users in the area, according to Buehler, who said the increase was needed to help pay for a $24 million water replenishment facility near the Salton Sea. The fee increase would affect customers such as farmers, country clubs with golf courses and cities that use more than 25 acre-feet of water a year, according to Jim Smith, Indio’s director of public works, who said the city opposes the fee hike.
“We’ve seen no evidence this fee increase will benefit our residents or residents from the rest of the Coachella Valley. We believe the district is acting without authority,” according to Smith, who added the district was looking for money to pay for a water replenishment project that primarily benefits residents closer to the Salton Sea. “They’ve pre-selected certain folks to pay more,” Smith said.
Read the full text of this story from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Awards for Coachella Valley: Coachella canal lining project & drinking water are both winners
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 10, 2008 at 7:07 am
Two stories from MyDesert.com this morning:
Coachella Canal lining project wins award:
The Coachella Valley Water District was recently honored with the San Diego Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers Project of the Year for its Coachella Canal Lining Project. The Coachella Canal Lining Project, a parallel, concrete-lined canal nearly 36 miles in length, was constructed in 2004-2006 to replace the two remaining, earthen sections of the original canal, which was completed in the late 1940s.
The entire canal is 123 miles in length and responsible for delivering what historically has been about 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually to Coachella Valley, predominately to agriculture. The lined waterway conserves about 26,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually.
Mission Springs Water District’s water wins silver medal at Berkley Springs International Water Tasting: Yes, Metropolitan’s tasty brew came in first, and Mission Springs apparently was second:
“This city has both hot and cold running water, and they’re both great.” This from Randy Duncan, president of the board of directors of the Mission Springs Water District, who now has something else to brag about.
For the sixth time - the most of any other municipality in the world - the taste of Mission Springs drinking water was judged in February to be among the best in the world. At the 17th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, Mission Springs took home a silver medal, meaning it beat out 98 other contestants from around the world.
Read the full text of the Coachella Canal story from MyDesert.com by clicking here, and read the full text of the article on Mission Springs drinking water by clicking here.
Photo of the Coachella Canal by flickr photographer BigNothing1021.
Coachella Valley’s water issues require thorough planning now, editorial urges
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 5, 2008 at 7:44 amFrom MyDesert.com, this commentary, written by Jim Smith, a public works director and engineer for the city of Indio and the Indio Water Authority:
Our aquifer [in the Coachella Valley] has been in this condition known as “overdraft” since the 1960s. This problem must be addressed immediately if we expect to meet the needs of the growing population of the Coachella Valley, and to maintain the kind of environment locally that residents, visitors, and business owners expect when they move here, vacation here or start a new business here.
The Coachella Valley cannot survive without a sustainable and safe water supply. Water managers and elected officials who are charged with ensuring the safety and sustainability of our local water supply need to get together and do the right thing. What we need is an integrated plan that addresses how and where best management practices are applied to recharge the aquifer, capture surface water, conserve resources and fully cooperate as equal partners on proven water principles.
Mr. Smith feels that what is desperately needed is “a comprehensive integrated water strategy that serves the needs of its residents and business owners now and well into the future,” and this:
The Coachella Valley Water District has failed to prioritize the long-term sustainability of the Valley’s water supply. CVWD’s approach has been short-sighted and narrow, offering Band-Aid solutions to problems that require more attention, commitment and responsibility. Years of using more water from the aquifer than is being put back in is a failed system that has compromised the Valley’s infrastructure and is causing parts of the Valley to sink. Ironically, the closer we get to a crisis, the closer we might get to a real solution.
Read the rest of this story from MyDesert.com by clicking here.
Indio Water Authority approves conservation plan
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 13, 2008 at 6:14 amFrom MyDesert.com:
While stopping short of calling it a water crisis, Indio officials say they are concerned about a dwindling groundwater supply and approved a plan they say will help ensure sustainable levels in the future.
The primary source of water for the city and the surrounding area is a huge aquifer deep in the ground that runs the length of the valley. A report from U.S. Geological Survey recently revealed that land is sinking in parts of La Quinta, Indian Wells and Palm Desert as a result of water being pumped out of the ground faster than it is replaced.
The plan approved Monday by the Indio Water Authority encourages investigation of water management through regional cooperation, source substitution, groundwater recharge and water efficiency at the suggestion of consultants Black & Veatch.
“In Indio’s case, we are going to … put forth conservation measures, we’re going to do all we can to make sure our water quality is second to none and work with our constituents for the future of our growth,” said Jim Smith, the city’s public works director.
To read the full text of this article from MyDesert.com, click here.
Indio preparing it’s own water plan, while some question why
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 11, 2008 at 1:24 pmFrom MyDesert.com:
Indio is creating a water plan that will help the city ensure a reliable water source into the future. At the same time though, the Coachella Valley Water District, with other valley water agencies including the Indio Water Authority, plans to develop an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan that addresses dissipation of the local water supply and the uncertainty of outside sources.
Urban development has contributed to a groundwater overdraft - the water pumped out of the sub-basin exceeds the amount of water recharged, or put back into it. The groundwater from a huge aquifer deep in the ground that runs the length of the valley is the city and valley’s primary source for water.
“We’re deeply concerned about that,” said Jim Smith, the city’s public works director. “I’m surprised that the Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency have not put forward an integrated plan for the valley.”
Steve Robbins, general manager of CVWD, said Friday that the valley does have a water plan, the Coachella Valley Water Management Plan of 2002, which outlines water management for the entire valley.
He questioned why Indio was preparing a water resources plan.
To read the rest of this story from MyDesert.com, click here.
Lawsuits filed over aquifer overdraft and land subsidence in Coachella Valley
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 11, 2008 at 1:21 pmFrom MyDesert.com:
A group of La Quinta homeowners took the first step to suing the Coachella Valley Water District on Friday, claiming the agency’s overuse of groundwater and the resulting sinking of the valley is damaging their homes. Officials predict it will not be the last lawsuit the water district faces related to subsidence - the sinking of the valley floor caused when more groundwater is used than returned.
It’s a potentially costly offshoot of a growing western water crisis caused by continuing drought, explosive growth, soaring demand and threatened water supplies.
Water district general manager Steve Robbins said he’s not surprised by the homeowners’ claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, served on the agency Friday. A December report from U.S. Geological Survey confirmed that subsidence is continuing in the valley, more than a foot in some places over the past nine years and 3 to 4 inches in just the past two years in the PGA West area. “I just expected whenever people have a problem with something, they always look for anybody they can go after,” Robbins said. “When the U.S. Geological Survey put the study out that said we have continuing subsidence, I figured it was a matter of time before somebody tried to sue somebody over it.”
Some homeowners claim they have extensive damage, including large cracks and fissures in both the interior and exterior of the house. For more on this story from MyDesert.com, click here.
Meanwhile, in other legal action, the Coachella Water District is suing the city and a developer over a large development project planned, which includes 3000 homes and a golf course, whose source of water will be the already-overdrafted aquifer. Also from MyDesert.com:
The Coachella Valley’s overused underground water source is at the center of another legal battle pitting the valley’s largest water agency against the city of Indio. The Coachella Valley Water District is suing the city and a developer over a large project planned for north of Interstate 10 called Citrus Ranch.
The project, on about 1,200 acres at the corner of Dillon and Fargo Canyon roads, is slated to include more than 3,000 homes and an 18-hole golf course. But what concerns water district officials is its plan to use the aquifer as its primary water source.
The district’s lawsuit states the developer’s required environmental impact report that was approved by city officials didn’t follow the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, and that the project in its current form “will irreparably harm the environment.”
To read this story from MyDesert.com, click here.
Water woes reach the Coachella Valley
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 28, 2008 at 11:14 pmFrom MyDesert.com:
An extremely fortunate, naturally occurring quirk allowed the Coachella Valley to become an oasis in the desert. A vast underground aquifer has kept the desert wet as the water situation becomes increasingly desperate throughout California and the western United States.
But now the shadow of the Western water dilemma has reached the valley: Years of taking more water out of the aquifer than is put back is causing the valley to sink, threatening roads, pipelines and other infrastructure.
The valley’s two main outside sources of water, the Colorado River and the State Water Project, are both providing reduced supplies to the valley and other growing, water-thirsty areas reliant upon them. Questionable future water supplies halted large developments in western Riverside County earlier this month, and could jeopardize major projects here.
The results of a recent study determined that the Coachella Valley is sinking due to excessive groundwater of the aquifer underlying the region. Besides requiring expensive infrastructure repairs, the slow depletion of the aquifer does not bode well for the future of the valley.
The Coachella Valley is among the fastest-growing areas in the country. But Phoenix, Las Vegas and other parts of the Southwest are as well. All are competing for the same dwindling water supplies, and finding fewer secondary options. “As a valley, we have negotiated amazingly well for the water that we have. But there’s no more water to negotiate for,” said Connor Limont, a member of both the Palm Desert Planning Commission and the Coachella Valley Association of Government’s energy committee.
In large part due to the foresight of Coachella Valley pioneers, the valley is high on the priority list for Colorado River water. Nevada, Arizona and the Metropolitan Water District, serving about 18 million people in the greater Los Angeles area, would all see their supplies cut in a shortage situation before the Coachella Valley and neighboring Imperial Valley would.
But the “law of the river,” the framework of compacts, treaties and court decisions that decide Colorado River allotments, requires rights-holders to put their water shares to their “highest and best use” otherwise the rights can transfer to the next-highest priority-holder. “I think that the water wars are not over,” Robbins said. “I think it could get ugly. The best way for us to protect ourselves is to make sure that we are using what we have in the most efficient manner possible. That keeps the microscope looking at somebody else.”
To read the full text of this story from MyDesert.com, click here.
Nevada and Arizona step up conservation efforts; will the Coachella Valley follow suit?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 28, 2008 at 11:07 pmFrom MyDesert.com:
Eight years into a drought on the Colorado River, California’s arid neighbors are emphasizing water conservation.
Las Vegas area residents and businesses are tearing out their lawns for $2 per square foot, and Arizonans are saving water - for themselves and Nevada - in an underground water bank. Both regions are pushing a host of water-saving devices such as high-tech lawn sprinkler controls, drought-tolerant landscaping and voluntary customer water audits. Some major Las Vegas hotels get water from their own wells instead of municipal sources, recycle water, use drip irrigation and install low water-demanding showerheads and toilets.
”Our message to our citizens is we can have as good or better quality of life with much less water by paying attention to what we do,” said Doug Bennett, conservation manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which serves Las Vegas.
The goal, said Jack Lavelle, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Water Resources, is to persuade residents there are pleasing landscape alternatives to lush green lawns. ”We are trying to create a desert-friendly culture,” Lavelle said.
The bid to conserve is nothing new for these two states that depend so heavily on two major sources of water, the Colorado River and aquifers.
To read the rest of this article which highlights conservation efforts underway in Nevada and Arizona, click here. A related article from MyDesert.com asks, would you give up your lawn?
Coachella Valley builders have seen the writing on the wall about the necessity to conserve water.
“If you had proposed desert landscaping five years ago, they’d take a pretty dim view of it,” said Fred Bell, executive officer of the valley’s Building Industry Association. “I think the mindset has totally changed. I think it’s changed in the building community and at the municipal level.”
While the emphasis on water conservation in new development is welcome, Coachella Valley Water District general manager Steve Robbins said the greatest difficulty lies in turning established homeowners into believers. “We’re getting the message to the cities; we’re getting the message to the developers on how the new projects have to go,” he said. “I think the big challenge is how do we get the existing population out here that’s living in a house that was built 15 or 20 years ago to affect some change?
Water districts across the Coachella Valley are enacting outdoor water restrictions in efforts to reduce water consumption. To read the rest of this story from MyDesert.com, click here.
Coachella Valley won’t last, officials warn; residents must do more to conserve
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on January 28, 2008 at 9:02 amFrom MyDesert.com:
While nearly 43 percent of the continental United States experiences severe drought, the Coachella Valley has a crutch on which it has long leaned.
“Las Vegas and other areas decided to take water use seriously because they’re in a lot worse shape than we are,” said former Palm Desert Mayor Buford Crites. “They don’t have an underground aquifer under them.” That massive aquifer beneath most of the valley allows officials to worry less about whether the sprinklers will run dry during this drought despite 124 lush golf courses, hundreds of hotels and restaurants and dozens of farms that thrive on the water.
But that’s changing.
Officials are realizing the valley needs to do more to conserve water, replenish the aquifer and keep fast-growing, water-thirsty cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles off their backs. “Nevada doesn’t have rights to a lot of water, but they’ve got a lot of money. And they’re out there actively pursuing water,” said Steve Robbins, general manager of the Coachella Valley Water District. “They’re just buying it. It’s going to force us to be efficient with the water. If the value of something goes really high, you can’t be in the position where you’re just wasting it.”
To read the full text of the story from MyDesert.com, click here.
Picture of Palm Springs golf course by flickr photographer Erik Jaeger.
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Recent Posts
- C-WIN, CSPA file suit to end wasteful Delta diversions, protect public trust resources
- Angelenos heed water warnings
- Indian tribes awaiting Klamath Dam removal
- Whitaker-Bermite facility: The perchlorate cleanup plan is a reality, says commentary
- Suppliers seek approval for the “Delta Habitat Conservation and Conveyance Program”
- Salmon-tracking network challenges conventional wisdom
- State panel floats ‘litter tax’ to curb debris along coast
- Delta smelt closer to extinction
- Water settlement knots finally untangling
- Normal rainfall predicted for north state this winter
- Should we recycle urine on Earth, too?
- Who will be Delta’s keeper?
- Increasingly scarce water is the new California gold
- Californians need to worry about food security, says commentary
- Court rejects POWER appeal of All-American Canal case
Aquafornia's Mission
Aquafornia's mission is to educate readers about the complex and often controversial issues surrounding water in California.
Aquafornia is affiliated with the Water Education Foundation, an impartial non-profit organization, whose mission is to create a better understanding of water issues and help resolve water resource problems through educational programs.
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News Article Archives
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