California Water District Warning

The Orange County Water District (OWCD)and the Association of Ground Water Agencies,an association of OCWD and 13 other California water suppliers,expressed concern to California Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt thatplans to designate land as "critical habitat" for endangered speciescould result in higher water costs for consumers. The agencies fearthat, because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must approve any activity on land designated as "critical habitat," theywill not be allowed to maintain their water source and will be forced toimport more water from outside Southern California, which costs threetimes as much as local water.At present, 75% of OCWD's water is drawn from underground aquifers thatmust be recharged by river water collected in percolation ponds andfiltered through a clay layer to the aquifers below. Maintenancerequires that these ponds be dredged periodically to remove sedimentsleft by the water sinking into the ground. If this land is designated ascritical habitat, the water districts worry that they will not beallowed to dredge. The Fish and Wildlife Service responded that thedesignation of a "critical habitat" is not very strict and should notinterfere with the aquifer maintenance.

Thanks to California 2000 Project