A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
May 2, 2007
3. Watersheds
Environmental group wants to keep water in Santa Ana River
Riverside Press
By Jennifer Bowles, staff writer
Inland water agencies will go before a state board today, seeking the right to take billions of gallons more water from the
Members of the Center for Biological Diversity will testify, too, hoping to keep the river alive for the public and to protect a handful of endangered species struggling to survive in and along the waterway.
"Our main concern is we're talking about a river ... that could provide an incredible source of recreation, peace of mind, a human-quality green space through a very densely urban part of
The hearing before a member of the State Water Resources Control Board is scheduled to continue through May 9 if necessary.
It's not known when a decision by the full board would be made, said Liz Kanter, an agency spokeswoman.
At stake are the rights to billions of gallons of water that could some day collect behind the Seven Oaks Dam near
"The process we'll be going through is like a trial, where we will present evidence and justify that we cannot only take possession of the water but put it to a reasonable and beneficial use," said Randy Van Gelder, general manager of the San Bernardino Municipal Valley Water District.
New Water
Construction of the 550-foot-tall Seven Oaks Dam seven years ago for flood control protection also opened the possibility of collecting more snowmelt and runoff from the
At the same time, the volume of treated wastewater collected downstream of the dam that can be used for nondrinking purposes has increased thanks to a growing population and the increasing number of washing machines, showers and toilets.
At a time when drought has gripped the Colorado River and the snowpack in the
By funneling it to landscaping, commercial and industrial uses, it will free up better quality water for drinking taps and help guard against drought, said Kevin Milligan, the city's assistant director of water.
"There will always be recycled water," Milligan said, "even when it doesn't rain."
Some agencies like the Orange County Water District are asking to double their take of the river, an amount that would only come in the wettest of years.
"Theoretically, if we couldn't get that right, it would all flow to the Pacific Ocean," said Craig Miller, assistant general manager of the district, which collects its water at Prado Dam near Corona before it continues down the river.
Species Concerns
Construction of Seven Oaks Dam also altered the river's ecosystem, changing the occasional flooding needed to rejuvenate the habitat of two flowering plants and the
Ileene Anderson, an ecologist with the Center for Biological Diversity, said she will ask the state board to consider those species when issuing permits for additional water.
"What we'd like to see is a blanket denial of all the water applications that are over and above what is currently being diverted from the river," she said.
Baggett, in his April 20 ruling, said the Center has an "extensive history of advocacy" and that its public trust and environmental interests are "unique and not represented by other parties."
Anderson said species further downstream of the dam also could be affected by less water in the river because it could reduce the number of trees needed by endangered birds such as the least Bell's vireo and Southwestern willow flycatcher to nest and successfully reproduce.
Van Gelder said the water agencies haven't yet allocated an amount of water for the species, but a multi-agency task force has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- the builder of the Seven Oaks and Prado dams -- to figure it out.
"We're all in the formative stage to develop a plan to try to better the situation for those species and how much water is involved," he said. #
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_H_dam02.3e437ed.html
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