Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
December 20, 2007
1. Top Items
Water Demand Sinking SoCal Valley - Associated Press
Valley land sinking in areas - Desert Sun
Water Demand Sinking SoCal Valley
Associated Press – 12/19/07
By Gillian Flaccus, staff writer
Now, the region that water built suddenly finds itself on shifting ground — and in danger of drying up. Parts of the
A study released this week has left officials scrambling to keep the tap on without jeopardizing more than 120 world-class golf resorts — among them PGA West, Bermuda Dunes Country Club and Mission Hills — or slowing a population that has ballooned by 25 percent in just five years.
"We have a problem and we have to deal with it," said Steven Robbins, chief engineer for the Coachella Valley Water District. "But our goal is to not have water be a constraint to growth. We don't want to be the ones to say 'Yea' or 'Nay' to growth."
Water officials are pursuing a range of solutions to ease the pressure on the aquifer, from a giant pipeline to import water for golf courses to giving away timers to regulate home sprinklers.
And though there hasn't been any damage, there are fears that if more isn't done, the uneven turf eventually could fracture sewer lines, crack roads and crumble foundations, costing taxpayers millions of dollars in repairs.
Scientists with the water district and the U.S. Geological Survey found that the earth sank anywhere from several inches to more than 13 inches at a dozen locations between 1996 and 2005, including in Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert and Coachella.
Other places in
The
The study also found a shortfall of billions of gallons of water in the aquifer, primarily as a result of growth that has pushed gated communities farther into the harsh desert on the eastern edge of the crescent-shaped valley. The area averages less than 3 inches of rainfall a year.
Some cities, once considered rural outposts, have grown more than 50 percent since 2000 and the valley's population, about 400,000, is projected to hit 1 million by 2060, according to the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership.
"Areas that were completely rural five years ago are now completely covered with urban housing," said Patti Reyes, the water district's assistant director of engineering. "All that puts more demand on the groundwater supply."
Residential homes suck up about one-third of the valley's total annual water use, and most of it is pure groundwater.
Farmers, who account for about half the water use, irrigate almost entirely with recycled or imported Colorado River water brought in through a branch of the
But golf courses are also to blame: together, they use about 32.5 billion gallons of water a year — most of it groundwater — and some soak the turf with more than 6 million gallons a day during annual reseeding.
Just one-third of the valley's 120 courses currently use recycled or imported water from the river for some or all of their landscaping needs. Some private clubs resist recycled water because it can appear cloudy when used in lakes, said Rick Sall, secretary for the Hi-Lo Desert Golf Course Superintendents Association.
Despite that water use, many golf club managers were surprised to hear that the valley was sinking. Still, they said it's unfair to target their industry in the water crisis. They point to a growing number of clubs considering recycled or imported water and a rise in the popularity of "desert-style" courses with about half the turf and more efficient drip irrigation systems.
"Golf courses always get the brunt of the blame for everything that goes wrong," said Jess Troche, superintendent at the 36-hole Mountain Vista golf course in
"We save as much as we can, as opposed to the typical homeowner who goes into the street and sprays all over the sidewalk," said Troche, who uses recycled water on his course.
Water district officials are trying to wean golf courses and other large resorts off groundwater and onto recycled or imported water, so the purest stuff can be used by residents. They are nearly done with the first phase of a $70 million pipeline that will deliver a blend of recycled and
Also under construction is a $40 million facility that will replenish the aquifer with billions of gallons from the river each year. A similar $70 million facility could be built in the next five years.
But some worry that even those projects will not be enough to sustain the region if it continues to grow without more conservation. Statistics show the
"We're not so rural anymore and if it gets worse, we're going to see major problems," said Robbins. "It would cost orders of magnitude more after the fact than it would cost us to prevent the problem if we can all work together." #
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYOyU12ULoyeDqFstnCczEqdaatwD8TKNPF80
Valley land sinking in areas
Desert Sun – 12/20/07
By Denise Goolsby, staff writer
Land is sinking in parts of the
If the excessive draw-down continues, infrastructure - including sewers, pipes and roads - could suffer significant damage, potentially costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
That's according to a study released Monday by the Coachella Valley Water District and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The survey, conducted from 1996 to 2005, shows significant land-surface changes in at least four areas:
"We have a problem," said Steve Robbins, the district's general manager-chief engineer. "It is a valleywide problem we all have to deal with."
The greatest drop - more than 13 inches - was measured near
The airport is in an unincorporated area between
The report confirms the water district's concerns the land elevation drops are occurring in areas of substantial groundwater use across the valley, Robbins said.
"This study tells us our assumptions are correct and underscores the importance of eliminating overdraft of the aquifer," he said.
An aquifer is an underground layer of rock, sediment or soil that is saturated with water.
About 100,000 to 150,000 more acre-feet per year are tapped from the aquifer than is being replaced. One acre-foot provides enough water for about one valley household a year, district spokeswoman Heather Engel said.
Since the 1920s, groundwater has been important to the agricultural, municipal and domestic water supply in the
Valley population growth and the building boom have put more stress on the valley's water resources, he said.
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007712200304
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