Department of Water Resources
California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 20, 2009
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
Safety campaign stresses deadly waters in All-American Canal
Imperial Valley Press
Fallowing money on hold while IID sorts out problems with claims
Imperial Valley Press
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Safety campaign stresses deadly waters in All-American Canal
Imperial Valley Press – 8/20/09
A new educational campaign, featuring graphic posters of drowning victims and video testimonials from victims’ families, aims to stop deaths in the All-American Canal.
The campaign is a joint effort among the Mexican Consulate, the Imperial Irrigation District and San Diego County Water Authority, which debuted the results of their efforts Wednesday.
“Hopefully the message will reach those considering crossing the canal and they will think about their lives and what it means to their families and what they are truly risking,” said Denise Landstedt, a senior water resource specialist with San Diego.
The campaign’s theme is “Aguas Mortales,” which in English translates to deadly waters, and will include posters on storefronts and bus terminals, as well as educational DVDs to be shown to immigrants caught attempting to cross into America.
Since it was built in 1938, about 500 people have drowned in the canal. While not all the victims have been immigrants, they are the most at-risk group, as smugglers will often lie and tell them that the canal is safe to cross.
The campaign aims to combat that misinformation. In addition to the DVDs and posters, the TV network Univision has produced a public service announcement. It features Raul Sandoval, a popular Mexicali singer who competed on “La Academia,” the Mexican equivalent to the reality TV show “American Idol,” in 2002.
IID board president Jim Hanks said the canal was never meant to be a way into the United States. Instead it was created to be a “lifeline” to the people of Imperial Valley.
“It is a cruel irony that this should also pose such a great risk to human life on both sides of the border,” Hanks said.
Hanks said the newly lined, 23-mile portion of the canal creates an added threat, as the waters move even faster there than on the rest of its 83-mile stretch.
“If we can deter even one person on either side of the border from ever entering the All-American Canal, our combined efforts will have been worth it,” Hanks said. #
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2009/08/20/local_news/news05.txt
Fallowing money on hold while IID sorts out problems with claims
Imperial Valley Press – 8/20/09
By Megan Glenn
The Imperial Irrigation District is behind schedule in releasing mitigation funds to farm service providers that were economically harmed by the IID’s fallowing program.
At Tuesday’s board meeting, IID spokesman Kevin Kelley explained that the delay is due to the sheer volume of claims that needs to be verified.
“The number of discrepancies and disputed claims has increased,” Kelley said.
The mitigation funds are part of the Quantification Settlement Agreement, where the district transfers water to other Southern California water agencies. They are meant to repay farm service providers and other local businesses for economic damages caused by fallowing farmland.
So far, the district has only paid out two years’ worth of fallowing funds, for the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 fallowing years. This latest round is intended to pay out for the 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 fallowing years.
The discrepancies are holding up the claims process, Kelley said, because the district takes the money available to farm service providers and splits it evenly among all valid claims. Therefore, the district needs to verify all claims before awarding any money.
Linsey Dale, executive director for the Imperial County Farm Bureau, questioned whether the district had enough manpower to do the job. Two paid volunteers, Gustavo Reza and Glenn Sampson, have been in charge of screening applications and ensuring they are filled out correctly.
Dale said she knows of several farmers that the IID lists as having problems with their claim applications, who have not received calls from either Reza or Sampson.
IID Director Stella Mendoza said while the IID is behind schedule by about two months, it was important for the district to take the time to do it right.
“I would rather take my time than come back and redo it,” Mendoza said. #
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2009/08/20/local_news/news04.txt
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