In the midst of one of its worst droughts in decades,
Californians are being told to cut back on water use or pay a
price. Many Coachella Valley residents say they are doing
their best to comply.
Desert Hot Springs — the only city to opt out of the Coachella
Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan when it first
circulated eight years ago — and the Mission Springs Water
District are now in the process of joining the environmental
effort.
“The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday weighed in to support the
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in its lawsuit against two
water districts, backing the tribe’s claims that the local
agencies are infringing upon its rights by over-pumping
groundwater from the Coachella Valley’s aquifer.”
“A ban on single-use plastic shopping bags was approved Thursday,
but the City Council left open the idea of lifting at least part
of a requirement for all retailers to include a separate 10-cent
charge for each paper bag given to customers, a move favored by
many high-end El Paseo merchants.”
“Through their CV Water Counts program, local public water
agencies recognized a handful of Coachella Valley property owners
for their efforts to reduce water usage.”
“The largest public water agencies in the Coachella Valley have
begun withholding information about how much water is pumped from
wells by businesses including farms, golf courses, housing
developments and resorts.”
“In the 1950s, Palm Springs was promoted as ‘America’s desert
oasis’ in a film that displayed lush gardens, golf courses and
tourists splashing in swimming pools. The image helped make the
area a vacation destination.
“But in creating the image, Palm Springs became one of
California’s biggest per-capita water users.”
“The transfer of water from the Imperial Irrigation District to
San Diego and the Coachella Valley has netted the IID nearly $85
million over a 10-year period, and is expected to net the
district more than $2.7 billion from 2009 through 2047, according
to IID projections.”
“Wide-ranging discussions about water use on farms and golf
courses, wastewater recycling and how to encourage conservation
emerged as the Coachella Valley Water District and the Desert
Water Agency led a tour of water infrastructure Thursday
focusing on management of the area’s groundwater.
“The water agencies offered the tour to participants in
Thursday’s symposium in Palm Springs focusing on drought and
water scarcity.”
“Oscar-winning filmmaker Jessica Yu joined dozens of water
managers and local, state and federal officials at Sunnylands
on Wednesday for the opening reception of a two-day symposium
focusing on drought and water scarcity in the West.
“Yu introduced her film, ‘Last Call at the Oasis,’ which
documents the increasing scarcity of water in many parts of the
world.”
“Hydrologist Brian Thomas has pored over decades of groundwater
data from water agencies in the Coachella Valley, and he says
the declines in much of the aquifer highlight a need for the
area to find ways to cut back on water use.
“Thomas, a postdoctoral scholar at the UC Center for Hydrologic
Modeling at UC Irvine, is one in a list of water scientists and
experts who will attend a symposium in Palm Springs on Thursday
focusing on drought and water scarcity in the West.”
“Being a resort community, the Coachella Valley is full of
ornamental water features outside hotels, housing developments
and golf courses. …
“These types of features typically use water recycled through
their systems, but experts say they could hurt California’s
water conservation efforts if they’re left unchecked while the
state contends with a drought.”
“As California faces a historic drought, The Desert Sun is
launching a new column that takes a closer look at how we use —
and abuse — water in the Coachella Valley. … Last week, we
asked for examples of public water waste.”
“The Coachella Valley’s water agencies have been awarded a state
grant of more than $5.2 million for five water projects that
include expanding sewer systems and connecting more golf courses
to supplies of recycled water and Colorado River water.”
“After California’s driest year on record, the Desert Water
Agency’s board plans to consider its options for drought
measures that could be used to cut water use. …
“The board agreed to have a more detailed discussion at the
next meeting on Jan. 21 to explore options.”
“The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard, a creature unique to
our desert, was added to the federal endangered species list in
1980. The lizard, which grows to 6 to 9 inches, thrives in our
sand dunes. …
“In 1985, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the
3,709-acre Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge to protect
the lizard.”
“The Mission Springs Water District Board of Directors
unanimously reappointed Russ Martin on Monday to serve a
second term as the board’s president.
“Jeff Bowman, the incoming vice president of the board, also
received the unanimous support of his peers, according to a
statement from the water district.”
“Coachella Valley water experts agreed Tuesday during The
Desert Sun’s second water forum that public perceptions and
private costs are major hurdles to water conservation.
“Experts from recreational, agricultural and environmental
fields were invited to the Indio Senior Center at 6 p.m. to
weigh in on the valley’s biggest water issues.
