Water Districts And Farmers Fight Over River Water
THERMAL – A Sacramento judge meets with local water districts Thursday and Imperial County farmers fighting over the water supply for the Coachella Valley. He’s expecting to make a final ruling soon.
Some of the Coachella Valley’s water comes from the Colorado River. A 2003 agreement between water companies called for water to be transferred from the farm lands of Imperial County to the homes and golf courses of the Coachella Valley.
But some farmers struck back, filing a lawsuit. A judge tentatively agreed with them, putting the water agreement in jeopardy.
Coachella Valley Water District Assistant General Manager Dan Parks explains, “The real fight goes back to the allocation system that says the person with the first right can use all the water they way they want and if there’s any left it goes to the next person.”
Imperial County Supervisor Wally Leimgruber released a statement “praising the court for sustaining their claims” and claiming the water transfer “failed to protect public health and the economy of the Imperial Valley.”
Coachella Valley Water District officials dispute that. They further say that water rates won’t go up if the agreement fails.
A stumbling block is the Salton Sea. The water from the Imperial County farms keeps the sea full. Take it away, and the sea goes dry.
“The judge said the state overstepped its authority in taking on the obligations for mitigation in excess of the $133 million provided by the water districts,” adds Parks.
Put simply, if these complicated legal fights don’t end soon, it could stall efforts to save the Salton Sea communities even more, and calls into doubt just where Coachella Valley homes will be getting their water in years to come.
