Coachella Valley outed as ‘water waster’ during drought

California’s drought is getting worse and so is the blame game. The Coachella Valley, with more than a hundred golf courses and lush landscaping, is now a target.

This has a lot of people in the desert saying not so fast. Local lawmakers say instead of blaming us, you should learn from us.

“The issue with water in the state is a very serious one,” said State Sen. Jeff Stone (R) District 28.

It’s so serious, it’s garnering national attention. Headlines and newspapers across the country are talking about California, but also singling out the oasis in the desert many of us call home that’s, as one national media outlet put it, “a landscape that guzzles water in a devastating drought.”

“Oh I think it’s probably some people looking for a scapegoat,” said frequent desert visitor Ray Feay.

“I think they might want us to do a little more cause we got all of the golf courses and think we have an easy life. We don’t. Everybody has paid their dues, they’ve worked their tush off to enjoy the life of the desert,” said resident Curtis Sweton. “I think everyone should take the blame too instead of putting the blame on us.”

“Yes there is a lot of waste and we should be aware, but I don’t necessarily think it’s the golf courses,” said Patricia Rossberg.

The valley does have some of the highest water use per capita in the state, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

“You’ve got to look at tourism in the Coachella Valley that is a big factor in the economic drivers that create jobs and keep people employed. The real issue with the rest of the state is we have done nothing to increase water storage,” said Stone.

The Coachella Valley has storage with an underground aquifer. It’s one of the reasons the drought in the desert isn’t nearly as severe as the rest of the state.

As for those lush greens and tees, “I think we have the technology and you already have some golf courses utilizing it that are able to maintain our golf courses in the same pristine manager that they are with reducing the levels of water,” said Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D) District 56.

Regardless of how drought tolerant the desert already is, cuts still need to be made, at least 35 percent according to the governor’s latest mandate.

“We don’t have any control over Mother Nature, but what we do have control over is the ways in which we use water and we manner water,” said Garcia.

However, changes can’t just happen in the Coachella Valley.

“We aren’t going to solve California’s water drought problem, we are just one component to the overall problem in the state,” said Garcia.

Coachella Valley Water District is holding a public meeting on April 14 to talk about future water restrictions to meet that goal of 35 percent. The public is invited to attend the public meeting to provide input. No decisions will be made until the April 28 Board of Directors meeting.

Meeting details: Time: 9 a.m.

Date: April 14 and April 28

Location: 75-515 Hovley Lane East, Palm Desert