Supervisor explains his water basin vote
Frank Mecham: Is the basin a declining situation? In my opinion it is.
By Frank R. Mecham
San Luis Obispo County First District Supervisor
For the Soaring Eagle Press
Supervisor Frank Mecham
Since the meeting of August 27th, we have had many comments regarding the decision made: We didn’t do enough, we did too much, it was a “knee jerk reaction to junk science”, it was because of a small few, it was because of the big grape industry…and the list goes on. For me, there is one simple question that had to be answered regarding the water basin: Is it or is it not in a declining situation? In my opinion it is.
I would like to submit to you my reasoning. I’m not a scientist, hydrologist, or an engineer nor do I come from a scientific background. However, I can read, I do pretty well at comprehension, I ask a lot of questions, and I do not solely rely on staff reports. I served on the Technical Oversight Committee for the study of the Paso Robles Water Basin in 2003. I reviewed the 1979 DWR study on the basin. I’ve reviewed the updates, the modeling, the peer reviews and spoken with a number of “water experts”. The consensus that I’ve gleaned from all of this is that the Basin is in decline and has been for a number of years. Some have said, “Why didn’t we do something about it?” In my other life as a mayor, we did. Now it’s time to take it to another level.
It had been suggested many years ago that the necessity of acquiring supplemental water would be essential for the future, not only for the City of Paso Robles, but the County as well. If this were not the case, why then was State Water discussed? Why seek Nacimiento water? And, why do folks get water from the Santa Margarita Lake, Lopez Lake and Whale Rock?
I just returned from a LAFCo (Local Agency Formation Commission) conference. LAFCo makes determinations when it comes to Spheres of Influence and annexations. All counties, cities and special districts send representatives to attend. The focus of the conference was on two issues, water and CEQA (Calif. Environmental Quality Act) reform. In a moment I will suggest how they both interact.
Here are some interesting statistics: In 1963, California’s population was 18 million. In 2013, it was 38 million. And by the year 2063, they anticipate the population to be 53 million. 60% of the population growth in the next 15 years will be 65 and older. And, the percentage of the population growth of the world will be 4 times that of the United States. Currently, it is reported that California’s water supply is over 2 million acre feet per year in overdraft. California also is a key player in food supply for the nation and the world. In San Luis Obispo County alone, the multiplier effect of agriculture is close to $2 billion.
Here is where the issue of CEQA, LAFCo and the State come into play. For many, many years it has been recommended that off stream reservoirs or dams would be absolutely necessary to assist with the problem of water supply. The State is supposed to have a Statewide Water Action Plan completed in September. My question to the State representative at the conference was: “If water storage seems to be the number one focus of water supply, will the Action Plan address the issue of time, related to the CEQA process?” All I got was, “that’s a very good question.” I was waiting for a very good answer…and am still waiting. In the months and years to come, LAFCo will be addressing Spheres and Annexations. Water will be a primary focus when it comes to a jurisdictions ability to provide it.
It has been said time and again, “we are all in this together”. I believe that has never been as true as it is now. If we truly want to preserve our agricultural economy, our rural life style, and maintain the necessary supply for cities, we must come together to solve it. If we don’t…well, there will be a lot of wealthy lawyers, nothing will be accomplished for many, many years and the problem will be exacerbated.
There has also been a lot of discussion about the formation of a “water district”. There are a number of types of water districts. The argument is how will it be fairly administered? Again, if we are all in this together, then it is critical that we come to an agreement on whichever governing body is established. I learned at the conference that our County is one of the rare counties that have no water districts, which tells me there are tried and tested options that we can mirror.
In the weeks and months ahead I look forward to engaging in discussions with all parties of interest to hopefully bring consensus to a governing option that fits best. Although the current focus is on the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, we have a Level III severity in the South County and the Coastal area.
So the issue of water, or lack of, will affect all areas of San Luis Obispo County in various ways. Now is the time to seriously consider all options for water availability and governance. This is vital to the residents of our county, the agricultural economy, tourism and a healthy lifestyle for all of us.
Top stories Sept. 19, 2013
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