Letter: Who could export water from the Paso Robles groundwater basin?
To the editor,
If you want to protect our water and prevent it from being exported then you should vote yes on Measures A & B.
The locally-elected water district is the only agency prohibited from selling our water and all candidates for the water district board have publicly stated they are against exporting water.
The proponents of the district and the overliers have made it clear that they opposed water export. LAFCO slammed the water export door by making the district’s power to export inactive. Exporting water by the district for any reason is prohibited.
How about the current basin management agency, the county? The county has an ordinance that allows for the export of water, but it takes a permit that is difficult to qualify for. The supervisors have wiggle room if they want to grant a permit to export water or change the rules.
How about the state? If the state becomes the basin management agency there is nothing to keep the state from exporting water any time it chooses.
The locally-elected water district is the only basin management agency prohibited from selling our water. A yes vote on Measures A and B means our water stays where it should…in the basin.
Harry Hilliard
Paso Robles
