‘Politics and Water’

I have learned that before most major problems can begin to be solved, you have to attract peoples’ attention. Your editorial (Nov. 4), “Politics and Water,” helped the Southern California Water Committee accomplish this. Thank you.

Your editorial, however, seriously misconstrued my position. Let me state it. The Peripheral Canal is wrong plumbing; it always has been. Its construction would seriously impair water quality in the San Joaquin Delta. Furthermore, its clear that a significant majority of California’s citizens won’t support it.

The establishment of a workable and effective water policy is necessary before any specific project is either proposed or built. Policy should be multi-faceted. It should include strong protections for water quality in the delta, promotion of water conservation throughout the entire state, protection for areas where the water originates and promotion of water reclamation projects.

Southern California counties must set their houses in order before any project is realized. Each county is now attempting to do this.

Ventura County can serve as a model for the state. In the last five years, the following have been started or completed:

1--A seawater intrusion project on the agriculturally rich Oxnard Plain is almost complete.

2--A strong water conservation plan has been created and adopted.

3--The Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency has been formed to better manage underground water aquifers.

4--Ventura County has adopted a comprehensive water policy, which is designed to maximize the use of local water resources.

5--A local application has been made for an innovative water reclamation project that will yield more than 7,000 acre-feet of usable water.

6--United Water Conservation District, the City of Oxnard and Oxnard Frozen Foods have coordinated a project that will reuse 1,400 acre-feet of water that is used by the frozen food plant to transport vegetables inside the plant.

The Southern California Water Committee understands how important it is to work with Mayor Tom Bradley and the City of Los Angeles. My involvement in the news conference was to emphasize the need for working with Mayor Bradley in a joint effort to resolve water problems. Our state’s water needs and problems require “non-partisan” cooperation from all regions of the state. Neither “Democrats” or “Republicans” have a monopoly on the best solutions to this problem.

JOHN K. FLYNN

Supervisor, Fifth District

Ventura County