Santa Clarita Valley Water
Just as we are now facing a severe energy crisis in part due to poor planning, the same looms on the horizon for water deliveries in the Santa Clarita Valley.
The city and county have approved far more development than our local water resources can supply. They proceed blindly to pave over our ground water re-charge areas and approve huge housing developments without a water source.
The Castaic Lake Water Agency reports today record state water imports while the Department of Water resources measurements find far less than normal snowpack in the Sierras to supply state water. The imported state water supply was never meant to be the primary source of water because it is not reliable. It was supposed to be a supplemental source.
The dependence on state water is exactly similar to the energy companies’ just owning the transmission lines.
When we can no longer depend on our local water sources, Santa Clarita will be in the same situation for water service as we now are for energy. This spells disaster for water supply and future water costs.
And yet the city and county blindly continue to approve development in our water re-charge areas such as the Hart Pony League fields and support huge developments like the Westridge project, 7,000 units in San Francisquito Canyon and the 21,000 Newhall Ranch project.
I guess its better to have more shopping and malls and golf courses than a water supply.
LYNNE PLAMBECK
Member, Newhall County
Water District
Newhall
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