New Water Service Delayed

Faced with a federal mandate to provide enough water to operate a new fish ladder, the Casitas Municipal Water District has declared an emergency that effectively places a moratorium on new customer hookups.

The district’s board of directors voted Wednesday to delay expanding service until new water supplies can be developed. The district serves about 3,000 residents and growers in the Ojai Valley.

“Our goal is to lift this moratorium and find new water,” board President Charles Bennett said. “We have to find new water.”

Potential new sources could come from more stringent conservation measures, a desalination program or connecting to the State Water Project.

The district already plans to hire a full-time conservation coordinator.

The water agency is building a $6-million fish ladder at Robles Diversion Dam on the Ventura River, a project aimed at aiding the recovery of the endangered steelhead trout. The ladder would enable the steelhead to reach spawning streams in the Topatopa Mountains above Ojai.

The National Marine Fisheries Service requires that a minimum of 2,000 acre-feet of river water flow through the fish ladder on a yearly basis, rather than the 800 acre-feet suggested by the water district. An acre-foot is equivalent to 326,000 gallons, or enough water to supply two typical homes for 12 months.

If the district fails to comply with the federal mandate, it would be in violation of the Endangered Species Act and could be subject to fines.

But water officials remain concerned about how the fish ladder project could affect their ability to meet the demands of their customers, particularly during drought years.

Farmers and other water agencies in the area often turn to the Casitas district for help as their wells go dry, officials said.

“We have to plan prudently for the drought conditions,” Bennett said.