Special Meeting Scheduled
Silver Valley's Water Plan
Monday • March 16 • 6 P.M.
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Baja Areawide Water Sustainability Plan
And Its Proposed Recommendations
To Be Revealed At Public Meeting
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Water plan continues with it's 'Tier 1' proposals
that lacks minimal producers' support.
Posted: March 7, 2015
A public meeting of important substance to the
entire Mojave Valley will be taking place Monday, March 16, 2015, in Newberry Springs
between 6 and 8 P.M. The meeting outlining the proposed future of water pumping in the
Mojave Valley will be held at the Newberry Springs Assembly of God Church at the intersection of
Mountain View Road and Tonapah Street.
The agenda will be including background information
on the
Baja Areawide Sustainability Plan
and the proposed programs to assist those under the court supervised water stipulation
agreement. Assistance to minimal pumpers, primarily residents pumping under 10 acre
feet per year, will also be introduced and discussed.
The meeting's program is being presented by the
Mojave Desert
Resource Conservation District. Involved in the program's work
are the Mojave Water Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA),
and the US Bureau of Reclamation.
The public meeting is being co-hosted by the
Newberry Springs Community Alliance, CEQA-NOW, Newberry Springs Recreational
Lakes Association, Newberry Springs Chamber of Commerce, and the Newberry
Springs-Harvard Real Property Owners Association. The meeting facility
is being provided by the Newberry Springs Assembly of God Church.
Synopsis of the meeting's agenda.
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1. Recap of Baja Areawide Sustainability Plan Development & Meetings.
2. Modify Plan Title.
3. Current and planned programs to help implement the Baja Plan's Tier One alternatives:
a. Water Rights Buyout and Safety Pool.
b. Cash for Grass and Other Conservation Rebates.
c. Irrigation Efficiency Program - Home & Farm.
d. Land Retirement Programs.
e. Domestic Well Assistance Program.
f. Custom Farm Business Plans (including crop conversion).
g. Community Water Systems (meters & other).
4. Overview of Watermaster staff recommendation for ramp down.
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Mixed bag.
The proposed Baja Plan is an attempt to inflict a compromise
band-aid solution upon the minimal producers over the continuing depletion of their water in
the Mojave Valley. It fails to take the necessary hard stand to cease the principle cause
of the overdraft. It also fails to address the continuing water quality deterioration
and the toxic pollution being caused by the heavy pumpers.
The proposed water plan is an honest step in addressing the
valley's overdrafting. Unfortunately, it attempts to take a neutral position and tries to please
all sides. The plan fails to address the healing of the aquifer by taking measures to
start the slow process of restoring it. Instead, a neutral emphasis has been placed upon
not inconveniencing the heavy pumpers who have been immorally growing inappropriate crops
knowing that their high water crops are damaging the groundwaters' quantity and quality for
the entire valley community.
The plan is what it is. An attempt to place
massive data before the superior court with suggestive directions. It won't please
everyone, if anyone; but it is a commendable compounded start for a drawn-out solution.
Meanwhile, the overdraft will likely continue for years with continuing farming contamination
of the water supply.
For the minimal producers, some enticing ideas are being offered;
one of which would be some significant governmental assistance for those having to replace
their water wells due to overdrafting. As multiple programs for assistance are available,
the public is being encouraged to attend this meeting and learn of the available opportunities.
The proposed Baja Plan will be presented by the Watermaster to
the Riverside Superior Court with the Watermaster's recommendations. A hearing date
is expected to be scheduled by the court for the middle of June 2015.
• • •
Thousands of tons of urban sludge, that is considered so hazardous that it is
illegal to dump into rivers or the world's oceans, and considered so toxic that most landfills will
not accept it, is being dumped upon the community's drinking water supply. Trucks continue
to dump loads on this morally renegade farm.
Hundreds of tons of urban sludge are shown dumped adjacent
to Valley Center in Newberry Springs. It is believed by some residents that the
Hinkley sludge processing plant may be giving the urban sludge away with free transportation
in order to allow the facility room to accept new toxic sludge. The Hinkley processing
converts the human waste in the urban sludge to human compost but the process does little or
nothing to the domestic, medical, and industrial toxic contaminants contained in the sludge.
• • •
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