Writing Solutions

(NEXT Magazine -- July, 2001)

What is the water situation in the Coachella Valley? It depends who you talk to. According to certain parties, the Coachella Valley has been in overdraft since the 1940s.

"Overdraft" means that more water is being removed from the Valley’s groundwater than is being replenished. Think of it as a bank account. If you withdraw more money than you have in your account, you are overdrawn. Your bank may cover your overage, but who covers the water?

Steve Robbins, assistant general manager of the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) claims our underground water basin is so large that we could continue at the current rate of overdraft and not run out of water for another 150 years. However, constant depletion of groundwater has consequences. Robbins is quick to point out that with overdraft come issues like water quality, the cost of digging ever deeper, and subsidence.

The mere mention of the word "subsidence" brings terror to the hearts of Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta residents who understand its meaning. Last year, a U.S. Geological Survey suggested land in those cities is subsiding (sinking) due to over-pumping of groundwater. Data analyses are still being processed, but the evidence so far suggests that in small sections, the Valley’s surface could be sinking by as much as 1¼ inches per year.

Our aquifers are being depleted by more than 130,000 acre-feet per year. (An acre-foot can serve the needs of a five-person family for one year.) Robbins of CVWD says that even with maximum conservation, we could only reduce the existing overdraft by half.

Water conservation is an absolute necessity, but it must be supplemented by groundwater recharging (putting water back into the aquifer). Two sources for this supplemental water would be reclaimed water, and Colorado River water.

Late last year, CVWD issued a 35-year Coachella Valley Water Management Plan. Patricia "Corky" Larson, elected to the CVWD water board in November 2000, thinks the plan is scientifically sound, adding that "as long as we continue in overdraft, we’re not managing water wisely."

Several water districts serve the Coachella Valley.

The largest is the Coachella Valley Water District, comprised of nearly 640,000 land acres. Most of this land is in Riverside County, but extends into Imperial and San Diego counties.

Desert Water Agency services approximately 325 square miles of land in the cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and parts of Desert Hot Springs.

Mission Springs Water District supplies the parts of Desert Hot Springs not serviced by DWA.

The cities of Indio and Coachella handle their own water needs.

CVWD and DWA both import water from the Colorado River. The water is delivered to CVWD’s recharge ponds at Whitewater, near Palm Springs. As the water flows, it activates the turbines of a hydroelectric power plant operated by DWA for the combined use of both agencies.

The Coachella Valley’s continued growth means that our ever-increasing need for water is not likely to be quenched anytime soon. While water officials have succeeded in bringing more water in, they must constantly negotiate for more water. There is fierce competition for water rights throughout the state.

According to Tom Kieley, Desert Water Agency board member, CVWD and DWA are negotiating for permanent expansion of the area’s entitlement. They are looking to bring in 100,000 more acre-feet of water in five out of the next 10 years (this would be an average of 50,000 acre-feet per year).

Who protects the quality of the water for the people of the Coachella Valley? Who insures that water is available, reliable, affordable and of high quality? Again, it depends on whom you ask. Laws have been passed by federal, state and local governing agencies. Each adds to a complex list of regulations.

Coachella Valley cities have adopted a range of policies and ordinances. Rancho Mirage, for example, has strict ordinances mandating water-efficient contrivances such as automatic controller timers and rain-sensing devices.

The most difficult part is financing and enforcement. Larson looks to three musts: uniform building codes, landscape ordinances and good water management.

Dan Ainsworth, general manager of the Desert Water Agency agrees. "Living in a desert, we should realize we need to use our water resources wisely." That includes weaning ourselves from overdependence on groundwater, and using more reclaimed water.

The Coachella Valley economy’s main industries are tourism and agriculture. There are approximately 113 golf courses in the Coachella Valley (including par 3s), with 32 courses in Palm Desert alone. An additional 127 holes are in various states of construction.

Is there enough water for all of these golf courses? Dan Ainsworth of DWA thinks there is, because golf courses are required to use reclaimed water when it is available at a reasonable price. Reclaimed water costs about half what groundwater costs. Ainsworth would like to see better and more cost-effective distribution of reclaimed water. Palm Springs courses, including Mesquite Country Club and both courses at Tahquitz Creek, use recycled water. A further benefit of reclaimed water is that it contains nitrogen, an essential part of plant fertilization.

The golf courses at Desert Willow Golf Resort were designed by award-winning landscape architect Michael Hurdzan. The designer’s vision included taking full advantage of water-wise native desert plantings, drip irrigation (which is more water-efficient than spraying), and the use of individual bubbler sprinklers (another highly efficient way to water plants). Minimal amounts of turf were used. Desert Willow exemplifies good golf course planning that includes sensible water usage.

States like Arizona are incorporating sound water use policies into golf course design, restricting the amount of grass allowed on courses. Cities like Palm Desert are scrupulous in evaluating golf course plans for sound water usage. Developers are sent back to the drawing board until their projects rise up to Palm Desert standards.

The city of Palm Desert has gone as far as retrofitting public property (such as median strips) to comply with water-wise landscaping rules. Spencer Knight, Landscape Manager for the city of Palm Desert, is proud of the progress the city has made in the past few years.

Knight encourages the city, developers and homeowners associations to practice good water management. While he realizes that equipment and habits can’t be revamped immediately, he feels that "with proper hardware and its maintenance and proper irrigation [watering] schedules, savings of 20-60 percent in water usage are realities."

Water districts regularly cooperate and work with cities, country clubs and homeowners associations to encourage water conservation. There appears to be cooperation among water districts, too. But water districts don’t get involved in planning or enforcement. Land use issues are left to the municipalities, or in cases of unincorporated areas, the county.

Of the over 33 million people populating California, over 16 million rely on groundwater as their source of drinking water. In recent years, California has depended on groundwater for 25 to 40 percent of its water supply. That translates into extracting about 14.5 billion gallons of groundwater per day!

Reports of groundwater contamination are on the rise. Septic systems, landfills, leaking underground storage tanks, agricultural and industrial operations are among the sources of groundwater pollution.

Robert Perdue is the assistant executive officer of the local Regional Water Quality Control Board. Perdue would like to see septic systems eliminated and brought into sewer compliance. "There are Prop 13 monies available for infrastructure needs," he points out, and suggests that those interested in finding out more should call Ben Zabinsky at the Regional Water Control Board (760 776-8981).

The Valley Sanitary District wastewater treatment plant services Indio and adjacent Indian properties. Their approach to treating water includes a unique cooperative venture. Realizing that their jurisdiction lies in the flight path of many species of migratory and resident waterfowl, they chose to construct a wetlands ecosystem where water, plants, animals and microorganisms interact to clean water that comes from the public sewer system.

The Valley Sanitary District partnered with the Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center to bring this plan to fruition. The Wild Bird Center’s primary mission is to rehabilitate and release wild birds. The Valley Sanitary District offered to create a wetlands system for them. The offer was greeted with enthusiasm.

Today the system provides a natural area where humans can observe, study and appreciate a natural migratory phenomenon. As word of the unique wetlands system spreads, bird watchers and tourists are including these desert wetlands as a ‘must visit’ local attraction.

Both DWA and CVWD report that in the Coachella Valley, between 70-85 percent of household water is used for landscaping rather than household needs. [The national average is closer to 60 percent.) That’s a huge amount of water expended on landscaping. Its wastefulness is underscored by the amount of water intended for landscaping that actually ends up on streets and sidewalks.

Rethinking their landscaping options should be high on homeowners’ lists if they are serious about cutting their water usage.

Desert Water Agency has entered into a partnership with the Desert Museum in Palm Springs. Over a four-year period, the museum’s sculpture gardens will be converted to true desert landscaping. All non-native vegetation will be replaced with native and drought-resistant plants. DWA board member Kieley feels the partnership will produce something beautiful and sensible. "Desert landscaping doesn’t have to be barren," Kieley noted. "We can conserve water and still have small green areas and green trees and water features using reclaimed water."

"It isn’t an either/or situation," according to CVWD board member Larson. She points out that plantings can still be lush-looking, yet sensibly desert-scaped. She cites the example of Sun City-Palm Desert, which retains its lush appearance using only drip irrigation regulated by timers.

CVWD management and board members are looking into charging consumers for water according to a two-tiered payment schedule. Those who practice good water management will be rewarded, while water-wasters will pay a higher price.

As new development puts further stress our already-overloaded infrastructure, we will see more and more incentives put into place to encourage water conservation. It seems obvious that a desert area like the Coachella Valley needs to respect a life-sustaining resource — water.

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