Friends and Neighbors,
After receiving the latest letter from MCCSD regarding the Water Plans there is misleading information as to effectiveness and simply the idea of shared water. There are possibly hundreds of ground water sources and not just one aquifer.
In past years, from 1990 through 2014, the conservation stages for water consumption were reduced voluntarily starting at 10% and ending at 40% for the driest years. Until 2014, approximately 200 private wells constructed prior to 1986 were not under the policing power that MCCSD seems to think they possess.
Water allotments and meters were required for new users based on additions to existing building or completely new projects to protect existing wells. Suddenly in 2014 Ord. 7-1 existing wells were subject to meters and allotments due to low rainfall measurements that recovered by April of that year. This confiscation of private wells caused expensive litigation since the allotments were still demanded even in times of adequate rainfall.
The water restriction contained in The Mendocino Town Plan Policies [4.13-16] and administrated by MCCSD was to not add new users to deplete the already unreliable ground water supply until individual studies stated that there was adequate water. None of these studies have ever analyzed cumulative impacts to the water source in the surrounding area. The simple fact is that it cannot be done since percolating ground cannot be adequately located to be managed.
At the April 16th District meeting another new project was approved to pump an additional 800 gallons per day from the same water source that is claimed to be protected from overdraft. Overdraft of a water basin describes damage to the permanent capacity for the basin to hold water as measured over a 20-30 year period. We do not have a water basin.
The ground water is 98% recharged by rainfall and has extraordinarily little storage from one year to the next. The claim that the District’s plans protect the aquifer from overdraft is misleading at best and proven ineffective. Hydrologic studies by Kennedy/Jenks 2007-2009 that have not been reviewed by the current board discuss many flaws in the old plans. There are at least five different hydrologic zones that are not connected to each other. There is no water basin, not pumping in zone 2 through 5 does nothing for the Mendocino Headlands’ Zone 1 Aquifer. We can all agree that rainfall is unreliable, many years ago a water system was designed with a reliable spring water source. The District never fully explored the grant money from the State and Federal clean water, no water, and fire protection funds. By passing the purposed Water Plans nothing will ever be done to solve the dry well problem.
At a 2007 meeting to pass Ord. 07-1 the District claims that, “the public with meters and allotments thought it is only fair that everyone have water meters and allotments. This supposedly represented the same 140 people that expanded their uses over the 30 previous years. Now new uses could prevent 160 existing well users from having their continued use to irrigate and suffer permanent loss of value in their properties. Therefore, a lawsuit had to be filed.
*Mendocino Town Plan 4.13 p 39 Maley 2017
The District’s ground water graphs indicated that the static water level in the Mendocino Headlands frequently is measured at 22 feet down from the surface. There are many pre-1960 wells that are too shallow, hand dug, and have always been marginal or unreliable water supplies.
The District for 30 years has never conducted a survey of the (Zone 1) western downtown area to determine how many wells are going dry and why. Sixty percent of the water falls off the cliffs into the ocean. The area wells as constructed may not be able to capture the available water.
It has always been stated that “wells go dry” even in years of adequate rainfall. IT can safely be said that since 1851 wells have gone dry but now it is a crisis.
Similar water plans have been in effect for 30 years and wells still go dry. So why enact another permanent water plan.
I trust my neighbors to reduce water consumption during times of less than average rainfall.
The District Board does not trust us. We should not trust their flawed actions. The intention to pursue the water plans were voted down by a four-member board on January 9th, 2020.
Now that the public cannot interact due to COVID-19 virus the public protest is impossible.
Until the public has open meetings with unrestricted access the Board should not continue the protest period for at least 60 days. A thorough investigation has not been conducted including the most recent hydrological studies that indicate the water plans will not be effective as written.
The Board rejects the voluntary reduction of water use is effective and insists the District’s police power is needed for conservation.
Volunteer conservation for now is the best water plan!
-Steve Gomes