Think ahead for water needs
Reading a local letter to the editor a few weeks ago, and then
reading an article in the San Jose Mercury News on March 22, has
caused me to think about water and its impact on our lives,
specifically big water users.
Think ahead for water needs
Reading a local letter to the editor a few weeks ago, and then reading an article in the San Jose Mercury News on March 22, has caused me to think about water and its impact on our lives, specifically big water users.
Forty or 50 years ago, after the war when this area began to grow, it was seen that more water would be needed. When the Oroville Dam north of Sacramento was built to supply water for Los Angeles via the aqueduct paralleling Hwy. 5, San Benito County applied for, and was able to get, a water allotment of so many acre feet. Ranchers were then assessed so much per acre and bonds were purchased by the county to build the San Luis Reservoir. The “blue valve” pipeline was thus established based on the acreage of each farmer. To pay for their share of the water, ranchers would get so many acre feet which they paid for, with the balance going to the city of Hollister. This was the way the system was set up to work. It was first and foremost a farmers’ project to keep the agriculture of the region alive during dry years.
Since that time, the area has continued to expand and along with it the demand for water. Thus the needs get greater and the water scarcer. The Stonegate development is one example of how important it is to plan for water use when issuing building permits. What concerns me now is the thought of three major proposed developments for our area: El Rancho San Benito on the Bolsa near Hwy. 101, Gavilan College on Fairview Road and the Lowe’s Shopping Center off Airline Highway. Where will the water come from for these massive undertakings? Does anyone ever really think about this? Water use must be monitored and controlled and it is up to us, the users, to do so with intelligence and responsibility.
Jack O’Donnell is a long-time San Benito County resident and retired orchardist.
