Earthquakes and Southern Cal Water Problem

The Northridge 6.7 quake in 1994 cause many fire hydrants to run dry. This forced firefighters to use helicopters to smoother a major fire problem. In a doomsday situation of a 7.8 quake water could be cut off from the LA basin. The biggest quake was in 1857 and it measured 7.9 along the San Andreas Fault line. The fault line runs through along the San Gabriel Mountains at the south part of venue S in Palmdale crosses Hwy 14 and Sierra Hwy and runs through Quartz Hill. This is also is very close to the aqueduct. Los Angeles get 88% of its water from elsewhere via the aqueduct from the Colorado River, Owens Valley and the Sacramento River Delta. This water source cris-crosses the fault line 32 times. Experts have said that a major quake could cut off 22 million LA residences for months if not years. If a big one hit then is could damn the water flow and collapse concrete reinforcements cutting off some if not all of the pipes and water supply. This affects not only the LA basin but also Antelope Valley. Some of Southern California’s solutions have been to use electricity to pump the water over the mountains, reinforce the existing pipelines, building wider pipes, but each are very expensive and in some cases impractical. A new bond measures have been considered for taxpayers to fund a water-related seismic safety project.

California landowners Say the Ground Water is Theirs

CNBC Recent article on water in California Most landowners in California say they own the water underneath their land, while others argue groundwater is a common resource. Now with the drought in California, there's a topic many private landowners remain steadfast about: Water well metering. Without a drought the water from rivers lakes and reservoirs is ample enough to supply roughly two thirds of state water each year. Now farmers and drillers are digging deeper for ground water. According to a CNBC article groundwater can account for half of total state water consumed in drought years. This is usually not an issue, but now with a drought groundwater is everyone’s issue. In rural areas in outside Bakersfield, Tulare County ground water is the main water for residents. The Sustainable Ground water Act requires local districts to measure and report details on regional groundwater amounts. It was signed by Gov. Brown last year. The laws guidelines implies rural communities will have to monitor ground water removal which means metering. The argument is that driller may drill 1000 feet below their land but they are also tapping the neighbor’s water peripherally. It is further argued that the landowners say I own the water beneath my land and that is it, and it is not illegal to drill for water. The State and regulator want to regulate with water acquisition and they say that land is sinking because water is being pull out from other areas. The landowners say if it is my water why do I have to report what I take from my land? The State says they need to regulate how much water is being withdrawn. If there wasn’t a drought then likely there would not be an argument. CNBC’s article further reports that while the groundwater law is a place to start, the regulation includes a timeline for implementation, with a target date of 2040. End article. This will most likely affect the rural areas of Antelope Valley as Los Angeles County has been in a law suit with land owners in the Valley regarding the water basin below. This may increase the value of city land where water will be furnished by city services. It more affects farmers and rural residents in Antelope Valley, but as Lancaster and Palmdale are in the High Desert water rationing will likely be a way of life.

Antelope Valley Groundwater Case Flows On…

There is a class action lawsuit, which is about a land owners right to pump groundwater in the Antelope Valley. This lawsuit addresses a property owner’s right to pump their own water beneath their property. Currently State Law allows property owners to pump and use groundwater beneath the surface on their land. In Los Angeles County, however, the naturally available supply of water in the Antelope Valley Basin may not be adequate to satisfy everyone who wants to use that water.
The suit is the Willis Class Action which requests the Court to rule that private landowners in the Antelope Valley who do not presently pump water on their properties retain the right to use the water underlying their properties. The Court has not yet ruled on these claims. This will affect land owners who wish to build custom homes on county land, but not city residents. Most of Antelope Valley is rural residential and agricultural land, so the ruling targets private land owners and farmers.
The Case Number is 1-05-CV-049053 at Santa Clara County Court under Judge Komar, with the next calendar date set for July 15, 2010. The schedule indicates that this will be the deadline for expert witness disclosure and exchange of expert witness information, including any reports prepared by such experts, and any party who intends to call non-expert witnesses to provide percipient testimony must file their statements listing such witness(s). The court calendar is set through Sept. 27, 2010 where the Court Trial Phase 3 takes place, (Status of Valley Aquifer and Issue of Overdraft)10 days with all discovery to be completed 30 days before trial and all motions shall be heard no later than 15 days before trial date.
The lawsuit has been dragging on for years now with the essential position by Los Angeles County claiming adverse possession, and rescinding property owner and residents' rights to their own water? We will keep you updated here as this litigation progresses.