The water woes at Baja Cactus (on another thread with an unfortunate title) bring to mind some of my experiences and observations relative to water.
Living in the great Central Valley we know all too well the problem of greedy eyes lurking about, craving some, and then more and then even more of
our precious water.
Now the dim bulbs at the State Water board think it would be a real good idea to send 50% of our clean mountain water out to sea to support a
dwindling salmon population.
Now, mind you, I really like salmon, but eating the produce of the valley and seeing the jobs it supports is a lot more important than saving a couple
thousand fish.
Here comes the real problem.
When river water is not available the desperate farmer starts drilling. Deep!!
And then the ground starts to drop, the neighbors start losing their wells, they drill deeper, and on it goes.
In Baja I know the folks at Rancho Santa Marta in San Vicente.
Years ago their fairly shallow well was struggling, the quality was not so good, so they put in applications for a deep well, since they are farming
some 600 acres in addition to the orphanage and school. Most of what they produce is "dry" farming, winter crops that depend on rain. When after
several years they got their permit the government put a meter on the well, they did not use as much water as they had predicted, and they were warned
to use more water or lose rights to the well. Just over the hill you will note that LACetto has a massive vineyard, obviously irrigated by deep
wells. The question is not if the water will last, but simply when will it be exhausted.
When I first raced the 1000 we saw very lush farming around Villa Constitucion. Years later I heard that when the water table had dropped to about
2500 feet they were no longer able to sustain any pumping and lost much of this farming.
So, now to El Rosario. When I see the entire river valley being farmed I know that the wells are sustaining the crops, but for how long? And how
much impact on the town people of El Rosario? Sad to see all of those school buses coming up from you know who, down in San Quintin and drawing down
the water table. Go just a few more miles over the mountain south and see the farms (with the same school buses) emerging in the valleys and the
local areas. Again, how long will that aquifer sustain this level of draw down?
Anyone wonder why Baja Cactus and the homes around are out of water?
Just check out the green fields under the big bridge.
I understand progress. Hey, I am a real estate developer, I catch lots of heat from environmentalists. But, we never build where the basic
necessities cannot be sustained. And today I see the large commercial farming interests coming in, drilling, drawing down, and then bailing out,
whilst the local folks contemplate just how to sustain their own basic lifestyles.
End of rant.... I hope |
