The Need for Water in Cambria.

By Peter Chaldecott

When it stops raining, we see our precious resources literally go out to sea and we have to start cutting back on our own use! Then when the rains don't come, we are in trouble!

According to USGS we use 21% of Santa Rosa water and, 55% of San Simeon water (where we in fact put back most of it by re-injection near the lagoon).

AS YOU ALL KNOW after 9 dry months, CREEKS RUN low & our well levels tumble:-

WATER RESTRICTIONS start to effect us ALL..
WE BATHE SPARINGLY..
WE FLUSH less...
WE drive DUSTY cars...
While outside.. OUR PLANTS and SHRUBS wither and die.

This is Cambria's classic drought situation....

WHAT MANY RESIDENTS DON'T KNOW... Our Fire fighting resource (Water from the creeks) is also severerly limited at the same time. So as of right now we have NO water and no EASY alternatives...ITS simple!....there is... No STATE WATER pipeline... No STORAGE...NO RESERVOIR..

None of this is new for the Central coast:-

I'd like to QUOTE DAN KRIEGER our local historian at Cal Poly...

"Dispite Nature's Bounty, we are a land of little rain"
he describes THE GREAT DROUGHT of 1862-64....when in our area the creek dried up and cattle were driven over the cliff to end their suffering.
He then vividly describes how visitors to the central coast remarked ...on the sun dried bones of dead cattle strewn over hills and gullies.
He has then refered to the 2nd. worse drought of 1898-99 which slowed completion of the costal rail route...

In Recent Times, locals will discuss the drought of 1977 and 89 ... Our own records for 25 yrs. show the average annual rainfall is 21.7ins. Highest 97-98 is 42ins. Lowest 89-90....10 ins.
In the last 15 years...10 were below average by 30%

Due to the lack of rain over several seasons & further definition of endangered species in BOTH creeks, we have had to cut back on our pumping & were forced to declare a "New Connection Moritorium".

Any possible future water project is on hold while we develop..."The Water Master Plan" that our Board has commissioned. This involves a major engineering study to sort thru the alternatives for obtaining a reliable water source in the time of drought. In the past Most Studies have shown a fatal flaw in many of the proposals such as High cost or Environmental concerns.

I forcast that possibly 4 proposals will be considered:-

1. Buy out the majority of upstream farms or enter "pay not to grow" agreements.

2. Connect a Pipeline to lake Naciemento.

3. Install a Desalination Plant to obtain water on demand from the Ocean.

4. Purchase a 100/200 acre site close to a creek for off-stream storage.

Descriptions:-

1. Buy out Farmers...This would have to be of ALL potential users on which ever creek is selected. We would then be the sole user and have full rights to the water except that we would be liable for the health of species that call the creek home. Therefore a yet undetermined portion of the creek flow would be dedicated to the health of species.

Problems - Cost of compensating farmers? In a severe drought is there really enough water to serve the town and protect species?

2. Lake Nacimento pipeline...Another proposal is a pipeline to Lake Nacimento. Unfortunately this now co-incides with the news that other existing users of the lake's water are planning to reduce the level by at least 25 feet. Here again we may be entering a fight for our share of diminishing resources. One method suggested is put our intake from the lake directly over the hills and feed into the source of San Simeon Creek and then extract our share at the bottom (at our well fields). The other is to share in the County project bringing water South at Templeton. We would then build our own 30 mile pipeline over Rte.46 (with 1700 feet elevation) and up Hwy.1 into Cambria.

Problems - Cost of pipelines and right of ways? Diminishing source of water? Pumping costs to lift water over local mountains?

3. Seawater Desalination. Using a fully submerged beach well,the plant could be switched ON during drought and switched OFF when the stream flows returned. When last proposed desalination was able to meet environmental conditions imposed by State & Federal agencies for both intake and the brine discharge.

Problems - Initial startup cost? High energy requirements? Possible use of Sun's energy for electrical conversion?

4. Storage reservoir.
Cambria has no long term storage to bank water for the dry years when they occurr. A report from the Governor's Office in 2000 points to California's next drought and clearly states that droughts can last up to 6 years!
Allowing for evapouration that occurrs constantly in this area, we would need to set aside at least 6,000 acre feet of storage for a 5-6 year drought.
To build a reservoir of this capacity requires either an area of 200 acres with a 30 foot depth or 100 acres with a depth of 60 feet and in proximity to one of the creeks. The filling of the resevoir will need to be accomplished during the high stream flow events that occurr usually for short time periods in Spring.

Problems - Location for reservoir (most likely valuable farm land)? Dedicated pumps and standby equipment needed to take advantage of high flow event? Additional treatment required under "surface water treatment rules" for open water sources?

When the Water Master Plan is done, we cannot then wait and postpone any decision on a new water source as a pretext for controlling growth, our needs for domestic use and our fire protection are CLEAR!.