Canal-lining project set to move forward
By: North County Times Wire Services - | ∞
SAN DIEGO - The lining of a 23-mile segment of the All-American Canal in Imperial County, a controversial project that would bring more water to San Diego County but decrease the supply for Mexican farmers, is set to go forward this week after more than nine months of delay, it was reported today.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday denied a petition by the city of Calexico to reconsider the court's April 6 ruling allowing the project to go forward, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The city had argued that its residents would be harmed economically and environmentally by the lining project. Calexico is heavily dependent on cross- border commerce from neighboring Mexicali and has joined efforts with a Mexicali business group and California environmentalists in opposing the lining.
The project could save 56,000 acre feet of water from seeping into the ground every year. But in doing so, Mexican farmers will lose that ground water they have counted on for decades.
The lining opponents have said they are prepared to take their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Calexico City Attorney Jennifer Lyon said last week that "all litigation strategies will be discussed with my council on June 5," the newspaper reported.
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Russ wrote on Jun 5, 2007 10:58 AM:Who's water is this anyway? Where did it originate? Who paid for it? Don't fix a leaking system because an impoverished area relies on it? Come on. That's like saying the Salton Sea wasn't an accident to begin with but now we have to support it because other living beings rely upon it. Cry me a SEA.
Mark wrote on Jun 5, 2007 1:53 PM:Fix it...then charge the farmers and others for extracting water from the canal. In that way, the cost for the canal lining can be partially reimbursed by those who may have historically benefited from a free source of groundwater.
To Russ wrote on Jun 5, 2007 3:44 PM:If you are serious with your comments, then you'd better start saving your rain water. San Diego doesn't have its own water..it 'originates' elsewhwere! Get with it and realize how stupid your comment was.
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