![]() ![]() They say homeowners should be taking out grass, and golf courses should be reducing their water footprint too, but it shouldn’t be done to help a developer fill a wave pool.Ĭallimanis pointed out that the water district has started charging drought penalties on water bills when residents fail to reduce outdoor water use 10% below their budget. He argued that “careful management” of the groundwater basin has put the Coachella Valley in a better situation than other parts of the state, adding that the development’s proposed water use is factored into local water plans.Ĭallimanis and other opponents are not convinced. “We certainly understand water concerns and the urgency to improve the management of resources,” Gamlin wrote. Aside from the wave basin, there would be one lake used for mixing and storing water for the lagoon and outdoor irrigation. He said the developer plans water-saving fixtures, has reduced the size of the wave basin and has eliminated other water features that were originally part of the plan. Gamlin said in a written response to questions from The Times that the project is designed to maximize water efficiency in various ways. Without major reductions, the latest projections show worsening risks of Lake Mead and Lake Powell approaching “dead pool” levels, where water would no longer pass downstream through the dams. ![]() Southern California water districts are now under pressure to shoulder substantial reductions as the federal government pushes for solutions to prevent the river’s reservoirs from dropping to dangerously low levels. The Colorado River’s flow has shrunk dramatically during 23 years of extremely dry conditions that research shows are being amplified by global warming. Levy, an engineer and former general manager of Coachella Valley Water District, wrote on behalf of the developer saying water cutbacks planned along the Colorado River will not significantly affect the district’s ability to “deliver potable water” in the area. Near the property, Colorado River water is routed to ponds at a groundwater replenishment facility, recharging the aquifer. The Coachella Valley Water District endorsed the development’s total water use - more than 900 acre-feet a year - in 2020 as part of a state-mandated assessment under which large developments with more than 500 homes are required to have sufficient water supplies based on 20-year projections.Ĭolorado River water is also available from the Coachella branch of the All-American Canal, he said, and could be used to irrigate common areas and possibly front yards. Gamlin said a single golf course in the desert consumes much more, with some using as much as 1 million gallons a day.Īccording to the developer, the wave basin would account for less than 13% of the project’s total water use. Opponents have disputed that estimate, arguing that with crashing waves and heat, evaporation would require significantly more water. The wave basin’s annual water use is estimated at 26 million gallons, including water that would need to be pumped to make up for evaporation, Gamlin said. “You have to create some sort of a lifestyle as the centerpiece of why people want to come here.” “Development in the Coachella Valley is lifestyle-driven,” Gamlin said. ![]()
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