Why Should I Care?
Because we don’t want to see Marina and the Ord communities be in the same position as the Peninsula is today because of Cal-Am!
How does this affect Marina?
The slant wells in the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project will tap into Marina’s groundwater. This project will not draw 100% seawater as originally proposed. The groundwater aquifers are the sole source of drinking water for the residents of Marina and may others receiving water from the Marina Coast Water District, including the Ord communities, CSUMB, North Seaside, The OLD MILITARY COMMUNITY and even parts of Del Ray Oaks and Monterey.
Cal-Am’s slant well project is to be sited on the CEMEX sand mining plant property within the city of Marina… a site that, after the Coastal Commission's mandated stopping of sand mining in 2020, will be designated for conservation and public access in perpetuity! Any transfer of this property is to be to a non-profit or governmental entity with approval of the California Coastal Commission in consultation with the city of Marina.
Marina Receives No Benefits, No Water, but All the Harm
The City of Marina and the Marina Coast Water District do not agree with:
Our community receives absolutely no water from this project as all the desalinated water will be shipped to the Cal-Am Peninsula customers and exorbitant prices will be charged to their ratepayers for this water (the highest in the nation!).
Due to Cal-Am’s environmentally irresponsible actions of severely over drafting both the Carmel River and Seaside Basin for which they had legal rights to pump, regulatory restrictions have now been placed upon Cal-Am. Now they are looking outside their region for other water sources.
In order to quell issues of unfairness and harm to the regional water users, Cal-Am proposes to “return” a certain amount of desalinated water back to the Basin, specifically Castroville, which is many miles away from Marina. By selling water (which they took for free from Marina's groundwater!) to Castroville at discounted rates, Cal-Am is able to claim they have mitigated any harm to the Basin. This "return water" does not justify the take of water from the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin without water rights.
Because we don’t want to see Marina and the Ord communities be in the same position as the Peninsula is today because of Cal-Am!
- No water
- Restriction on development
- More demands for conservation
- Fear of water rationing
- Skyrocketing water rates (if Cal-Am harms our sole source of water!)
How does this affect Marina?
The slant wells in the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project will tap into Marina’s groundwater. This project will not draw 100% seawater as originally proposed. The groundwater aquifers are the sole source of drinking water for the residents of Marina and may others receiving water from the Marina Coast Water District, including the Ord communities, CSUMB, North Seaside, The OLD MILITARY COMMUNITY and even parts of Del Ray Oaks and Monterey.
Cal-Am’s slant well project is to be sited on the CEMEX sand mining plant property within the city of Marina… a site that, after the Coastal Commission's mandated stopping of sand mining in 2020, will be designated for conservation and public access in perpetuity! Any transfer of this property is to be to a non-profit or governmental entity with approval of the California Coastal Commission in consultation with the city of Marina.
Marina Receives No Benefits, No Water, but All the Harm
The City of Marina and the Marina Coast Water District do not agree with:
- the project’s chosen location
- the imposition on our water rights
- the claim that our groundwater will be not be harmed by the 6 - 10 slant wells now being proposed
Our community receives absolutely no water from this project as all the desalinated water will be shipped to the Cal-Am Peninsula customers and exorbitant prices will be charged to their ratepayers for this water (the highest in the nation!).
Due to Cal-Am’s environmentally irresponsible actions of severely over drafting both the Carmel River and Seaside Basin for which they had legal rights to pump, regulatory restrictions have now been placed upon Cal-Am. Now they are looking outside their region for other water sources.
In order to quell issues of unfairness and harm to the regional water users, Cal-Am proposes to “return” a certain amount of desalinated water back to the Basin, specifically Castroville, which is many miles away from Marina. By selling water (which they took for free from Marina's groundwater!) to Castroville at discounted rates, Cal-Am is able to claim they have mitigated any harm to the Basin. This "return water" does not justify the take of water from the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin without water rights.
How Does this Affect the Peninsula?
The Monterey Peninsula does not have enough water to meet its current needs. It has been under a water moratorium that has limited growth for several years. This means that businesses and rate payers have been under a strict tier system of water rates - now paying the highest rate in the U.S. for a community of this size. The state has ordered Cal Am to stop illegally taking too much water from the Carmel River. The Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project was developed to provide water for the peninsula customers and meet the state Cease and Desist order.
We recommend visiting Public Water Now for current grass roots efforts towards affordable water and local control on the Peninsula.
The Monterey Peninsula does not have enough water to meet its current needs. It has been under a water moratorium that has limited growth for several years. This means that businesses and rate payers have been under a strict tier system of water rates - now paying the highest rate in the U.S. for a community of this size. The state has ordered Cal Am to stop illegally taking too much water from the Carmel River. The Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project was developed to provide water for the peninsula customers and meet the state Cease and Desist order.
We recommend visiting Public Water Now for current grass roots efforts towards affordable water and local control on the Peninsula.
Cal-Am’s Water Grab is NOT a Regional Project!
Water is life. Clean, safe, affordable water is the right of all people!
Illegal take from one water district that will harm another is NOT a regional perspective. Working together, all jurisdictions can share costs, share risks, share water. There are many untapped ways we all can engage in sustainable, environmentally responsible and shared costs of obtaining water for all. The Cal-Am Slant Well Project is not this!
Cal-Am’s Water Grab is NOT a Regional Project!
Water is life. Clean, safe, affordable water is the right of all people!
Illegal take from one water district that will harm another is NOT a regional perspective. Working together, all jurisdictions can share costs, share risks, share water. There are many untapped ways we all can engage in sustainable, environmentally responsible and shared costs of obtaining water for all. The Cal-Am Slant Well Project is not this!
Test Slant Wells Impacts on the Western Snowy Plover on Marina's Pristine Beches
Tourism based on unique natural habits is another component of the economic growth anticipated for the Marina and Ord community area. Marina is fortunate to have had a thriving population of the Western Snowy Plover, visible on our pristine beaches. The slant well construction and operations may have already impacted beach habitats for the Western Snowy Plover, a federally listed threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The two years of operation of a test slant well on Marina’s beaches have not been adequately studied. There is recent evidence that a highly significant decline has already occurred of the Marina Snowy Plover populations! The Western Snowy Plover is the City of Marina’s official city shorebird!
Test Slant Wells Impacts on the Western Snowy Plover on Marina's Pristine Beches
Tourism based on unique natural habits is another component of the economic growth anticipated for the Marina and Ord community area. Marina is fortunate to have had a thriving population of the Western Snowy Plover, visible on our pristine beaches. The slant well construction and operations may have already impacted beach habitats for the Western Snowy Plover, a federally listed threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The two years of operation of a test slant well on Marina’s beaches have not been adequately studied. There is recent evidence that a highly significant decline has already occurred of the Marina Snowy Plover populations! The Western Snowy Plover is the City of Marina’s official city shorebird!