Community Input:
August 20, 2009
Dear Editor

Regarding the cover article in the 8/14/2009 issue of The Mountain Enterprise ("Pumping Water to Frazier Park Estates Illegal, Says Lawyer"); as the Project Engineer for Frazier Park Estates (FPE) I feel compelled to correct the record. There were inaccuracies portrayed in the article that are unfair to the project. The attorney mentioned in the article [Joseph D. Hughes, writing for the Lebec County Water District–Ed.] claims that the FPE project plans to export water to property in another watershed. While it is true that the attorney for the Lebec County Water District makes this claim, the claim itself is incorrect.

The entire improved area of the project will drain to Cuddy Creek and will therefore be in the Cuddy Creek basin. There are portions of the project lands which will drain to the south into the Gorman Basin, however these areas will not be developed. The Hungry Valley OHV Park specifically requested that all urban runoff be directed to drain away from their site and the project was redesigned to accommodate that request (The project exhibits in the DEIR display this redesign). Therefore, there will not be any Cuddy Basin well water applied on land that does not also drain back to the Cuddy Basin. There will not be any water exported to the Gorman Watershed.

The project will obtain water from wells located along Frazier Mountain Park Road and distribute it on project lands within the Cuddy Creek Watershed, in the same manner as the Frazier Mountain High School. Thank you for the opportunity to add to the public dialogue on this project.

Sincerely,

Derrill G. Whitten Jr., PE
Cornerstone Engineering Inc.
208 Oak Street
Bakersfield, 93304
 

This is part of the August 21, 2009 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.