Regional well owners invited to join in water study

UPDATE—FRAZIER PARK, CA (Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013 at 10:41 p.m.) The Frazier Park Public Utility District Board tonight invited public and private well owners from the entire Mountain Communities region to join in an effort to learn more about water supply in the region and to consider regional solutions to water supply concerns. Numerous private well owners and all the water companies on the mountain except Krista (Los Padres Estates) were represented at a meeting this evening. Drought conditions this year and last have resulted in some residential and system wells going dry, in Cuddy Valley and in Lake of the Woods. Water levels are reported to be dropping in wells in other areas as well. 

Lake of the Woods Mutual Water Company has had to purchase and transport emergency water supplies from FPPUD and Lebec County Water District after production of LOW’s main well  diminished from 300 to 12 gallons per minute this summer. LOW is still seeking a new water supply. Meanwhile FPPUD has recently found problematic draw down levels in two of its wells, but still has a 500 gpm well and two springs showing no change in supply.

The FPPUD board invited other well owners to join them in preparing an application for a “pre-planning grant” of $250,000 from the state of California. The deadline for submission is November 8. The goal of the grant is to develop aquifer data for the region and to explore possible joint efforts to address drought and water quality issues.

Consultant David Warner from nonprofit Self-Help Enterprises explained that the state favors regional solutions to water supply issues. He said this first grant offers funding for engineering and legal fees in developing a plan for addressing local water quality and water supply concerns. Warner said that joining in the pre-planning committee to investigate options does not create an obligation to continue into the next phase of a regional alliance.

FPPUD staffer Alice Garcia said she will contact those who attended tonight’s meeting on Monday to see if they wish to participate in the pre-planning grant project. The next meeting being called by FPPUD is Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m.

See the full details and updates in the next issue of The Mountain Enterprise newspaper, available in subscribers’ mailboxes and on newsstands throughout the Mountain Communities.

FRAZIER PARK, CA (Friday, Sept. 27, 2013 at 3:58 p.m.)—An urgent meeting of all water well owners and water agencies in the Mountain Communities—public and private—is being called by the Frazier Park Public Utility District for Thursday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the FPPUD office at 4020 Park Drive.

A 60-foot decline in the static water levels at two of FPPUD’s wells was described to its board and the public at a special meeting on Thursday, Sept. 26.

The purpose of the regional well-owners’ meeting is to explain a plan for water well owners and agencies to join together to obtain a grant from the State of California to explore possible solutions to regional drought-related water problems.

Interested well owners and agencies should contact Garcia at FPPUD: 661-245-3734 and attend the meeting to hear the full details.

See The New Mountain Pioneer on newsstands Saturday for the full story.

This is part of the September 27, 2013 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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