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Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009

Report: Proposals will strain groundwater

Merced County's future growth plans will continue to drain the limited water supplies that sustain life here.

Merced County released a technical memorandum Thursday that details how development plans may impact groundwater supplies, the source of most all drinking water and most irrigation water in the county.

The document came to be at a critical moment in Merced County history.

The Merced County Board of Supervisors and Merced County Planning Commission have been meeting since 2006 to update the county's general plan, a policy document that will guide land use and development for at least the next two decades.

The memorandum includes an analysis of the two proposed land-use alternatives being considered for the general plan. They both will strain Merced County's dwindling groundwater supply, but not in the same way.

Alternative D, the general plan option that encourages city-centered growth with an emphasis on building new towns, would increase the reliance on groundwater for current population centers, and more demand for surface water in planned Westside developments.

The second plan, Alternative E, emphasizes resource protection, infrastructure availability and increased residential density in established population centers. The groundwater impact of that plan would continue to drain underground basins in current cities -- a water source that is already overtapped -- but would save some 2,800 acres of agricultural land from development, according to the report. The untouched ag land would lead to additional recharge in the basins.

As it stands, 5 to 10 percent of county groundwater supplies are diverted to urban areas, depending on the location in the county. By 2030, urban water supplies from underground basins is expected to increase 50 to 70 percent in eastern and northern Merced County, according to the report.

The full report can be read at www.co.merced.ca.us, on the "General Plan Update" page.

The Merced County Board of Supervisors and Merced County Planning Commission are tentatively scheduled to meet Dec. 8 to choose a land-use focus for the general plan update.

Last week, the California legislature passed a series of bills on water issues that include new ways of protecting the fragile ecosystem of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to keeping track of how much water is being pumped from California's underground sources.

The package also includes an $11.1 billion bond measure that would pay for recycling, drought relief, water storage and wastewater treatment programs.

The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report. Reporter Danielle E. Gaines can be reached at (209) 385-2407 or dgaines@mercedsun-star.com.