Southern California’s Struggle to Meet Its Water Needs
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The Times editorializes that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was justifiably outraged when the Imperial Irrigation District offered to sell it 100,000 acre feet of water annually for $250 per acre foot.
What I believe is outrageous is MWD’s attempt to bully IID into better terms by conducting a concerted political, lobbying and public information campaign.
MWD’s chief economist has admitted in sworn testimony in recent hearings that MWD supplemental water has a value of about $530 per acre foot (solely to avert a 15% water shortage in the year 2000).
When water which costs IID $9 is worth $530 to MWD, there is plenty of room to reach a negotiated agreement, but not if recriminations continue to fly between Los Angeles and El Centro.
THOMAS J. GRAFF
Senior Attorney
Environmental Defense Fund
Berkeley
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