The Change We Want.
The Supervisor We Need.
Water
We need real water solutions. We must utilize every means to capture water, properly maintain our critical infrastructure, and treat polluted water. A fair solution to Monterey County’s water troubles must meet the needs of everyone – from agriculture to urban dwellers, from business to rural well owners.
Monterey County has known about saltwater intrusion since 1946, but the problem, which disproportionately impacts District 2, has only worsened. Groundwater overdraft has been a concern throughout Monterey County for decades.
The Nacimiento Dam was built in 1957. The San Antonio Dam was completed in 1965. Today both dams require serious upgrades projected to cost $160 million to repair. But the Monterey County Board of Supervisors have yet to implement a realistic plan to cover the costs for these critical repairs.
Equitable water solutions should be of concern to all District 2 residents. From the City of Salinas to the Santa Cruz County line, District 2 has not received the rightful attention it needs for agriculture, businesses or residents. Since 1958, the majority of North Monterey County, primarily in the greater Prunedale area, has been paying for the Nacimiento and San Antonio Dams, and the rubber dam between Marina and Spreckels. In over 60 years, North County residents have not received any water in return for their investment while wells have gone dry and become contaminated with arsenic, nitrates, and hexavalent chromium.
All options, from conservation to desalination, must be fully explored while weighing costs involved with each option. We must consider the most available and least expensive sources first. These include restoring wetlands, creating catchment ponds and treating unused sources like the Tembladero Slough. It is imperative that our water crisis be resolved for the benefit of all the people of Monterey County.