The kind of debates and legal formulations arising from the extra water a southland dam has stored.
Environmental group wants to keep water in Santa Ana River
09:40 AM PDT on Wednesday, May 2, 2007
By JENNIFER BOWLES
The Press-Enterprise
Inland water agencies will go before a state board today, seeking the right to take billions of gallons more water from the Santa Ana River.
Members of the Center for Biological Diversity will testify, too, hoping to keep the river alive for the public and to protect a handful of endangered species struggling to survive in and along the waterway.
"Our main concern is we're talking about a river ... that could provide an incredible source of recreation, peace of mind, a human-quality green space through a very densely urban part of California," said Adam Keats, an attorney for the Center.
The hearing before a member of the State Water Resources Control Board is scheduled to continue through May 9 if necessary.
It's not known when a decision by the full board would be made, said Liz Kanter, an agency spokeswoman.
At stake are the rights to billions of gallons of water that could some day collect behind the Seven Oaks Dam near Highland.
"The process we'll be going through is like a trial, where we will present evidence and justify that we cannot only take possession of the water but put it to a reasonable and beneficial use," said Randy Van Gelder, general manager of the San Bernardino Municipal Valley Water District.
New Water
Construction of the 550-foot-tall Seven Oaks Dam seven years ago for flood control protection also opened the possibility of collecting more snowmelt and runoff from the San Bernardino Mountains for drinking water.
