Tempers Rise as Water Level Drops

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Source: J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue

During the height of the recent California drought contention arose between local officials and Ojai Valley farmers. With water resources running thin the city approved a triad of water hikes aimed to improve conservation and alleviate the mounting costs of acquiring water in the valley. With the tax rates costing some farmers thousands more on their monthly water bills tempers rose and many farmers feared for their livelihood. Some farmers turned away from the city water supply entirely and dug wells on their properties to harvest ground water directly. Groundwater is a precious resource and the depletion of groundwater can have lasting damage on the underground reservoirs, and the replenishment of groundwater can often take years. Water rate hikes are a tough call to make, but with the drought coming to a relative end in 2017 the Ojai valley will hopefully enter a time of replenishment and regrowth.

 Everyone can contribute to the protection of groundwater! Planting and using native plants in lawns and gardens helps protect the natural state of the local soil and promotes natural water drainage. These plants help recharge groundwater and can even protect your property from erosion!

For further resources about what you can do to protect groundwater check out these websites: Native Plant Conservation Campaign, Groundwater.org - How you can protect groundwater

For further resources check out these websites: Ojai Valley Water Hikes,

By Luke Hanst

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