Update given on Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project

At the Dec. 5 Fallbrook Public Utility District board meeting, the board of directors was given an update of the Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project (CUP), which would allow for Camp Pendleton and the Fallbrook area to utilize water from the Santa Margarita River.

The goals of the CUP are to provide water to FPUD customers at a lower cost from a reliable local supply; permanently preserve the Santa Margarita River property for passive recreation use; utilize CUP facilities to wheel Camp Pendleton water from their allocations with the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) during extended local dry conditions; and resolve over 50 years of litigation between FPUD and Camp Pendleton on water rights.

“Fallbrook has had water rights on the river for many years, and we are working cooperatively with Camp Pendleton to provide 10,000 to 11,000 acre-feet of water to our customers,” said FPUD general manager Brian Brady. “That would provide 30 percent of local water, which would be a lot less expensive than imported water.”

According to Ron Packard, who lobbied for the CUP in Washington, D.C., the project took three congressional terms to be considered.

“We were able to successfully get it done with a lot of help from the chairman of the House Committee,” said Packard.

Jeremy Jungreis, a representative for the Camp Pendleton Office of Water Resources, stated that the agreement is still being treated with a “great deal of uncertainty,” especially because of the lack of finances needed to begin the project.

“The current budget depends on a variety of factors, such as the contractors’ bids, but an estimate would be in the neighborhood of $25 to $45 million, probably reaching closer to the higher end,” said Jungreis.

According to Bill Steele, a representative for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, approximately $4 million has been raised for the project through federal and non-federal shares, as well as through grants from the SDCWA.

“Some might think that’s a lot, but when you look at the value of the cost, and the time, it’s not easy [to work with this amount],” he said.

“I want to encourage the board not to become timid in their efforts with finding funding. It’s crucial that we stay the course,” said Packard. People will recognize the legacy you left in terms of what you have accomplished, and you will be proud of what you’ve done, and what better job than this project, which will produce additional water, which is absolutely crucial for us.”

According to James Bebee, FPUD engineering and planning manager, the project will sunset in 2019 with construction finished by March 29 of that year.

Packard stated that Camp Pendleton would be “ecstatic” to have the project succeed.

“Over 100 directors of this district have been involved with this project,” said Gordon Tinker, a former general manager of FPUD.

According to Tinker, Fallbrook exclusively obtained water by pumping it from the Santa Margarita River from 1922 to 1927, and continued to utilize water from the river (along with other sources) until 1969, when a flood destroyed the pumping facilities along the river.

“They were never rebuilt,” said Tinker. “When the Colorado water came in, avocado groves growing in the area ended up in the San Luis Rey River, which was no longer useful as a drinking supply.”

During this time, water rights concerning the river came into question, with Vail Ranch, Santa Margarita Ranch, and other cattle ranches staking claim on the water.

In 1954, FPUD was authorized to construct a single dam project on Camp Pendleton. However, this did not please many.

“The attorney general had a reason to continue the lawsuit because he believed that federal property had better water rights than any property owner,” said Tinker. “He won the case in 1963, but the state fortunately appealed in 1966, and the Superior Court overruled the decision, and said that parties must get together to find a negotiated solution.”

It was at this time that an agreement proclamation was signed by the US Attorney General, the Secretary of the Interior, The Secretary of the Navy, and the general manager of FPUD.

“That agreement allowed the project manager to build two dams on the Santa Margarita River, with one for damage control in Camp Pendleton and one in Fallbrook,” said Tinker, who said the concerns regarding water shifted with each change of presidential and congressional election. “When Carter was elected, he decided to change how water projects were run, focusing on the huge problem of flood control and less with water supply.”

As time progressed, the focus was once again placed on water supply.

“We hoped to use water naturally and supplement with the natural flow of recycle water from Rancho California,” said Keith Lewinger, another former FPUD general manager, who called the Santa Margarita River “flashy” because of its near bone-dry state in the summer and flooding in rainy seasons.

“The trick was to develop a water storage system out of the river that would meet the needs of Fallbrook and Camp Pendleton,” said Lewinger. “Camp Pendleton has a ground water system, which is the crux of the agreement.”

The system would be used to take water from the river when available, and be distributed along the ground spreading basins throughout the military base. Instead of treating the water, it would simply be pumped out of the ground, delivered to Fallbrook through an operating pipeline and treated at the wastewater treatment plant near Camp Pendleton. A water pipeline would then transport the water to the Red Mountain Reservoir.

This water would buffer the severe water cutbacks FPUD has had to implement on its users, said Lewinger.

“The worst thing we had to do was have mandatory cutbacks to the agricultural community,” he said. “It was devastating; we had to cut back up to 30 percent at some points. Some farmers went out of business because of that. This will provide up to 30 percent of water we use on an annual basis, and the agreement with Camp Pendleton is that we will receive about 3,100 acre-feet of water on projects. On dry years, we will not get anything when Camp Pendleton needs all the water, and they will owe us that 1,300 acre-feet. In very wet years, we will get more water than that to help us meet our demands in Fallbrook.”

Lewinger also stated that the FPUD might also garner a small income from the Santa Margarita property.

“We would receive over $1,000 for each acre-foot,” he said. “In the next ten years, we could expect that to double.”

To comment on this story online, visit http://www.thevillagenews.com.