fbpx

Water

Articles, Breaking News, Water

A Stark Warning of Water Cuts: A Water Watch Editorial

BY MARTINA DOBESH

It seems an act of sheer folly to write about staying vigilant in our water usage after two relatively wet winters here in Baja California. It would seem the populus has fallen under a spell which suggests there is no longer a water issue in our future. But finally, a trickle of information was buried in the May 6th issue of this paper in the Que Pasa in Baja?, entitled “Baja California Faces Severe Colorado River Water Cuts.” It was only a matter of time for the alarm about water to be raised once again. The concern about water and the lack of it was never resolved; it just went underground with the rain of the last wet winters.

The Permanent Forum on Binational Waters issued the stark warning. “The upcoming cut in Colorado River water allocation to Mexico in 2024 will exceed the annual water usage of all Baja California cities reliant on this source.” This will mean about a 33% cut. It went on to say that the 2024 reductions of Baja’s primary water source have been severe, “the most severe will be in 2025, when a new administration is in charge.” This refers to the US elections in November. The 1944 Treaty protecting Colorado River water to Baja will expire in 2026. Yet the push for “progress” is in full gear around the state.
In the January 15th Gringo Gazette front page article sighted that the new governor, Marina Pila, attended the World Economic Forum in Switzerland where she stated that her primary goal was to showcase Baja California as “an ideal investment destination.” There was a long list of issues to be addressed such as economic development, security and sustainability. Last year the new governor announced her pet mega project for the wine country.  An “artificial town” with the theme of a medieval Italian village as a residential community and tourist complex with shops and lodging. 

The June 3rd paper had headlines of a “premier entertainment hub, boasting a capacity of 10,000 people for top-tier events,” including 300 bathrooms. How they can claim to be “eco-friendly” is absurd. June 14th Gringo Gazette was filled with articles promising happy tourist paradise and more jobs. One such is set to “Transform Ensenada’s Port Area,” and a ferry service from Ensenada to San Diego is expected in the next five months. Claiming to “boost” Baja’s image is touted as the “Punta Piedra’s New Misión Project.” It will feature 70 residences with “advanced technology and water-saving systems.” All of this is in alignment with the government’s blessings to have Baja California “attracting capital to the state.” It should be asked who is promising abundant water flowing for the generations of investors?  

Since I began investigating this issue over the last two decades it has become obvious to me that people’s minds tend to default to the idea that building desal plants will be our savior. Always after receiving these disturbing water facts there is always a casual wave of the hand, “Well, build a desal plant.” And sure enough, the July 1st front-page article by Archer Ingram, Rosarito’s New Desalination Plant Gets Green Light. I was amused by the subtitle, “if its ever completed” which is probably close to the truth. Ingram did a good job giving us all the ins and outs of the politics and costs of building it to a tune of half a billion dollars. But not addressed was the cost of operation and increased prices to the users. It wasn’t stated how long it would take to build the plant after all the talking stops. Given the timely nature of Rosarito’s water needs for development it is an important question. Will there be enough water to build it? This one plant would not furnish Rosarito’s growing needs and the impact on the ocean is a very real issue.

Oliver Quintero, Publisher of the Gringo Gazette, stated the land had already been purchased years ago for the first failed project which ended in litigation, the site is in Ejido Mazatlán, right next to the CFE thermoelectrical plant.

Water cuts are here. Water is our most precious thing we have. We waste a lot of it. Learning to conserve is wise for any future planning. To check out the water facts and history go to the Gringo Gazette webpage, ggnorth.com. Scroll down to August 16 and 30, 2021 where the Water Watch series begins.  Be sure and check out the YouTube channel Mojo Adventures for current boots-on-the-ground updates on the Colorado River as we head into 2026.

Editor’s Note: Martina is a freelance writer and journalist. She is the creator of the Water Watch series as a community service. She is the author of Dust in My Sandals, Tales from a Baja Traveler. See our ad and dive into her true adventures and wonders of Baja California.

0 16
 Breaking News, Rosarito, Water

$800 Million Approved to End Desalination Plant Dispute in Rosarito

Tijuana.- The Baja California government has secured federal funding totaling 800 million pesos to purchase land for a new desalination plant and settle an international lawsuit with Aguas de Rosarito. Víctor Amador Barragán, Secretary for Water Management, Sanitation, and Protection (Seproa), announced the allocation for the formalization of the land purchase and the discontinuation of international arbitration.

The dispute began after a contract cancellation by former governor Jaime Bonilla Valdez, prompting Aguas de Rosarito S.A.P.I, a consortium slated to execute the desalination project, to file a lawsuit under the trade agreement between Mexico and the European Union.

Marco Moreno Mexía, State Finance Secretary, indicated that an agreement with the consortium is imminent, which will conclude the international litigation. He mentioned that details on the restructuring of the project are forthcoming, emphasizing the sensitivity of the ongoing negotiations involving the Mexican state.

The planned facility will be built on the same site initially intended by Aguas de Rosarito, next to a hydroelectric station operated by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). Moreno Mexía cited this location as optimal due to existing infrastructure.

Moreover, he revealed that the states of Arizona and California have shown a “real interest” in investing in the project, but priority will be given to addressing local water supply issues in Baja California. The plant is expected to produce one to two cubic meters of desalinated water per second, ensuring water supply to the coastal zone of Baja California for the next decade.

0 63
 Baja Norte, Breaking News, Rosarito, Water

Former Director of CESPT Discusses Water Issues with Pro-Municipality Committee

The Pro-Municipality Committee of Rosarito, Baja California recently invited Enrique Ruelas, former director of the State Public Service Commission of Tijuana (CESPT), to discuss water issues affecting the region.

During the meeting, Ruelas spoke about the challenges faced by the CESPT, particularly with regard to the distribution of water to different parts of the state. He also discussed the need for better infrastructure and more efficient water management systems in order to ensure that all residents have access to clean and reliable water.

Ruelas emphasized the importance of collaboration between different government agencies and civil society groups in addressing water-related issues. He also noted that the issue of water scarcity is not unique to Baja California, but is a global challenge that requires innovative solutions and a commitment to sustainability.

The Pro-Municipality Committee is a grassroots organization that advocates for the creation of a new municipality in Rosarito. The group argues that creating a new municipality would allow for more efficient and effective governance, and would help to address long-standing issues related to public services, infrastructure, and economic development.

The discussion with Ruelas is part of the group’s ongoing efforts to engage with experts and stakeholders on issues of importance to the community. Through these conversations, the Pro-Municipality Committee hopes to build support for its campaign and to work towards a more prosperous and sustainable future for Rosarito and its residents.

The meeting was seen as a positive step forward in addressing water-related issues in the region, and in promoting greater collaboration and cooperation between different actors in the community.

SOURCE: Ecos de Rosarito by Juan Pablo Sebastián

0 193
 Baja Norte, Breaking News, Water

Cloud-Seeding Project Operates in Baja California to Combat Drought

The rain stimulation project in Baja California has already begun operating this year, and it involves releasing silver iodide molecules into the clouds, but without generating any waste in the environment, according to personnel from the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader). They detailed that these actions are under the responsibility of the National Commission for Arid Zones (Conaza). The molecules are placed in the path of the clouds to precipitate rain in the areas of interest, which generates humidity and runoff towards the prairies and dams, as explained.

In the state, the rain stimulation project began in the winter of 2022 and, to date, two flights have been carried out with the Mexican Air Force (FAM) King Air 5213 aircraft, on February 15 and 20 of 2023, when favorable cloud conditions were present. The state agency referred that the flights covered the southern area of ​​the polygon over the territory of the municipalities of Ensenada and San Quintín. Specifically, over the localities of El Descanso, La Huertita, and Cataviña in the southern part, and San José, El Morro, El Descanso, and Kilometer 147. In total, 120 liters of the mentioned reactive were released during the two flights.

According to Sader’s data, in the following days, they will do the same in the region of Bajo Río Bravo Tamaulipas, where the state government will contribute a Turbocommander twin-engine aircraft. This will be in Irrigation District 025, in order to counteract the effects of drought in agriculture and livestock in these areas. “In 2021, this 100% national technology was implemented for the first time in Mexico. It allowed an average increase of 45.1% in excess of rainfall, which is positive since the American Meteorological Society recognizes increases in liquid between 10 and 20 percent as successful,” they detailed in the official information.

Regarding the Turbocommander aircraft, they mentioned that it has the desired characteristics to carry out rain stimulation over the established polygon and based on the cloud and humidity characteristics that pass over the defined region. The stimulation area will be the one corresponding to the polygon carried out the previous year, over irrigation districts DR-024 and DR-025. For this, they spoke with the producers to detail the dates and type of stimulation, which is expected to start this week.

Agriculture personnel recalled that last year, the project also benefited polygons within Sonora, Sinaloa, the Lagunera Region, and Chihuahua. “Rain stimulation technology also helped combat at least 25 forest fires, mainly in the states of Nuevo León and Chihuahua, and to extinguish a remaining fire in the Sierra de Arteaga in 2021,” they referred. Finally, they assured that the planning and programming of this type of flight are carried out based on the analysis of meteorological conditions defined by the National Meteorological Service and with additional information obtained through mobile applications and satellite images.

SOURCE: El Vigia

0 164
Send this to a friend