U.S. plan to line canal with concrete sparks Mexican opposition

ap/modbee ^ | 3-12-06 | eliot spagat

[LouAvul]

Despite its name, the All-American Canal has been leaking water to the Mexican side of the desert border for more than 60 years, nourishing alfalfa, onion and cotton crops that might otherwise wither.

Now the U.S. government is preparing to line the earthen channel with concrete. Mexican farmers' loss will be California's gain: Scarce water that will no longer be able to seep away instead will help flush toilets and water lawns more than 100 miles west in San Diego.

And that would affect thousands of families whose fields cover thousands of acres around Mexicali, an industrial city of 800,000 that is gobbling up farmland on its outskirts. That's because the lining would prevent the replenishment of about 100 rural wells they use, according to critics of the project.

Nazario Ortiz, who farms 100 acres about three miles inside Mexico, worries that his hardscrabble community won't survive.

"Everything comes from the canal, so everything is going to be ruined," said Ortiz, 46, who lives in a village where old pickup trucks and unleashed dogs share dirt roads. "How are people going to make a living?"

It will be hard, Ortiz says, to stop his sons - ages 22, 18 and 16 - from illegally crossing the border to join relatives in Los Angeles.

[Vladiator]

It will be hard, Ortiz says, to stop his sons - ages 22, 18 and 16 - from illegally crossing the border to join relatives in Los Angeles.

That's OK - Brian Bilbray will stop them!

[BenLurkin]

"everything is going to be ruined," said Ortiz, 46, who lives in a village where old pickup trucks and unleashed dogs share dirt roads."

Yeah -- hate to see that dirt road village "ruined". Sheesh!

[operation clinton cleanup]

Nazario Ortiz, who farms 100 acres about three miles inside Mexico, worries that his hardscrabble community won't survive.

Go cry to Vicente Fox.... I'm sure you expect some accountability from your own elected government.

[JAWs]

Notice the contrast? The Mexicans raise crops. The Americans flush toilets and water lawns. No mention on the amount of agricultural production occurs in that region.

[ApplegateRanch]

Despite the fact that this should have been done 60 years ago, it still warms the cockles of my heart.

[Nathan Zachary]

Surely the much more nutrient rich (from a plants point of view) toilet water from San Diego can be diverted to these Mexican farm fields to help lessen the impact of the USA correcting a long neglected eviromental problem.

And after all, aren't the burdens (or refuse) of Mexican society, who are sneaking across the same border, helping flush these San Diego toilets? It's only fair Mexico puts this waste to good use, and it will completely negate their concerns over the USA repairing the problem.

I find it ironic as well, that what would normaly be considered an enviromental disaster caused by the "evil USA", is something that some DON'T want fixed!

[Ben Ficklin]

The water will not be used for agriculture.

In fact, farmers(water right holders) in the Imperial Irrigation District are already selling water to San Diego.

[skeptoid]

......'the much more nutrient rich (from a plants point of view) toilet water from San Diego can be diverted to these Mexican farm fields'.....

Just remember to rinse that lettuce very thoroughly, and hope your favorite fast-food place does too!

[Nathan Zachary]

The sea is full of water. Desalinate it and be done with it.

People pay a buck for a pint of water in a store, but won't pay half that to have it available from their taps by building plants to desalinate sea water?
Some people will pay 3 bucks for a quart of water from a desalination plant in Hawaii. It's just sea water!!

[TexasTransplant]

San Diego needs to build a few nuclear reactor/desal/hydrogen generating plants.

They need fresh water, electricity and fuel

TT

[Ben Ficklin]

"Desalinate it"

I'm sure the mexicans using the groundwater plume would prefer that.

[Nathan Zachary]

LoL! Indeed. Having some knowledge of growing veggies, having come from a farm family, anyone who DOESN'T wash their veggies is asking for bloated bellies.

I am not Jewish, but that's a practice than nobody should neglect. WASH YOUR FOOD!
There are some bugs in there as well that some won't appreciate for their protein value.

[livius]

Scarce water that will no longer be able to seep away instead will help flush toilets and water lawns more than 100 miles west in San Diego.

Tell me there's no bias here.

That said, our water management policies could probably stand a review, in terms of the domestic apportionment of water from the north. But in terms of Mexico, maybe they should stop spending so much money on corruption and put it into desalinazation.

[Nathan Zachary]

My thoughts exactly. Other than enviro wienies against such a worthwhile endeavor, imagine the economic growth potential of just a few of these mega projects. If we don't get off our butts and start building for the future, China WILL become the global economy. They aren't wasting any time in developing their nuclear potential to meet their future needs.

[brytlea]

Besides, one reason they need more water for flushing toilets is the illegal aliens pouring across the border.
susie

[anglian]

Water flows from Mexico into California's lake the Salton Sea, from the New River delta, a river which originates 20 miles inside Mexico and consists entirely of wastewater discharged by a million inhabitants of the Mexicali Valley. Maybe they could divert it.
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/salton/NewRiverTrailOfPoison.html

[Ben Ficklin]

This water doesn't cost anything.

When the ditches in the Rio Grande Project were lined, it was paid for by the Inter-American Development Bank. I would imagine that these are also.

[righttackle44]

"Yeah -- hate to see that dirt road village "ruined". Sheesh!"

LOL. There's so much still in prestine condition across the border, anyway.

[cpdiii]

Nearly 3,000 acres in Mexico depend entirely on the All-American, according to the Mexicali Economic Development Council. California also relies on water the canal siphons from the Colorado River as one of the West's major water sources winds from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Modesto Bee does not know much about geography. The Colorado runs into the Sea of Cortez also known as the Gulf of California.