Where's the balance?
Guest commentary by John J. Johnson

Regarding the commentary on April 9 by David Pritchett, titled "Don't Blame Fish," Casitas Municipal Water District would like to set the record straight with some facts and a general response of "Where's the Balance?"
First, Casitas operates the Ventura River Project to supply water and recreation to Ojai Valley customers. Our goal is to provide a healthy, economical and adequate water supply, while meeting environmental needs. The task we have is to find a reasonable balance in meeting these sometimes conflicting goals. In the same way that customers must balance their own checkbooks, Casitas must balance both its water account and its finances.

Beginning with the water account, our water source consists of river runoff into Lake Casitas and diversions from the Ventura River. Water is withdrawn from the lake through evaporation, and through service to customers. The district keeps the long-term water deposits and withdrawals balanced, and has successfully operated the lake in balance for decades within the long-term "safe water yield balance."

However, NOAA Fisheries, with its focus solely on protecting fish, will reduce the deposit of water into the lake from the Ventura River by requiring that water be diverted for fish. Because of the required amount of releases, Casitas can predict, based on historical rainfall and runoff, that Lake Casitas will go dry during the longest and deepest droughts approximately every 40 years, unless other costly changes are made.

Of course, Casitas will do everything in its power to not allow the lake to go dry.
Casitas has worked hard, seeking balanced requirements from NOAA Fisheries and strong drought protections for our customers and the lake fishery. NOAA's response is a "promise" to evaluate Casitas' effectiveness at conservation. You can be sure that Casitas will intensify conservation, and we are preparing to hire a full-time conservation coordinator now. But conservation alone cannot protect the lake in the longest and deepest droughts, because many farmers and people that normally use groundwater switch to Lake Casitas water as their wells go dry.

Despite strict conservation during droughts, water use will actually rise during droughts as new customers abandon drying wells and start using lake water.
Casitas is also criticized for operating a park, which was a key part of the approval originally given by the voters for the Ventura River Project. Casitas has been criticized for the "lazy river" which is being constructed in the park, but nothing is said of the six months of meetings with the community about body contact in the lake, which resulted in a recommendation of having a pool for recreation. Nothing is said of the fact that Casitas went through several environmental reviews, with all studies finding no significant impacts. Nothing is said about Casitas receiving approximately 300 signatures favoring the construction of a lazy river vs. a few voices opposing it. Nothing is said about the jobs the facility provides to the youth of the valley.

Moving to the accusations about finance, Casitas reduced staffing by 30 percent over the last 14 years, and built a water treatment plant at one-third of the cost of any other built in Ventura County, saving customers tens of millions of dollars. When water customers requested that recreational services be supported by water customers, Casitas balanced revenues and costs in the recreation operation by making it a self-sustaining business.

Casitas was also criticized for having funds in the bank. Apparently no investigation was done to determine that Casitas has committed $2 million to provide its local share for the fish passage facility, has committed up to $2 million to replace 50-year-old pumps, has reserved $1 million for storm damage, and set aside $1 million for variations of water sales so that when it rains and the district does not sell enough water, Casitas does not have to come to the customers for rate increases. And Casitas has placed funds in reserve for capital projects and bond indebtedness as required by law.

Casitas is accused of losing grants because of delays in building the fish ladder. The simple fact is that Casitas had the fish ladder fully engineered and funded years ago, and has worked diligently to obtain a balanced solution that met the needs of fish, recreation and water customers.

Casitas believes that people will do what is right when they receive adequate and accurate information. Our lean staff does not include a communication specialist. Yet we are criticized for hiring a consultant to bring this important topic to the public at meetings, talks and mailings, so that everyone understands the issues. Casitas described the impacts of the fish ladder requirements, but also proposed a number of solutions in its recent newsletter that include increased water conservation, new water sources, and reallocating water supply to current customers.

Most importantly, Casitas will continue to balance the needs of all its constituencies. The district recently received the final mandates of NOAA Fisheries and will move ahead promptly to secure permits, reapply for grants and build the facility as rapidly as possible. We are also preparing to hire a full-time conservation coordinator, and explore new water sources. Of course, all these activities will have cost and water supply impacts, which we will seek to balance. As these projects unfold, we will continue to keep you, our customers informed. We believe that the facts speak for themselves.
John J. Johnson is the general manager of Casitas Municipal Water District.

Mother's Day
Bret Bradigan, OVN publisher

The final few months of my mother's life were miserable. She died far from the home and most of the people she knew and loved, and her ailments robbed her of any joy. It makes you wonder if St. Thomas Aquinas' was right when he said that pleasure is merely the absence of pain.

Her pain still echoes to this day in my own life. I feel it in the awareness that I lacked the character to do more to make her suffering less, the twinges of guilt shadowing my own moments of happiness. It is hard work, sometimes, doing the right thing, because we never know what that right thing is until the moment is passed.
My mother was a bit of a southern belle, not used to hard work or making decisions. My father cured that. They had six children over an 18-yearperiod, evenly split between boys and girls. He was from a long line of farmers, and considered his large brood as a ready supply of cheap labor. My mother's genteel nature never stood a chance, when the boys all tromped in snow and mud and blood from the wild game they'd shot, and the girls, tomboys all, tossed overflowed laundry baskets with their sports uniforms stained with grass and ground-in blood.

Her complaints about her station didn't go unvoiced. But they were said with a rueful resignation. She knew this was the path she had chosen, and made the most of it. As soon as my sister and I made it into kindergarten, she began working as a secretary of a radio station, and eventually became a part owner and star on-air talent. As a broadcaster and native of the bluegrass state, her honey contralto was much smoother than listeners in our countrified corner of New York state were used to. She was a well-known local figure, organizing sports banquets where many of my heroes of the diamond, hardwood and gridiron would come and do their off-season, rubber-chicken circuit speaking engagements. Men like Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Bob McAdoo, Wilt Chamberlain and Jack Kemp would rub my head and sign my autograph book. And it was due to my mother that these youthful dreams would come true.

It appears to me now that my father's hardscrabble ways made my mother tougher and more capable. My mother's sense of hope and innocence may have been a casualty of those cold winters and ceaseless chores, however. But she did make a name for herself carving out a career separate from wife and mother, in an age when that was much more rare than it is now. I remember the great awe I felt when my third-grade class toured the radio station and my mother was introduced to the crowd. The cacophony of whispers and elbow-jostling stilled to an reverent hush, and I beamed with the warm flush of filial pride.
That was a far cry from my reaction when I'd heard she died. It was relief, mixed with remorse. She'd had a hard go those last few months; kidney failure and three-times-a-week dialysis had robbed her of her legendary vibrancy.

She died on a Monday morning, just six days away from Mother's Day. My wife and I had spent a few moments that weekend going through pictures of the kids to send her a photo album as a gift, and I was preparing to mail it during my lunch hour when I got the word from my brother. This stoic Special Forces Ranger and Bronze Star winner was blubbering, and soon so was I. All those letters I wrote I never sent. All those things I said I never meant.

So on this Mother's Day, I encourage all sons and daughters whose mothers grace them with their presence to reflect on their good fortune. Use these moments to make memories of joy and happiness. Take my word for it, you'll be glad you did.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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