The El Dorado Irrigation District is claiming “a major court victory” protecting its historic water rights from downstream users. If the ruling stands, it could affect a significant amount of increasingly sought-after water and water users. It´s an echo of the age-old fight between Northern California, which has much of the state´s water, and Southern California, which needs the water to nourish the bulk of the state´s population.
The irrigation district alleges the State Water Resources Control Board violated laws passed decades ago to protect the water supplies of northern Sierra Nevada counties from the demands of large water users in parched Southern California. A judge has ruled in the district´s favor, but the state may appeal.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 4:52 pm