Beaughan Springs - main source of City of Weed's water
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water
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Weed and Mt. Shasta Water Issues Groundwater extraction for commercial bottling in Weed and Mt. Shasta has received major attention recently. California is in the midst of a major and continuing drought of severe proportions. Pristine gravity-fed groundwater enjoyed by the Weed residents for over 110 years is in question locally. A portion of the water coming from Beaughan Springs on Roseburg Forest Products land has been supplied to the City of Weed and more recently to Crystal Geyser for its bottled water. In 2016 a local citizens' group (Weed Area Water Alliance) ("WAWA") filed a Siskiyou Superior Court lawsuit against Roseburg and the City of Weed alleging violations of CEQA surrounding the new Water Lease Agreement and also unfair business competition. Roseburg has been selling Crystal Geyser Roxane water for over 20 years, one third of which is sent to Japan. Crystal Geyser has stated they want the City’s entire share of waters. The WAWA lawsuit complaint also claims the city owns its 2.0 cfs water rights based upon a recently discovered 1982 letter acknowledging the transfer of these rights from International Paper many years before Roseburg entered the picture and located at Weed. Meanwhile, the citizens of another group, Water for Citizens of Weed CA ("WCWC") in May, 2017 prevailed in convincing the City Council to support their request of the local Shasta and Scott Valley Watermaster District and the State Water Resources Control Board to investigate the city's water rights. Roseburg immediately filed a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation against the both the City of Weed and 9 local citizens. The Weed Nine, represented by an excellent legal team of James Wheaton and Paul Clifford of The First Amendment Project, won their first battle in court on December 7th. The SLAPP suit was dismissed and the citizens' first amendment rights to petition their government by inquiring about water rights was upheld in Siskiyou Superior Court ~once again with Judge Karen Dixon presiding. Roseburg lost this legal battle, but states that it is considering next steps. MT. SHASTA BOTTLING PLANT In Mount Shasta two citizen groups and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe filed an Appeal to the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors over the Planning Commission's November 2017 decision to accept a very flawed EIR on the Crystal Geyser Water Company plant. The Mount Shasta watershed has been the target of major international water bottling corporations since 1996 with Danone Waters followed by Coca Cola and now Crystal Geyser Water Company. On the south side of the mountain near McCloud, Nestle attempted unsuccessfully to place a huge straw into the volcanic aquifer providing water to both the Sacramento River and Shasta Lake (and south (omit)and to the Shasta River north of the mountain.) As usual, little attention has been paid to plastics pollution and impacts on groundwater. One wet year does not spell the end of drought. While many north Siskiyou County residents may not give credence to global warming, the south county residents are well aware of the writing on the wall. Convincing local jurisdictions that water bottling is a dead end resource extractive path is the ongoing challenge. As anticipated, the Appeal was denied on December 12th. Attorney Marsha Burch filed that Appeal representing the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, and W.A.T.E.R. (We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review) and the Gateway Neighborhood Association. If the City and Crystal Geyser are allowed to proceed with the bottling plant's operation, there would be clearly inadequate protections in the EIR for local wells and aquifers, air quality, traffic and local sewer infrastructure. These citizen groups will be looking into every means to continue to defend the many unresolved issues and work for a legitimate Final EIR. For more information, to make a donation, or to get involved contact: www.cawater.net |
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As background, we have learned that Weed's city's sewer system is described by experts as a “D minus” system at present and that even investing tens of millions of dollars would only bring it up to a D plus system. This is one of the reasons that the city erred in signing the very flawed and damaging Water Lease Agreement with Roseburg without environmental review. The City Council signed under duress in fear of having no water for the north part of the city, but the consequences could cost ratepayers dearly. Accepting the toxic industrial superfund site effluent and waste from Roseburg would stress the wastewater treatment system severely and also has potential to damage water quality of the aquifers adjacent to and downstream from the land north of the city where the water is used for irrigation. Roseburg is one of the major south county polluters and must be responsible for their toxic waste treatment. Ratepayers must not subsidize polluting. This is corporate welfare.
Agreeing to cut back their city water use and to totally wean the city from their historic use of the pristine Beaughan Springs water with no environmental review was also damaging and very costly to the citizens. Pristine gravity fed spring water's primary and highest use is for human consumption, not for spraying logs or to sell to Crystal Geyser Roxane for bottling for profit. It is the city's duty to fight for their water rights.
Here linked below is an article from ZeroHedge on the unconscionable profits of water bottling.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-07-29/280000-mark-water-look-inside-bottled-water-industry
Please join us in our efforts to protect the citizens of Weed, their water rights and the environment.