One of the issues Village Farms brings to the forefront is the availability of water.
The water right of the Woodland Davis Clean Water Agency (WDCWA) is a “junior” permit not a “senior” permit. In “perfect” years it authorizes WDCWA to utilize UP TO 45,000 acre feet of water per year.
However, 45,000 almost never happens because very few years are absent any drought impacts. As a result, WDCWA’s surface water diversions are significantly limited during summer months and other dry periods.
During these times, to backfill what it isn’t allowed to divert, WDCWA utilizes up to 10,000 acre feet of water under a “senior” water right purchased from the Conaway Preservation Group.
However the 10,000 acre feet are significantly less than the number of acre feet that are not allowed to be diverted under the terms of WDCWA's "junior water right"
The City’s water production reports show the following percentages of surface water and well water:
January 98.4% surface 1.6% well
February 89.5% surface 10.5% well
March 97% surface 3% well
April 96.5% surface 3.5% well
May 93.1% surface 6.9% well
June 95.1% surface 4.9% well
July 91.1% surface 8.9% well
So far so good because of the availability of snow melt runoff. But …
August 67.6% surface 32.4% well
September 62.2% surface 37.8% well
October 62% surface 38% well
November 57.7% surface 42.3% well
December 62.6% surface 37.4% well
Bottom-line, our surface water rights are limited, and the added demand from Village Farms will increase the already problematic well percentages in August through December.
Current evidence of the degraded quality of the blended well and surface water appears in your daily teacup after you have drunk it down to empty. What is left behind is brown mineral scum deposited on the porcelain interior of your cup. Those are mineral contaminants from the well water. Surface water does not have those contaminants.
It is worth noting that for most of the City’s wells the mineral contaminants level is so high that the wastewater treatment plant would be in violation of state environmental standards if that well water were discharged directly into the Yolo Bypass.
In an everyone contributed equally world, new developments like Village Farms would bring “senior water rights” to WDCWA so that they are contributing surface water just like every other Davis residents are. They can get those senior water rights from Conaway Ranch just like WDCWA currently does.
As an outsider, just one comment: "Affordable Housing" listed as $400K to $500K, for 900 to 1200 sq. ft.: I knew home prices in CA were high, but that's ridiculous.
My little, but livable 1200 sq. ft. house on a 1/9 acre, zero lot line plot, cost me $61K in 1986 and was recently appraised for tax purposes at $199K. I think that's a little high, but I'm not challenging it, since with both homestead and over 65 exemptions my taxes aren't high at all, compared to what they were before I turned 65. Insurance is another story entirely.
As far as your election goes, I'd guess you'll have to decide how much you trust the developers and the city government.
The Yes article is more compelling. The author of the No article has opposed every proposed development in Davis and I suspect will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
It is false that I have opposed every proposed development in Davis. For example, I did not oppose WDAAC/Bretton Woods. But I suppose it is easier to criticize me than it is to address the facts and arguments in my article.
One of the issues Village Farms brings to the forefront is the availability of water.
The water right of the Woodland Davis Clean Water Agency (WDCWA) is a “junior” permit not a “senior” permit. In “perfect” years it authorizes WDCWA to utilize UP TO 45,000 acre feet of water per year.
However, 45,000 almost never happens because very few years are absent any drought impacts. As a result, WDCWA’s surface water diversions are significantly limited during summer months and other dry periods.
During these times, to backfill what it isn’t allowed to divert, WDCWA utilizes up to 10,000 acre feet of water under a “senior” water right purchased from the Conaway Preservation Group.
However the 10,000 acre feet are significantly less than the number of acre feet that are not allowed to be diverted under the terms of WDCWA's "junior water right"
The City’s water production reports show the following percentages of surface water and well water:
January 98.4% surface 1.6% well
February 89.5% surface 10.5% well
March 97% surface 3% well
April 96.5% surface 3.5% well
May 93.1% surface 6.9% well
June 95.1% surface 4.9% well
July 91.1% surface 8.9% well
So far so good because of the availability of snow melt runoff. But …
August 67.6% surface 32.4% well
September 62.2% surface 37.8% well
October 62% surface 38% well
November 57.7% surface 42.3% well
December 62.6% surface 37.4% well
Bottom-line, our surface water rights are limited, and the added demand from Village Farms will increase the already problematic well percentages in August through December.
Current evidence of the degraded quality of the blended well and surface water appears in your daily teacup after you have drunk it down to empty. What is left behind is brown mineral scum deposited on the porcelain interior of your cup. Those are mineral contaminants from the well water. Surface water does not have those contaminants.
It is worth noting that for most of the City’s wells the mineral contaminants level is so high that the wastewater treatment plant would be in violation of state environmental standards if that well water were discharged directly into the Yolo Bypass.
In an everyone contributed equally world, new developments like Village Farms would bring “senior water rights” to WDCWA so that they are contributing surface water just like every other Davis residents are. They can get those senior water rights from Conaway Ranch just like WDCWA currently does.
As an outsider, just one comment: "Affordable Housing" listed as $400K to $500K, for 900 to 1200 sq. ft.: I knew home prices in CA were high, but that's ridiculous.
My little, but livable 1200 sq. ft. house on a 1/9 acre, zero lot line plot, cost me $61K in 1986 and was recently appraised for tax purposes at $199K. I think that's a little high, but I'm not challenging it, since with both homestead and over 65 exemptions my taxes aren't high at all, compared to what they were before I turned 65. Insurance is another story entirely.
As far as your election goes, I'd guess you'll have to decide how much you trust the developers and the city government.
The Yes article is more compelling. The author of the No article has opposed every proposed development in Davis and I suspect will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
It is false that I have opposed every proposed development in Davis. For example, I did not oppose WDAAC/Bretton Woods. But I suppose it is easier to criticize me than it is to address the facts and arguments in my article.