Letters
Continued groundwater abuse
Editor:
I have been reading the newspaper articles over the past 12 months regarding the potential of a water crisis here in the Green Valley area within possibly 10 years. Articles have further indicated there has been a serious groundwater overdraft during the past 5-7 years and the water table has gone down an average of 2-4 feet per year.
Having worked in the Kennecott copper mine in Bingham, Utah, for 40 plus years made me start to wonder where does Phelps Dodge-Sierrita mine get their groundwater.
I know that copper mines draw a lot of water from the ground and the water that they discharge after production is most always contaminated.
Here is what I found: Phelps-Dodge-Sierrita pumps from the Canoa Ranch area on the East side of I-19. They use grandfathered irrigation rights transferred to them when they bought water rights out in that area several decades ago.
After investigating and finally receiving information from the Department of Water Resources, this is how much water they have taken out of the ground since 1987 to the end of 2006 — 505,734 acre-feet or 164,363,550,000 gallons.
There has been no way to put back water to replace this other than rainwater or a small amount that trickles down the Santa Cruz River from Nogales. People, this is a huge cavity down there. It will only get worse each year due to the mine pumping 24/7.
Also, do I dare mention that there are about three golf courses out in that area that take about 600,000 gallons per day, per golf course.
I do not know about you, but reading that recent article about the Palm Springs golf courses sinking due to over-pumping of groundwater makes me wonder how soon is that whole area out around Canoa and Canoa Ranch going to begin to sink maybe up to 6-10 feet.
This would cause tremendous damage to house foundations, streets, not to mention all the utilities under the ground.
Who is going to pay for all of the damages, as our insurances will not pay for earth movement, unless we have earthquake insurance.
This copper mine could have changed over to CAP water in the 1990s. They were offered a CAP allocation, but forfeited it because it was cheaper to pump groundwater and they were protected under their water rights.
Do you think it is time that the mine buys CAP allotments?
The mine could hook up at Pima Mine Road, and begin to do the right neighborly thing for Green Valley. If they can contribute one million dollars to the proposed new hospital and $250,000 to the theater, the least they could do is help us save the community.
Bill Johnson, Retired copper mine employee and A resident of Green Valley since 2005
I have been reading the newspaper articles over the past 12 months regarding the potential of a water crisis here in the Green Valley area within possibly 10 years. Articles have further indicated there has been a serious groundwater overdraft during the past 5-7 years and the water table has gone down an average of 2-4 feet per year.
Having worked in the Kennecott copper mine in Bingham, Utah, for 40 plus years made me start to wonder where does Phelps Dodge-Sierrita mine get their groundwater.
I know that copper mines draw a lot of water from the ground and the water that they discharge after production is most always contaminated.
Here is what I found: Phelps-Dodge-Sierrita pumps from the Canoa Ranch area on the East side of I-19. They use grandfathered irrigation rights transferred to them when they bought water rights out in that area several decades ago.
After investigating and finally receiving information from the Department of Water Resources, this is how much water they have taken out of the ground since 1987 to the end of 2006 — 505,734 acre-feet or 164,363,550,000 gallons.
There has been no way to put back water to replace this other than rainwater or a small amount that trickles down the Santa Cruz River from Nogales. People, this is a huge cavity down there. It will only get worse each year due to the mine pumping 24/7.
Also, do I dare mention that there are about three golf courses out in that area that take about 600,000 gallons per day, per golf course.
I do not know about you, but reading that recent article about the Palm Springs golf courses sinking due to over-pumping of groundwater makes me wonder how soon is that whole area out around Canoa and Canoa Ranch going to begin to sink maybe up to 6-10 feet.
This would cause tremendous damage to house foundations, streets, not to mention all the utilities under the ground.
Who is going to pay for all of the damages, as our insurances will not pay for earth movement, unless we have earthquake insurance.
This copper mine could have changed over to CAP water in the 1990s. They were offered a CAP allocation, but forfeited it because it was cheaper to pump groundwater and they were protected under their water rights.
Do you think it is time that the mine buys CAP allotments?
The mine could hook up at Pima Mine Road, and begin to do the right neighborly thing for Green Valley. If they can contribute one million dollars to the proposed new hospital and $250,000 to the theater, the least they could do is help us save the community.
Bill Johnson, Retired copper mine employee and A resident of Green Valley since 2005
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