Dear Readers,
Every year when I decide to put pen to paper, it is usually difficult trying to decide where to begin. However, this year it’s very simple, we begin with the 2025 fires of Pacific Palisades and Eaton (Altadena & Pasadena). The devastation those fires wrought were inexplicable and the lives lost tragic and regrettable. How do we begin to heal from those wounds? Who is to blame? What information out there is fact based and which are alternative facts? Still so many questions.
For our part, this Water Committee extended our hands to the water agencies while things were still chaotic, offering them a place to post the latest notices, submit articles and tell their story. We offered introductions to the founders of the Watch Duty App, as a place to house notices as it was the most trusted source used during the fires. It was where the public got their information from.
For the rest of they year, we worked with LA County Public Works Small-At-Risk Water Systems and the Nature Based Solutions Task Forces. We do this to have a seat at the table when decisions are being made. Comments were also solicited and submitted to participate in California’s 5th Climate Change Assessment for LA County. These submissions are being reviewed and revised as we speak, and will be released this summer.
We continued to work to debunk Cadiz Inc and their plans to export the water from the Mojave Desert to neighboring counties, claiming to be a ground water basin manager. The fight is taking place within the San Gorgonio Chapter and we are their willing partners in this fight, to stop this travesty from happening. We have helped with our experience on setting up a good ground game, showing up at meetings, making comments and lending our expertise to the Save Our Springs Coalition.
When it comes to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta we continue the two decades long fight to stop the tunnel project now called the Delta Conveyance Project. We’ve had many obstacles thrown our way from the Trump Administration and Newsom, but we were still able to add a few wins in court and out. We continue to remain vigilant.
We took on a few new projects, opposing the San Pasqual Park project and adding a water voice to Sierra Club’s 30 x 30 campaign. We continued to support Pure Water projects as it helps diversify our agencies from imported water, helps us create local jobs while having a drought proof resilient water supply that is locally sourced.
We would be remiss if we didn’t say a Thank you and goodbye to Chuck Gooley, who had been with this Water Committee from its inception. We lost Chuck last year. We also want to wish a happy retirement to Dr. C. Tom Williams, wo helped catapult this committee into the stratosphere, with his zeal and technical knowledge. Dr. Tom helped this Water Committee comment on so many projects through the years, I’m not sure we can keep track. We shall miss their input and we thank their families for sharing Chuck and Tom with us.
As we look towards what 2026 has to offer, we hope that we are able to continue our work on our many campaigns and we invite you to join us on our journey at: https://socalwatersierraclub.
In Solidarity,
Charming Evelyn
Chair of the Angeles Chapter Water Committee