WATER IN THE MORONGO BASIN

In general, water pumped from private and public wells in the Morongo Basin flows underground from the eastern slopes of the San Bernardino mountains to lower elevations. Along the way it backs up behind natural barriers, such as faults, creating water-saturated-sand aquifers. Water from higher aquifers spills into lower aquifers. For instance, Pipes Canyon water spills into several cups or aquifers on its way to it's final destination, the Surprise Springs aquifer on the Marine Base.

What do the public purveyors of water know about the aquifers they are drawing from, what rules do they make as to how their customers use water to insure that the aquifer is conserved, how are they insuring that the aquifers will not become contaminated are questions we need to consider in order to make informed decisions about water use in the Morongo Basin.

Mojave Desert water is currently being pumped from deep water wells at a greater rate than it is naturally being replenished. This condition has existed for decades. Even when studies are done and records kept, it’s extremely difficult for geologists and hydrologists to make finite judgments about the amount of retrievable water that exists in an aquifer. This allows for a range of estimates and opinions that often depend on whose agenda the opinion is intended to support.

Warren Basin, which is the aquifer beneath Yucca Valley, reached a state of critical overdraft in the 1980s and is currently being recharged with imported water from the State Water Project, which brings water from the Feather River in Northern California. It seems inevitable that continued growth will see the necessity for imported water to Joshua Tree. This is not something any of us will be able to stop, but we can help make the rules about the “best use” of water for the preservation of our desert communities.

By definition a desert is a land of little water. Part of preserving the desert is to preserve its dryness or arid condition and the natural supply of ground water beneath it.