Water Use

So once again, another inept member of the Clinton administration basks in the glory of concocting a dramatic solution for which there is no problem (“Imperial Valley Told to Cut Its Water Use,” Dec. 19), thereby reminding us of its uncompromising commitment to style over substance.

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt selected a non-winner of Colorado River water. The real losers will be, as usual, the taxpayers: the people who live in California and Arizona who rightfully expect public officials like Babbitt to worry a lot more about the supply of water and a bit less about the control of its consumption. What we need is a massive William Jefferson Clinton desalinization plant just offshore from [Clinton friend] Harry Thomason’s pad in Santa Barbara. That would be a real bridge to the 21st century!

God help us. Viva El Nino!

RICHARD KECK

Monrovia

*

Contrary to your Dec. 22 editorial, several meetings are scheduled between the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority to discuss details of a water-wheeling agreement. In addition, Metropolitan has request- ed a negotiating session at the beginning of the new year.

We agree that the proposed San Diego-Imperial Irrigation District water transfer via Metropolitan’s Colorado River Aqueduct and regional distribution system holds numerous benefits for the Southland, the state and the West.

However, your call for an agreement posthaste, and not to “founder on the details,” is preposterous and potentially threatening to the region. What you lightly dismiss as “renting of space in the aqueduct” is more aptly described as dedicating one-third of aqueduct capacity for San Diego’s sole benefit, and at everyone else’s expense.

We happen to believe the details of this water-transfer agreement could have significant economic and water-supply impacts on the 14 million people in the five other counties that we serve. Babbitt’s speech on Colorado River issues added new complexities to the negotiations.

JOHN R. WODRASKA

General Manager, MWD