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  • From: Bunjov AT aol.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Homesteading on the beach?
  • Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 12:42:43 EST

I may have mentioned before...

Our really scary drop in groundwater level over the last 25-30 years has
been blamed on the (ever-decreasing number of) alfalfa farmers, and the (few
remaining) dairies, but is, in fact, the result of uncontrolled growth in
Victorville and Apple Valley, etc.

Major developers - before the recent 'bust' - were / are paying dearly for
the right to build all kinds of nasty sprawl, and the cities and county
agencies just ate it up.

Meantime, our community (Newberry Springs) - give-or-take 120 square miles -
has had folks potentially interested in buying / building turned off by the
fact that several years ago the water level was at way less than 100' and
now
is down to 500' or more, and so - even though the land is cheap enough, it
is way offset by the price of digging a new well.

Local water agency (based in Lawhontan - hundreds of miles away from our
desert - somewhere up near Lake Tahoe) made a big whoopteedoo back in 2005 of

installing a 'pipeline' which ended in a 5 acre detention pond not 2 miles
from
my front door.

Our whole community came out for a big celebration - and huge barbecue - to
honor those first few drops of water...

The pond was beautiful that first day, but within a week, all the water was
drained back down forty miles away to where 'the growth' is happening, and I
would venture to guess that all that lovely plumbing is now home to nothing
but dust and spiders.

The water that does flow freely, during / after major rainstorms, runs down
the bed of the Mojave and directly into Afton Canyon Recreation Area, guarded
by the BLM and Fish and Wildlife.

Since part of my property lies directly in the riverbed (on the
map..."subject to inundation") I have inquired of several engineers, etc. as
to the
viability of damming the flow to allow slow percolation back down into our
aquifer. I am informed that any 'manmade obstruction' more than 5' in height
must be
permitted by the California State Dams Commission (or some such).

My idea was to acquire - and lay down across the riverbed - some of the
K-Rail left over from the recent years' of upgrading of the I-15 between
Barstow
and Vegas. Much of this K-Rail has just been set off onto the
Cal-Trans-annexed property on the I-15 and the I-40, and - as far as I can
tell - it is up
for grabs. It is under 5' tall, and it would be on my own
property...thoughts,
anyone?

Another issue I've not finished investigating is 'instream water rights' -
the contention being that whatever water runs under your property
belongs...to
you. This has become the basis for a good many lawsuits now in court, mostly
on the Eastern seaboard.

I guess I haven't addressed here yet the original question of the thread -
just triggered my own little rant and lost focus! Sorry!

My comment would be...much - if not all - depends on the lay of the land.
There are all kinds of possible concepts here, from terracing (which worked
for
our ancestors) to the newer contraptions, like plastic sheeting arranged to
capture dew...

Sandy
Mid-Mojave










In a message dated 1/7/2009 8:20:11 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
erthnsky AT bellsouth.net writes:

Rainfall collection.

Robert Walton wrote:
> The main thing that people are mistaken about with Florida is the dry
> and rainy seasons. If you look at the temps in summer, they are not
> always that hot compared to inland. The humidity is the biggest
> problem. If you look at the winter temps, it seems like you could be
> growing a lot of garden crops. Problem is the lack of rain. Winter is
> the dry season.
>
> The biggest need is a way to get water to the garden or pasture in the
> winter. Being homestead minded, how do you get the water there without
> electricity is the issue to be addressed.
>
> Rob - Va
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--
"The world is my country, all mankind are my
brethren, and to do good is my religion."
Thomas Paine (1737 - 1809)
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