I sympathize with Bi-Zi Farms owner Bill Zimmerman and his family (“Ruling leaves farm dry,” The Columbian, Sept. 21). At the same time, I understand that the groundwater or aquifer belongs to everyone, not just one or some family or commercial farms. Potable water is a limited shared resource.
We need to learn from the recent experience of the states that draw water from the Colorado River. Drought conditions and overuse of groundwater created a near catastrophe of lowered water levels and reduced groundwater. The federal government had to step in to help negotiate between the seven states that draw from that resource. We don’t want anything like that to happen here, where we are blessed by abundant rains and snowmelt.
The rest of us have to pay for that water. If the groundwater goes too low, we all suffer the consequences of restrictions and higher costs, not just the farms. Remember that while we are blessed with abundant rain and snowmelt, it takes centuries for that water to replenish the aquifer. This should not be a “them” against “us” issue – we all share the water and are in this together.
