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Baja California needs water to sustain economic development

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

  October 30, 2007

 

 

Baja California needs water to sustain economic development

By Patrick Osio

 

A few years back, a real estate consultant friend sent me a master plan for a Baja north coast development for which he was considering doing some work. Accompanying the plan was a note asking to please review and share my observations. The master plan looked first class, but there was one significant omission – so I sent back the plan with a note simply asking one question – “Where is the water?” I never heard back.

 

A couple of years later attending a real estate investment conference, which included exhibition booth spaces of various Baja developments, there was one in particular for the Baja north coast. It touted great homes and condos, a hospital that would be administered by a US hospital and even a medical school that would be academically tied to a US university medical school and best of all it seemed they had an answer for the “where is the water” question.

 

Their master plan rendering showed a water reservoir of several hundred acres in size within their property. So in this case the question asked to the marketing director who was present, “Where is the water for the reservoir coming from?”

 

The answer was a lulu, “The Mexican government has approved and allocated the funds for a major desalinization plant. There will be a plant near the shore, and the water then pumped into the reservoir at the rate of several million gallons a day. We have first call on it since it’s our land” was the answer in words to that effect.

 

That the Mexican government of those days would do such a thing in private property would not be surprising if the owners of the land were relatives of the president or of the state governor or some other very big government officials. But, for an unknown US real estate developer? Not very likely.  Fortunately would be buyers didn’t fall for the pitch and the developer retreated in due course.

 

Baja California like California is mostly desert from which cities were carved out. Both have played Russian roulette with water sources and supplies. But Baja is the poor cousin and its rich cousin does long range planning and has first dibs on supplies from common source – the Colorado River. Other than that, Baja mostly depends on rain, and that is very spotty as is the present experience.

 

Lack of funds plays an important role in what can or cannot be done so as long as it is not an immediate problem, typically the Baja administration in power ignores the issue. Since the last major rainfall of 2004-2005 filled the (real) reservoirs and underground water tables, coupled with a dependable supply of Colorado River water piped from Mexicali to the Pacific Coast, not much thought has been given to solving the looming water shortage.

 

The time to continue ignoring the problem has come to an end – that is if Baja is to continue its economic growth and be a first rate player in meeting vacation and retirement housing for the burgeoning Baby Boomers.

 

Like most issues, there are both good and bad news. The bad news is 1. that since 2005 there has been no significant amount of rain replenishing what is used and needed and periods of draughts are more common than non-draught periods; and 2. the US has won, due to lack of action from the outgoing Baja California governor’s office, the right to cement the American Canal that will deprive the seepage of Colorado River water from entering the water tables that run into the Mexicali valley historically providing a significant percentage of their agricultural irrigation and residential needs. This will set off a fight to lower the amount of water transferred to the Pacific Coast in turn affecting the Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada municipalities.

 

There are multiple dynamics to the good news. In my opinion, awareness of the problem and commitment to long term solutions being the most important dynamics that will bring about the solutions.

 

The Baja north coast real estate boom giving birth to 67 projects with over 18,000 units in various stages of planning or construction has brought together unprecedented unity and cooperation between the various developers both from the US and Mexico that as one voice are carrying their message for immediate action to the incoming administrations of the various levels of government in the state.

 

A number of the developments have gone as far as contracting for desalinization and water reclamation and treatment services for their individual projects. The state of the art in use today for desalinization and water treatment makes it possible and affordable. According to Vince Chiofalo, a chemist and water systems design engineer and a principal with Acuario Mercantil, active in the zone, depending on the size of the project for both potable water and sewage treatment will cost about $1,250-$2,500USD per home or condo.

 

This is well within affordable parameters that insure the continued long term progress of the Baja Boom. Hopefully, however, this remedy will not be used by the incoming administrations as an excuse to once again ignore the overall problem as there is a growing population outside resort enclaves needing long term solutions to their water needs.

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 Patrick Osio, Jr is the editor of HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com).  Contact at: PosioJr@hispanicvista.com

(The opinions expressed by Patrick Osio, Jr. are solely his and do not necessarily reflect those of HispanicVista.com, editorial board of advisors or it’s contributing writers.)

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

The manual is available through Electronic delivery for $9.95 making it possible to download the manual for save on your hard drive, printing its entirety or particular sections while reaping considerable savings over printed copies.