Montara Water and Sanitary District’s newest well may produce enough water to make up for the District’s deficit of 150 to 180 gallons per minute, according to the County Times.  The deficit is the gap between the district’s current production and the peak and emergency needs of its existing customers. By law, until the district covers its deficit, it cannot serve people who are on wells. But the new well is an important step in that direction.

District board member Kathryn Slater-Carter said that all new homes in the area would be required to switch over to public water as soon as it became available to them.

She said she hoped that would happen soon, but she wasn’t optimistic — the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, which oversees the unincorporated area’s Local Coastal Plan, had already decided to give affordable housing projects, flower farms and recreation areas first crack at the water. She said that the board of directors was appealing the decision.

According to MWSD president Scott Boyd, MWSD is asking the supervisors to include failed wells as a priority in the LCP update.

Scott says, “The numbers for the actual deficit vary a lot during the course of the year and the course of the week.  The numbers in the article are considerably lower than the numbers we’ve been working with, more like 200-240.  And that’s not so simple because any time a well fails or has to be taken offline for any reason, we have to deal with quantum jumps in the deficit, so scheduling of repairs requires careful planning.”

MWSD reported the new well to the community in its spring newsletter.

The whale carcass that fouled the Poplar Street beach in Half Moon Bay is drifting back to the beach after the attempt to tow it way failed, reports the Mercury News. Shark researchers have sawed off 100 pound of blubber for shark bait. Another attempt may be made to haul it away, but not before Tuesday.

For now, the whale awaits its fate while rolling and flopping in the surf and drifting generally northward, Van Sommeran said.

“At this point, it’s all ragged and flattened out,’’ he said Sunday.

So, you’ve got a dead what on your beach. What now? On November 12, 1970, a dead sperm whale was rotting on a beach in southern Oregon. The Oregon highway department decided that the best way to dispose of a dead whale was the same way they’d deal with an immovable boulder--with explosives.

There is a website with dramatic footage of the big day and a Dave Barry column about the event. From the column:

So they moved the spectators back up the beach, put a half-ton of dynamite next to the whale and set it off. I am probably not guilty of understatement when I say that what follows, on the videotape, is the most wonderful event in the history of the universe. First you see the whale carcass disappear in a huge blast of smoke and flame. Then you hear the happy spectators shouting “Yayy!” and “Whee!” Then, suddenly, the crowd’s tone changes. You hear a new sound like “splud.” You hear a woman’s voice shouting “Here come pieces of… MY GOD!” Something smears the camera lens.

The State Parks folks recommend staying away from the dead whale in Half Moon Bay. That’s good advice. Last year, according to the same site, “A dead 56-foot sperm whale exploded while being transported through a Taiwanese city. Buildings, vehicles, and people were showered with blood and entrails. The explosion was caused by the build-up of gases brought on by decomposition.”

The Coastal Commission approved a plan by the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) to build an access trail to the beach at Whaler’s Cove, according to a great story from the Daily Journal. The appeal by San Gregorio rancher Ron Sturgeon was denied.

The Coastal Commission approved plans for four hiking trails, a seating area, an informational kiosk and an overlook to Whaler’s Cove just north of Pigeon Point Light Station.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service released its estimate of the economic impact of designating 35 spots on the Pacific coast as critical habitat for the western snowy plover [PDF of report, Press release , FAQ ]. One designated area is Half Moon Bay State Beach, north of Kelly Ave.

The proposal is in response to a lawsuit filed by the Coos County Board of County Commissioners. Today’s action re-opens a 30-day comment period on the proposed rule.

It will be the responsibility of the California Department of Parks and Recreation to determine the impact this designation will have on recreation.

The report estimates the loss over the next 20 years to be between $273 million and $645 million, mostly due to beach recreation losses. Other losses may be due to plover management and in impacts to real estate development, military base operations and gravel extraction. Over three-quarters of the projected impact occurs in Monterey Bay, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay and Coronado’s Silver Strand.

How to comment:

1. Submit written comments and information to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, California 95825.

2. Hand deliver written comments to the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, at the address above.

3. Submit comments by e-mail to

NOTE: This story has been modified significantly from its original version. I spent some time talking to Jack Olsen from the Farm Bureau and have updated it to reflect some of his concerns.

Coastside farmers are not at all convinced that they want or need recycled water, according to the County Times.

I talked with Jack Olsen, of the San Mateo County Farm Bureau, who’s quoted in the story. He feels it doesn’t properly present farmers’ interest in recycled water, saying “We’re very open to looking at it if it’s safe, reliable, and affordable.”

That could be a tough challenge for recycled water to meet.  The County Times cites Olsen in saying that recycled water could cost $300 or $400 a month compared to $90-$100 for the electricity needed to operate a pump.

The story also quotes farmers concerned that no one will want to eat produce grown with “sewer water”, no matter how many times it’s treated. However, it doesn’t cite any evidence that consumers would have concerns about the source of the water.

The one farmer who was quoted as enthusiastic about recycled water was Coastside County Water District board member John Muller. In our conversation, Olsen named a number of other large Coastside farmers who are supportive of recycled water.

The story also notes a dispute over the effect of pumping on Pilarcitos Creek. Half Moon Bay City Council member David Gorn is quoted as saying that the pumping is depleting the creek. I know of other people who have looked into the problem and are convinced the evidence shows that pumping, particularly by the Half Moon Bay Golf Links, is a big problem for the Creek. Olsen’s not so sure, noting that creek is complex system with multiple dams manipulating its flow and the Pillar Point breakwater affecting its mouth, and that agriculture in the Pilarcitos watershed is down significantly from past levels.

A whale washed ashore late Saturday night or early Sunday morning on Half Moon Bay State Beach at Poplar Street. The whale, tentatively identified as a humpback, had been seen floating off the coast on Saturday, according to ranger Nell Lyons.

The Senate passed a bill that would add 4,500 acres-- including Rancho Corral de Tierra surrounding Moss Beach and Montara— to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  The Peninsula Open Space Trust bought the property save it from development and has agreed to sell it for half what they paid for it.

The House of Representatives must now pass a similar bill by Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, before they can be signed.

We’ll be running more information on Coastal Cleanup Day as the day approaches, but right now I just wanted an excuse to run this graphic. From the press release:

Coastal Cleanup Day is the highlight of the California Coastal Commission’s year ‘round Adopt-A-Beach program and takes place every year on the third Saturday of September, from 9 a.m. to Noon. In 2005, that day falls on September 17.

Coming at the end of the summer beach season and right near the start of the school year, Coastal Cleanup Day is the kick-off event for Coastweeks—three weeks of coastal and water-related events for the whole family.

Opposition from neighboring farmers is holding up the building of coastal trails on State Parks property at Whaler’s Cove, near Pigeon Point Lighthouse, according to the Examiner.

The Peninsula Open Space Trust bought the land for $2.6 million in 2000 from a hotel developer.  After tearing down the partially-built hotel, they gave the land to the state Parks Department with the agreement that POST would build four trails, including one to the beach.

The construction of the trails has been held up by neighboring farmers who are concerned that public access could mean exposure to chemicals for hikers, trespass, and theft of produce.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has given farmers and conservationists 90 days to come to agreement. But that could be appealed to the Coastal Commission.