Cahuilla Reservations Views on California Water Drought (Research Paper Sample)

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CAHUILLA RESERVATION'S VIEWS ON CALIFORNIA WATER DROUGHT
According to archeological research, Cahuilla community has resided in the Coachella Valley of Southern California for about 500 years. Caliente Reservation was established by the US government to supplement the wells, springs and streams that Cahuilla community depended on due to scarce rainfall in the region. The community believed that the water table used to be comparatively closer to the surface of the earth since they were able to access it by simply digging shallow walk in wells to get water for their domestic use.
Integrated water management refers to a management strategy that involves the use of cross-agency as well as the cross-disciplinary approach in order to monitor the ground water resources. In their efforts to manage the ground water resources and end water scarcity due to persistent drought cycles, the Cahuilla filed a suit against the Coachella Valley Water District and the Desert Water Agency CITATION Ste151 \l 2057 (Quesenberry, Seward and Bailey). By doing so the community believed that they would stop the decline in the water levels, and stumps out the pollution in the ground water especially beneath the 12,000ha reservation. The complaint raised by Cahuilla showed their willingness and motivation to pursue their rights to water via legal means. The move is believed to have been motivated by an aspiration to improve distribution of ground water, due to inadequacy in authority by both local and state officials in stemming out discrimination in water supply CITATION Red13 \l 2057 (Hiza, Bemis and Chief).
In the lawsuit, the Cahuilla Indians wanted the management of water within the valley proximity to be tribal based, so that both quality and quantity could be upheld CITATION Ste151 \l 2057 (Quesenberry, Seward and Bailey). The claim raised here explained that the federal reserved rights bestowed upon them by the Supreme Court in 1908 during the Winters Doctrine would always remain to be valid. However, other government authorities were against this idea as they argued that culture and ancient ways of life are not agreement with long-term ways of managing health, and general management of the Coachella Valley water supply.
Cahuilla also believes that pollution in the ground water is a result of in cooperated streaming from the Colorado River, which raises the levels of salt in the water, while reducing the taste CITATION Ste151 \l 2057 (Quesenberry, Seward and Bailey). Furthermore Cahuilla Indians argue that the salinity levels have gone higher because of less effort put by the urgencies that have the responsibility to manage the pollution in the area. Streaming water from river Colorado is indeed saltier and impure due to lack of proper treatment. The rights of Cahuilla Indians entitle them to clean, pure underground water without any artificially added salts.
The other concern of Cahuilla is the quantity of ground water they ought to own based on historical background. Due to persistent droughts, most rural wells have gone dry in the recent past CITATION Red13 \l 2057 (Hiza, Bemis and Chief). The root cause of this was basically over pumping of water from wells by farmers after they had been allowed by the "inadequate authority" in regulation of ground water. Water and energy preservation efforts together with technologies aimed at saving water, according to Cahuilla should be in harmony with the changing natural environment. According to CITATION Ste151 \l 2057 (Quesenberry, Seward and Bailey), Cahuilla people living in the Coachella Valley will be the first group to feel the drastic effects of global warming if the Indian Groundwater Reservation is not properly implemented. The need for shared responsibility, coupled with Tribal inclusion, and setting up of consultations that are meaningful is of great importance CITATION Red13 \l 2057 (Hiza, Bemis and Chief)
The Cahuilla Indians are generally unhappy with the current management of underground water strategies. According to them, Coachella Valley, which was once vibrant has now run out of every bit of natural merit. Even the Coachella valley that was initially water made has become a barren desert, with only new exotic breeds of grasses, ol...