Growth Concerns Defeat a County Water Issue

Santa Barbara County, California, undertook a comprehensive study of local water resources development alternatives. The county then compared these alternatives with the state extending its aqueduct to the county as provided under the state-county contract. The issue of importing from the State Water Project had become both pressing and controversial, with the state pressing for a decision. Importation advocates urged an early enlightened county vote, citing an eventual need and rising costs. Importation opponents claimed importation would prove growth-inducing and, thus, environmentally damaging. An overview is given of the study results and some of the technical and socio-economic considerations that influenced the electorate to reject a –102,000,000 bond proposal that, if successful, would have permitted the importation.