Pubdate: Mon, 02 Jun 2014
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2014 Albuquerque Journal
Contact:  http://www.abqjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10
Author: Jason Dearen, The Associated Press
Page: A8

STUDY: MED POT FARMS DRAINING STREAMS DRY

Calif. County Votes to Ban Outdoor Farming

SAN FRANCISCO - Some drought-stricken rivers and streams in northern
California's coastal forests are being polluted and sucked dry by
water-guzzling medical marijuana farms, wildlife officials say - an
issue that has spurred at least one county to try to outlaw personal
grows.

State fish and wildlife officials say much of the marijuana being
grown in northern counties under the state's medical pot law is not
being used for legal, personal use, but for sale both in California
and states where pot is still illegal.

This demand is fueling backyard and larger-scale pot farming,
especially in remote Lake, Humboldt and Mendocino counties on the
densely forested North Coast, officials said.

"People are coming in, denuding the hillsides, damming the creeks and
mixing in fertilizers that are not allowed in the U.S. into our
watersheds," said Denise Rushing, a Lake County supervisor who
supports an ordinance essentially banning outdoor grows in populated
areas.

"When rains come, it flows downstream into the lake and our water
supply," she said.

Many affected waterways also contain endangered salmon, steelhead and
other creatures protected by state and federal law.

Wildlife biologists noticed streams running dry more often over the 18
years since the state passed Proposition 215, but weren't sure why.

"We knew people were diverting water for marijuana operations, but we
wanted to know exactly how much," said Scott Bauer, the department
biologist who studied the pot farms' effects on four watersheds. "We
didn't know they could consume all the water in a stream."

So Bauer turned to Google mapping technology and satellite data to
find out where the many gardens are, and how many plants each contained.

His study estimates that about 30,000 pot plants were being grown in
each river system - and he estimates that each plant uses about 6
gallons per day over marijuana's 150-day growing season. Some growers
and others argue the 6-gallon estimate is high, and that pot plants
can use far less water, depending on size.

He compared that information with government data on stream flows, and
visited 32 sites with other biologists to verify the mapping data. He
said most grow sites had posted notices identifying them as medical
pot farms.

Pot farm pollution has become such a problem in Lake County, south of
Bauer's study area, that officials voted unanimously last year to ban
outdoor grows.
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MAP posted-by: Matt