Mesa del committee meets with Walker, ACC

Photos by Jim Keyworth
Top: Members of the Mesa del Caballo Water Committee are (from left) Randy Norman, Irene Schwartzbauer and Ed Schwebel.
Bottom: Designated Hot Dog Ladies at Mesa del's Make a Difference Day on Oct. 24 were Jeanne Schoonover, Roxanne Anderson and Judith Barker.

By Ed Schwebel
Mesa del Caballo Water Committee

(Editor’s note: Ed Schwebel is a member of the Mesa del Caballo Water Committee, along with Randy Norman and Irene Schwartzbauer. The committee is working with Brooke Utilities to try and resolve the community’s chronic water shortages. It is also working to promote water conservation through education. This is Ed’s latest report to the citizens of Mesa del.  In addition to the events he discusses below, the committee also held a rainwater harvesting workshop featuring Gazette Columnist Bruce Wales.)

Over the past couple of weeks, the Mesa del Caballo Water Committee met with Buzz Walker, head of the Town of Payson's Water Department, and also with four staff members of the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). A reasonably accurate account of our meeting with the ACC can be found at http://rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com/search/label/LOCAL%20NEWS.

Basically, we established working relationships with both. We did remind Buzz that we had a keen interest in him keeping the C.C. Cragin/Blue Ridge reservoir project on schedule.

We also have had two phone meetings with Bob Hardcastle, president of Brooke Utilities, over the past month. Brooke expects to sign an agreement for a hydrology study (in Mesa del) by the end of October. The results of the study will determine if, where, and when supplemental wells can be drilled. Brooke Utilities is also actively seeking water rights from SRP. (If it doesn’t, we will have to form a water district.) This is a 12-18 month process. Brooke is working with Payson to secure taps on the pipeline for all the communities potentially affected by the C.C. Cragin project.

Our Make A Difference Day cleanup and party was a success. Over 40 people showed up. We thank everyone who participated.

If you are not a member of the El Caballo Club/Mesa del Community Center, we encourage you to join. It is only $35/year. Please contact Irene Schwartzbauer at 474-3660 to join or for more information. We want to ensure the future of the playground/park and the clubhouse.