New windmills were also added. And although more windmills are planned, the Coachella Valley is poised to make a much bigger contribution to the state s power supply because there are four major natural gas power plants proposed here, including one fast-track power plant that could be built in Palm Springs by this summer. Although the state s severe power shortage has been getting all the attention, few resources are as precious as water in a desert environment. And the 1990s were no exception. Growth caused the aquifer to steadily drop during the decade, a trend that resulted in actual subsidence occurring in Palm Desert, Indian Wells and near La Quinta at the end of the decade.
Subsidence occurs when aquifers are so overpumped that the ground starts to sink.
During the decade the aquifer fell 23 feet in Palm Desert, eight feet in Cathedral City and seven feet in Indio. Water managers plugged away at securing water resources from outside of the valley to provide growth and recharge an aquifer that has been declining for more than 20 years. To that end, CVWD has negotiated a water agreement that would allow the district to secure enough Colorado River water to recharge the aquifer and provide for the continued strong growth projected for the valley. CVWD and the Desert Water Agency are working to secure additional water from the State Water Project and from a Los Angeles-area water district. Still, water conservation will play a large role in making sure there is enough water to go around during the next decade.