Spring 2024
Update on the La Paz Proposed PDU
We have not heard anything about the status of the proposed PDU probably due to the elections that will occur on June 2nd. However, there has been an extremely active campaign to educate residents and politicians in La Paz. The campaign is called En Defensa de Todos Santos. Here is a link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556876064780.
Check it out and please consider following it and sharing it with your Spanish speaking friends.
For detailed information on the proposed PDU and a regional map with the proposed changes for your area visit our website at https://www.protecttodossantos.org/the-proposed-new-pdu
As we have previously stated, the proposed new plan does not meet the requirements of the General Law of Human Settlements which govern the development of PDU’s throughout the country and if it is passed, the community groups fighting it will file a lawsuit to void it. We will keep you updated as we receive any news.
Dune Protection Signs Installed
Ten dune protection signs were recently installed along the dunes in key locations in Las Tunas, San Sebastian and La Cachora. These educational signs point out the importance of dunes, that they are protected areas of conservation and that building, digging, and driving on them is not legal.
We are still awaiting a judge’s ruling on the Ogden lot on Vista Ballenas in Las Tunas where he started building in violation of a court injunction. Hopefully, the judge will require Ogden to tear down the construction and restore the dune.
Our Water Situation and How We Are Addressing It
As previously reported, we purchased aquifer monitoring equipment, and our resident hydrologist Dave Mehan has been taking inflow, outflow and salinity readings of the Todos Santos aquifer for the past few months. We are also in the process of finding wells where we can install monitors to record the aquifer levels on an ongoing basis. In addition, we are developing a database of the information collected that, when finished, will be posted on our website.
Water Crisis in Mexico City – We Have the Same Problems
It is estimated that by June 26th, six million people in Mexico City that are provided water by the Gutzamala Water System may no longer receive water due to the system dropping to 20% of capacity. It is a real tragedy since 27% of the City’s residents may be without water.
The reasons for the crisis in Mexico City are similar to our situation:
Out of control development,
Extracting twice the average annual water recharge from the aquifer,
Leaks in the distribution system causing 40% of the water to be wasted,
Government officials ignoring the problem, and
Lack of funds to address the problem.
Here is a link to an article on the crisis: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/25/climate/mexico-city-water-crisis-climate-intl/index.html
Update on Todos Santos Development and the Real Estate Market
We have heard from several sources that due to our actions against the building department officials who have issued permits that violated our PDU, they are being very careful to ensure that new permits comply with our current PDU. That said, most of what we have been stopping will become legal if La Paz’s proposed PDU is adopted and the lawsuit to void it fails so our important work continues.
Talking to real estate agents, it also appears the real estate market in Todos Santos is very soft and there is a lot of inventory, which we hope will slow development. There are several reasons for the slowdown including (1) high interest rates, (2) higher prices making properties unaffordable, (3) and the devaluation of the dollar since properties are sold in pesos. We can all agree that a slowdown in construction is good for Todos Santos, especially due to the water and power shortages we are experiencing.
Disturbing Report on the Degradation of the Todos Santos Oasis
A report titled Deterioration of the Todos Santos Oasis Due to Climate Change and Coastal Development was published in April of 2020. The authors are professors at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur. The full report is posted on our Reports and Documents page on our website. Here are some key takeaways:
The Todos Santos Oasis is one of the most important wetlands in Baja California Sur.
Oasis are complex and fragile ecosystems that depend mainly on freshwater inflows.
Water levels in the aquifer dropped an average of 3 feet per year from 2010 to 2017.
Satellite imagery shows the extension of the oasis has decreased by 51% over 17 years.
Development, poor management, and climate change are key factors in the deterioration.
A feasibility study should be performed to find locations for recharging dams.
Protect Todos Santos is hoping to utilize the modeling software and information collected during the study and work with the University’s Water Sciences Department to input the current flow and well monitoring data we are collecting in the field. We are also interested in seeing how the dramatic growth in extraction rates impact the data.
Protect Todos Santos has had a very successful 2 years since we were formed. We have over 500 members and have raised over $100,000 due to the generosity of our local community. If you have not done so already, we hope you will visit our website and make a one-time or sign up for a monthly donation. Every bit helps us achieve our goals. www.protecttodossantos.org
