Defending Water Official Accused of Conflict

When the dust settles, the conflict-of-interest accusations against Jerry King, president of the Orange County Water District board, will prove unfounded. I know this because I have known Jerry for four years, and I’d be hard pressed to find a more honorable, altruistic man. He has spent countless hours working to represent the district’s interests.

What is more heart-rending is that he and the board are under attack because the majority of the board has [rejected] a proposal for a commercial dude ranch behind the Prado Dam on land owned by the water district. The proposed commercial enterprise on public lands is simply incompatible with the sensitive habitat and wetlands behind the dam. Those wetlands are critical to cleaning up water from the Santa Ana River before it gets to Orange County, thus saving millions of dollars.

The consultant for the enterprise is a well-connected Republican who’s going to make a lot of money if the project goes through. That’s only the beginning. If the attack on the board is successful, a proposal by the Wild Lands Conservancy may well fail. In addition, the water district holds other commercially attractive properties that may well be the focus of greedy cynics who believe that making a buck is more important than ensuring Orange County has a reliable source of clean water from the Santa Ana River.

Jan M. Flory

Director,

Orange County Water District