Moving forward: the next step in community development
The water project has begun: the old creek channels are being restored and the Spring runoff is flowing into Venables Valley again. This in the first step in filling up the main lake. A road has been built at the base of White Mountain where the pipeline will be built. By bringing water to the agricultural fields, the abundant gifts of the land will be further realized. With this water, 300 acres will be available to farm, protect cows, create electricity, open more economic opportunities, attract more residents and allow the community to receive many more visitors for seminars, retreats and festivals.
You can make a contribution to this holistic village and play a permanent part in its development. Plans are being made for the restoration of the creek channel from White Mountain to Venables Valley lake. A dam will be re-built and a diversion would be trenched directing fresh water down the creek channel to the lake. After the water has been diverted from White Mountain towards Venables Valley lake, fresh water will gradually clean out and replenish the lake, acting as a reservoir for future irrigation needs. The next goal of this project will be to construct a pipeline and irrigation system. An 9 km pipeline will bring in fresh water to the valley.
The proposed physical water infrastructure would include a new water intake structure in the Upper Venables Creek. A flow gauging weir may be incorporated into the intake design. A 1 foot, or 300mm, diameter low pressure pipeline will convey water over a distance of 2.2 km along the old wooden flume route to a reservoir (water tank) on the upper portion of Lot 10. The aim of this large diameter pipeline is to capture the larger snow melt freshet flows during April, May and June each year in order to transport this water to the Venables Lake to re-establish this storage unit as an irrigation supply. An open flume would be used to convey this water the rest of the way to the lake.
Project Background: The project has been put forth by Saranagati Village Holdings Inc and the Venables Valley Producers Co-op. Funding will come from Valley residents, international devotees and government. The Venables Valley Water Resources Development and Irrigation Water Supply Feasibility Study was conducted during 2005/2006 to determine the location and viability of sustainable sources of surface and groundwater, which can be made available to the Valley to expand agricultural production from 15 to 250 acres. The water levels in the valley have decreased dramatically and now the water cannot be used for agriculture. The diversion and pipeline will bring forward the water needed to revitalize the land and community. Once the pipeline is in place a seed bank, nursery and soil improvement/compost center will be built. The Co-op will also value-add and market products grown in Venables Valley.
More info about the Pipeline and Irrigation Project Plans
