In this semi-arid Mediterranean climate of southern California, water quality and quantity determine the suitability of development and growth of population and is the most important divining rod in a search for suburban utopia.

The impact of water issues are far-reaching, from the parceling out of acreage feet of water to beleaguered farmers to balancing Mother Nature’s forgetfulness to send adequate rainfall to keep a natural lake healthy.

Policymakers step in to maintain public infrastructure on an even keel and keep morning showers at full pressure, flowers blooming and seasonal creeks from overflowing onto an adjoining road after a sudden downpour.

But the question is, who will guard the guardians making those decisions that impact both people and the natural environment?

Enter the nonprofit water watchdog group Inland Empire Waterkeeper, based in Riverside. As a branch of the Orange County Coastkeeper – under the nationwide umbrella of Waterkeeper Alliance, headed by Robert. F. Kennedy, Jr. – the inland empire counterpart was formed in January 2005. They oversee the Santa Ana River watershed’s 2,600-square-mile main territory from San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties.

The river canvasses more than 100 miles before flowing into the Pacific Ocean at Huntington Beach, with hundreds of offshoot creeks and rivers such as the Temescal Canyon and Santiago Canyon creeks.

The Temescal creek traverses from Corona into Lake Elsinore and Santiago Canyon runs through the Cleveland National Forest in the Santa Ana Mountains overlooking the valley.

Inland Empire Waterkeeper associate director and waterkeeper Lee Reeder and programs director Autumn Miller-Dewoody explained in an interview that the organization does not view all development as inherently evil.

"In the Inland Empire, we as environmentalists can’t just say ‘we’re against it’ or ‘we don’t want it,’" says Reeder.

The buckshot-style to potential environmental threats is not their approach, they say. In fact, an Inland Empire edition of the Orange County Coastkeeper magazine put the spotlight on the innovative transformation of a depleted quarry operation. The area, developed by Ali Sahabi, is an attractive mixed-use master-planned community in Corona off the I-15 called Dos Lagos.

Waterkeeper, its parent organizations and projects are funded by grants, bonds and tax-deductible donations. Their aim, according to a brochure, is environmental advocacy, public education, restoration of natural habitat and enforcement of current laws on the books.

This mission consumes their efforts, whether they are fielding a call reporting a pollution violation or organizing a team of high-schoolers to clean up a riverbed. A team of lawyers, scientists, community leaders, business executives, engineers and other environmental activists are a phone call away, if needed.

"Our focus is on the watershed," says Dewoody. "From the mountains Advertisement

[ Berry-Bell and Hall Mortuary ] to Prado Dam, it’s just such a huge area. We’re really excited. It’s a huge opportunity in this community."

Recently a couple of blips appeared on the radar screen which they have been following closely.

A proposed plan to drill a multi-billion-dollar commuter tunnel through the Santa Ana Mountains to relieve traffic congestion between Riverside and Orange counties recently warranted a $6 million study and the drilling for core samples of soil and rock.

A few miles south, at the base of the Santa Ana Mountains, is the Lake Elsinore Advanced Pump Storage (LEAPS) project. It is estimated to cost $1 billion to build and $120 million a year to operate a hydroelectric power plant on the western shore of Lake Elsinore and construct a 30-mile transmission line along the ridge of the mountain range.

A mountaintop canyon will be flooded to become a manmade reservoir. Water will be pumped up the mountain from the lake and released down during peak hours to generate electricity.

Proponents of the idea, including applicant Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, say the project will generate funds to pay for lake stabilization improvements as well as generate an auxiliary source of electricity.

Waterkeeper says they try to stay one step ahead of the bulldozers and let science dictate their response. Their advocates collect water samples from many different waterways that may be impacted by development.

No samples have yet been collected from the Bedford Canyons region to compare water with pre- and post-development of the proposed tunnel, they say. The massive project has also attracted the attention of their sister organization in Orange County as the idea slowly works its way through the system.

On the other side, the grassroots opposition to the LEAPS project has been bubbling to a boil for the past 10 years. With the help of local residents, Waterkeeper has begun a petition-writing campaign against the project.

It’s not a NIMBY response, says Reeder when asked why they were against the project. Waterkeeper consists of advocates on the basis of water quality, he explained, and the effect on the environment and Lake Elsinore, based on a study by University of California at Riverside.

It also sets a bad precedent to allow power lines to be built in national forests and opens the door to further intrusions, Reeder said.

Reeder also mentioned that the ultimate impacts to the environment haven’t been fully studied. An environmental impact statement is anticipated in December 2008.

"We are going to make sure they do a very thorough study," he said.

For more information on Inland Empire Waterkeeper, call (951) 689-6842 or go to www.iewater

keeper.org.