July 16, 2025 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – Please SHARE on FACEBOOK – Ridgecrest City Council Meeting – See below!

We encourage community members to attend the upcoming Ridgecrest City Council meeting and provide public comment on ongoing water issues. The City’s involvement in recent state water legislation without complete transparency remains a serious concern.

Searles Valley Minerals · 13200 Main St · Trona, CA 93562-1915 · USA

: Begin Public Comment

There’s no doubt that the City Manager of Ridgecrest thinks the people that live in the Indian Wells Valley are stupid. Last week, Ron Strand sent an “Op-Ed” to the Daily Independent essentially saying that the people who live in Inyokern and have wells should’ve been paying attention a few years ago and today their water rights are under threat.

He says that “if you live on acreage and rely on a private well in the Indian Wells Valley, your water rights may be under threat, and most don’t realize it.”

Maybe Ron Strand doesn’t realize that he’s lying to you. How many times does he have to be told that your water rights are not under threat. The only thing that’s under threat is how much of your water you can use for whatever purpose you want without paying a hefty fee to the Groundwater Authority.

If anything, deminimus well owners have nothing to worry about, as long as the City and the Groundwater Authority don’t try to force you into submission with well registration and monitoring of your well’s pumping volume.

And don’t think they won’t try once they get done pushing an unnecessary $400 million pipeline down the throats of everyone in the Indian Wells Valley, just so they can build more houses and hamburger fast food operations. The city wants more growth and wants to annex land on Highway 395, and they want to collect more sales taxes and hire more police officers and issue more citations for any reason under the sun. Ron calls it grabbing more sales taxes.

Ron Strand says that “Private well owners have spent thousands to drill and maintain their own supply. These self-reliant individuals now face a serious risk to that independence.”

Can you believe that? Who on earth thinks Ron Strand gives a damn about self-reliant individuals facing a risk to their independence. The only risk to your independence occurs when you drive into the City of Ridgecrest where you’re watched 24 hours a day by cameras reading your license plates.

Ron Strand doesn’t realize that the small property owners with their small wells don’t want to have anything to do with the City of Ridgecrest. Who wants to be tracked by License Plate Readers or pulled over for the slightest of infractions by the Ridgecrest Police Department? I don’t, and neither does anyone else. Ron Strand will tell you he’s keeping you safe.

I didn’t read Ron Strands entire Op-Ed. These comments cover only his first two paragraphs. Good bye for now and good luck to the Indian Wells Valley. Someday soon, you’ll be able to say goodbye to Ron Strand. That day can’t come soon enough.

: End Public Comment

For more information on the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority and the City of Ridgecrest’s actions please see our previous Posts on Roadrunner395.com here: