A new front in the legal war over Arrowhead bottled water’s access to natural springs in the San Bernardino Mountains has opened up, reports the Los Angeles Times.
While previous legal wrangling has sought to answer the question of whether Arrowhead parent company BlueTriton Brands is legally allowed to use water from the springs — bottled water has been taken from the creek and sold since 1906 — environmental activists are now petitioning the state to say the company’s use of water is hurting wildlife.
According to Rachel Doughty, lawyer for the environmental nonprofit Story of Stuff Project, BlueTriton has “dewatered” Strawberry Creek.
Doughty explained to the Times that if the company weren’t siphoning water in its network of pipes, Strawberry Creek “would be habitat for endangered species, it would be providing a downstream water supply, it would support fish, and it can’t do any of those things without water.”
In an email to the Times, BlueTriton Brands said the company will “partner with people in our communities, governments, policy makers, businesses, and consumers to sustainably protect and shape our shared future.”
“Responsible and proactive water stewardship is central to everything we do,” the company said. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done and continue to do in Strawberry Canyon, studying, reporting, and managing our operations to help protect the land and natural resources. We will continue to operate in compliance with all state and federal laws.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is evaluating the activists’ petition.