WATER AGENCY SUPPORTS L.A. IN NEWHALL RANCH SUIT; L.A. COUNTY BACKED IN NEWHALL RANCH SUIT.

Byline: Jason Takenouchi Staff Writer

When the Santa Clarita Valley's dominant water supplier, the Castaic Lake Water Agency, decided last month to enter the lawsuit over the 21,615-home Newhall Ranch project, CLWA officials said they would take a neutral stance, in line with agency policy.

But according to recent court filings, the agency's stance is far from neutral.

In a court request filed earlier this month, the public agency said it wants to file a legal brief that would be ``in support of'' the county of Los Angeles and its Board of Supervisors in the Newhall Ranch lawsuit. The county and The Newhall Land and Farming Company, Newhall Ranch's developer, are defending the project against a challenge by Ventura County, environmentalists, affordable housing advocates and others.

If Newhall Ranch is approved, the CLWA will be its main water source. The agency - sole wholesale provider of imported state water to the valley - also stands to gain upward of $170 million in connection fees, which Newhall Ranch builders would pay to hook into the valley water system.

But agency officials also have historically insisted that the CLWA is neither pro-growth nor anti-growth. Critics said the CLWA's request undermines such claims.

``If they're a neutral party, why are they entering into this at all?'' said Lynne Plambeck, a member of one of the environmental groups that is suing to halt Newhall Ranch.

CLWA board member Mike Kotch agreed.

``We're supposed to be a neutral agency as far as decisions on development are concerned,'' Kotch said. ``Why are we spending CLWA money to go through this?''

CLWA attorney Bob Clark insisted the agency's stance is still neutral, despite the wording of the request.

``Nothing has changed,'' he said. ``The application is in support of the county of Los Angeles, and we can and will be supporting them with a factual and neutral statement.''

If Kern County Superior Court Judge Roger D. Randall approves the CLWA's request, the public agency will file a ``friend of the court'' brief regarding Newhall Ranch's water supply. According to the CLWA's Nov. 3 request, the agency's brief will ``add to, and complement'' the county's position in the lawsuit.

The CLWA's request also said the agency has ``an interest in the outcome'' of the lawsuit, but it did not detail that interest.

Clark said the agency would use the brief to clear up misunderstandings about the availability of imported state water.

``Such a statement is in the public interest, and we think it would be helpful to the Superior Court,'' he said.

The CLWA request comes on the heels of Attorney General Bill Lockyer's successful attempt to file a ``friend of the court'' brief in the Newhall Ranch lawsuit. Lockyer sided with Ventura County and other Newhall Ranch opponents who claim the project's environmental impact report is flawed and the project itself would hurt area water supplies.

The CLWA's request will come before Judge Randall on Nov. 30.