The election for the District 3 seat on the Coachella Valley Water District board could be pivotal for the agency’s future as a challenger works to unseat the current board president, potentially tilting the balance of power away from large agricultural landowners. Ed Muzik, general manager of the Hi-Desert Water District in Yucca Valley, has tried to unseat incumbent John Powell Jr., one of three farmers on the water board, with claims that he is the “non-conflicted” candidate in the race.