From The Sacramento Bee, in a commentary by Tim Johnson:
“How can it be, I asked myself, that the drought is so bad and
planning so nonexistent that there are serious thoughts of
eliminating all surface water for agriculture in the state? I was
numb.”
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in a commentary by Barbara
Barrigan-Parrilla:
“The outsize influence of delta water exporters can be seen in
the recent ‘drought relief’ action by state and federal
regulators, which undid with the stroke of a pen Endangered
Species Act protections for fisheries that were the result of a
decade-long legal challenge.”
“With California’s driest months ahead, Governor Edmund G.
Brown Jr. today [April 25] issued an executive order to
strengthen the state’s ability to manage water and habitat
effectively in drought conditions and called on all
Californians to redouble their efforts to conserve water.
“‘The driest months are still to come in California and extreme
drought conditions will get worse,’ said Governor Brown.
“A prolonged period of below-average rainfall has put the entire
state of California under some level of drought, ranging in
severity from moderate to exceptional, for the first time in 15
years.”
“Ah, spring. It’s a time for finding romance, for stretching your
legs in the sun, for rejoicing in whatever water has been spared
by the drought. Rats like to do those things, too.”
From the San Jose Mercury News, in a commentary by U.S. Sen.
Dianne Feinstein:
“In a Tuesday editorial, the Mercury News suggests the Emergency
Drought Relief Act is a product of lobbying by large agricultural
corporations. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in a commentary by Tom Evans:
“Water customers in Northern California have it in their power to
buffer themselves from future droughts. Historically, water
agencies in the region have operated independently.”
From the PPIC Viewpoints blog, in a post by Caitrin Chappelle and
Ellen Hanak:
“As the legislature considers the final size and shape of this
new bond, it is worth reviewing how bond funds have been used in
the past and the areas that most need bond support in the
future.”
“One fish, two fish, red fish, blue state fish. The
Legislature’s Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture holds
its annual forum on California’s fisheries today [April 24] …”
“As droughts have worsened in recent years, federal authorities
have released less and less water from a web of reservoirs and
canals in northern California that feeds farms and cities in the
arid south. For the first time in six decades, most farmers on
the east side of this valley have been told they will get no
federal irrigation water.”
“Less outdoor watering, limiting vehicle washing and using
recycled water whenever practical is being urged by a San Diego
City Council panel in response to the region’s ongoing drought.”
“As water agencies wrestle with California’s drought emergency,
and lawmakers pass bills seeking relief from a third consecutive
dry year in the state, another institution, the public university
system, is continuing to play a critical role in water
conservation.”
“As with all things water-related, it depends where you live and
where your water comes from. A “we get it first” presumption does
not necessarily apply.”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, and California’s
severe drought is already inspiring a few.
“Water districts in the San Joaquin Valley are proposing a
drought tactic that’s never been tried: they want to reverse
the state’s plumbing by running the California Aqueduct
backwards.”
“The East Bay’s largest water district decided Tuesday to use
voluntary conservation and tap a new water supply from the
Sacramento River to get through the year without rationing.”
“The East Bay Municipal Utility District this month will begin
diverting water from the Sacramento River for the first time
ever, a clear sign that the drought is literally causing ripples
across the state.”
