Three U.S. states with anticipated water supply deficits in the
coming decades reached milestones in July in their deliberations
on how to meet the demands of cities, farmers, and industries.
… A few plans have already been published. California, for
example, released its five-year update in January.
Modesto is feeling the effects of the drought, with the Modesto
Irrigation District reducing the amount of water it sends to the
city by 43 percent, which is the same reduction MID has imposed
on its other water users.
“California could save more water than what its cities use in a
year by ramping up its conservation and recycling programs and
storing rainwater instead of letting it run off into the Pacific
Ocean, according to a report released Tuesday.”
From the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA):
“The California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply (CRWFS), in
‘From Crisis to Connectivity: Renewed Thinking About Managing
California’s Water & Food Supply,’ outlines a framework for
reconnecting competing groups of water users and managing the
state’s water resources with emphasis on simultaneous benefits.”
From the California WaterBlog, from the UC Davis Center for
Watershed Sciences in a post by Sarah Null:
“In California, we ask water managers to do the near-impossible
task of managing rivers for both environmental and economic
objectives, which are often at odds. Where we have repeatedly
failed to stem or reverse environmental problems, environmental
regulation can drive water management.”
“Four years ago, Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency leaders
pulled together a task force to develop a long-term plan to
preserve groundwater supplies and halt saltwater intrusion along
the coast.”
From the PPIC [Public Policy Institute of California] Viewpoints
Blog, in a post by Linda Strean:
“The drought has focused attention on water supply and highlights
the crucial role of funding in supporting our water system, said
Ellen Hanak, PPIC senior fellow, at a half-day conference PPIC
hosted last week at the Sacramento Convention Center.
From the Northern California Water Association (NCWA) blog, in a
post by NCWA Chair Bryce Lundberg:
“Despite recent rainfall in March, there will be significant
surface water cutbacks in the Sacramento Valley during the third
consecutive year of drought. Reduced water use by farms and
wildlife refuges will directly impact wildlife habitat, rural
communities and our economy.”
“Modesto’s auditor spent about six months reviewing the Public
Works Department’s water and wastewater divisions, including
interviewing more than 40 managers, supervisors and rank-and-file
city employees.”
From the San Jose Mercury News, in a commentary by Trip Van
Noppen and Barbara Barrigan-Parilla:
“Californians who care about a sustainable water future got a big
court victory in March that upholds protections for a
much-maligned little animal: the Delta smelt.”
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in a commentary by Tim Palmer:
“One peril of being human is that we often respond poorly to
crises. Because we now face one of the worst droughts in
California history, the stage is set to flirt with error on a
scale as colossal as the crisis itself.”
From The Fresno Bee, in a commentary by former California
Secretary of State Bill Jones:
“In California, managing water resources requires managing
volatility. We know we’re going to have wet cycles, and we know
we’re going to have droughts. The challenge is preparing
ourselves for those inevitable events. Our forefathers did a
great job in this respect.
“Fifty years ago, President Kennedy and Gov. Edward “Pat” Brown
flew over my farm on their way to dedicate the San Luis Dam.
From the PPIC Viewpoints Blog, in a post by Caitrin Phillips
Chappelle and Ellen Hanak:
“The drought has prompted California to redirect hundreds of
millions of dollars of remaining state bond funds and other
revenues to make the state more resilient in the future.
“A new report says California would need an additional $2 to $3
billion every year to fill gaps where funding is needed for
managing the state’s water.
Flood protection, stormwater runoff, safe drinking water, are
just some of the areas the PPIC report shows lack critical
funding.”
From the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC):
“California is forging ahead with major reforms on many fronts,
including health care, corrections, and K–12 education. But it
still faces a wide array of challenges, from housing costs, to
climate change and water management, to higher education
funding.”
From The Sacramento Bee, in a commentary by Barbara
Barrigan-Parrilla:
“During the current drought, the public will hear a lot about
water management in California. Unfortunately, Californians are
being presented with a false dichotomy – that California’s water
problems are about fish vs. people.”
