A good overview of what is needed.
Water worries
Act now to ensure California's future supply
By Timothy Quinn
August 12, 2007
Water is never out of the news for long in California, but recent weeks have brought a flurry of headlines that rival anything seen in decades. Whether it's record-dry conditions or Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's high-profile events at reservoirs and other facilities, water is squarely on the radar screen this summer.
The attention is warranted. California faces some of the most significant water challenges in a half-century, and it will take a laser focus and every water management tool in our arsenal to address them.
Although tremendous investments have been made in water facilities at the local and regional level, improvements in our statewide water infrastructure have lagged behind. That must change if we are to reliably deliver clean and affordable water to 60 million Californians in a few short decades.
A centerpiece of the problem is the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the most important estuary on the West Coast. Located just south of Sacramento, the delta sounds far from Southern California but it is the main switching yard for much of the water delivered to cities, businesses and farms in the Southland. Some 25 million Californians receive all or part of their water through the delta.
But experts agree the delta is literally one big storm or earthquake away from disaster. The aging levees that protect the delta are at risk of failing in a major flood or quake, and that would disrupt water deliveries for months or even years.
Such an event would leave Southern California without a major water supply source – with potentially dire consequences for the economy, the environment and the lifestyle that we all take for granted. Climate change, which could usher in longer droughts and more severe floods, is raising even more uncertainty for our water system.
Meanwhile, a crisis involving a troubled delta fish continues to cloud the picture. The State Water Project's delta pumps were shut down for 10 days in June to protect the minnow-sized delta smelt, and further curtailments are likely over the next year. …
… Schwarzenegger and a growing number of legislators have also come to the conclusion that fixing the delta is job one. We must find a way to convey water across the delta that works for water users as well as species such as the delta smelt. And we must do it with a strong commitment to protect the environment and improve water quality.
That comprehensive plan must also include more surface water storage and expanded water conservation programs. Without these investments, it's difficult to see how our water system will function effectively for people and the environment.
It's high time we addressed these issues. Our water infrastructure is in desperate need of investment, and we need swift action to make that investment a reality. Let's not wait for a natural disaster to hammer home the vulnerability of the delta and Southern California's water supply.
