Leadership on water issues from the dry parts of the state have a much better handle on the issue than those in the wet, to whom water seems to come pretty regularly, and it is to those who get the least that we should be listening.
State Will Go Dry Unless Water Stored
Tracy Press / Monday, 05 November 2007
State Sens. Dick Ackerman and Dave Cogdill warn about the lack of water without construction of new reservoirs
Water is one of our most vital resources, essential to everyone from agriculture, the environment, industry, commerce, construction and residential users.
Despite our daily need for water, the state has neglected to maintain its delivery and collection system. The two main arteries that deliver water from north to south —the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project — are more than 40 and 60 years old, respectively. Both projects are losing their capacity to deliver water at an alarming rate. Most of the public is unaware of the problem. They turn on the faucet and water comes out. The state experiences a rainy day or two and people expect the reservoirs to be replenished.
That simply is not the case. 2007 was the driest single year on record statewide, and water levels in state reservoirs are down 40 percent from last year. Meanwhile, just one year ago, California’s reservoirs released 6.5 million acre-feet of floodwaters — almost enough to supply all urban water needs in California for one year. As population and environmental demands continue to increase, we move closer and closer to the precipice of a full-blown crisis.
Dry conditions are not the only strain on the water supply. By 2016, Southern California will lose 800,000 acre-feet from the Colorado River every year. Legal settlements and other agreements have cost Central Valley water users a million acre-feet annually from its key surface water sources. Another 2 million acre-feet are at risk following a judge’s order to protect the endangered Delta smelt, a species of small fish, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
This magnitude of water loss, the long-term neglect of the conveyance system particularly in the Delta, and the expectation of future growth has created a “perfect storm” that demands immediate action. That is why we have introduced in the special session on water Senate Bill 3 (SB X2 3), a water bond measure that increases water collection and improves water delivery. The measure, which requires approval by voters, has broad bipartisan support as well as the strong support of the Association of California Water Agencies, California State Association of Counties, California Chamber of Commerce, California Farm Bureau, California Conference of Carpenters, State Building and Construction Trades Council and California Latino Water Coalition.
