By Andrew Fahlund, Deputy Director of the California Water Foundation
California’s water challenges are as varied as its geography, from coastal beaches to jagged mountains, and stretches of valley floor to wide expanses of desert. Our state has as many challenges facing the management of our water supply as it does different landscapes.
And California’s challenges are clear. More than 90 percent of the state is experiencing drought conditions, a water delivery system built to meet the demands of 18 million is now being asked to provide for more than double that, critical habitat for fish and wildlife is disappearing, communities are without clean and safe drinking water, and competing demands make it difficult for political consensus. Oh, and of course addressing all of these challenges with infrastructure projects and ongoing maintenance costs money.
Seems dire, and in some ways it is, but there are options that can have immediate benefits for California's water supply. Californians need easy access to information about what those options are and how California can upgrade our water system to meet the demands of a 21st century population and economy.
In every facet of life Californians can use water more wisely. Practicing simple conservation measures inside and outside our homes can have a huge impact statewide. Local and regional water agencies are increasingly expected to invest in local supplies of water, so conserving what they have is critical, through everything from water recycling programs to recharging groundwater basins.
Our state’s river systems need to be restored to levels that better support fish and wildlife. It may seem disconnected, but improving the health of watersheds also improves the reliability of our water supply. More importantly, healthy river systems and watersheds reduce conflict between water use, fish and wildlife and flood protection.
Just think about it. The Romans were using canals and pipes more than two thousand years ago, which don’t look too much different from what we use today. While that sort of infrastructure will remain important to our state, we need to stop relying solely upon the same old water solutions of the past and embrace new approaches that provide multiple benefits. This can often mean relying on a wetland to help clean our water, rather than simply building another treatment plant. It can mean developing more neighborhood parks along flood prone parts of cities, rather than relying on concrete ditches. It can also mean capturing flood waters and moving them on to a willing farmer’s field to allow that water to percolate into the aquifer beneath their ground.
This fall, California will decide on Proposition 1, a proposal for a new water bond that would fund a variety of water options. In an effort to provide Californians with easy-to-understand information about water issues, the California Water Foundation has launched a public education campaign, including The Water Bond Education Project website (waterforthelonghaul.com). The site explains the bond in plain language and provides links to information that will enable citizens to become more informed about water.
In advance of casting their ballots, I encourage all California voters to take a few minutes to learn more about what’s in the water bond.