Most readers with any sense of California history will know that
water periodically becomes THE issue in California. Whether it’s
the occasional drought, a real or perceived flood threat, or the
extinction of a species that brings the issue to the forefront,
Californians can be certain that our water supply will always be a
source of controversy.
Most readers with any sense of California history will know that water periodically becomes THE issue in California. Whether it’s the occasional drought, a real or perceived flood threat, or the extinction of a species that brings the issue to the forefront, Californians can be certain that our water supply will always be a source of controversy. Those of you who follow the news with any regularity will know that we are living in one of those times.
Much of the state’s water system goes right through the Delta and the Delta is on the verge of collapse. Yet to be determined is whether the collapse will be a literal physical collapse after an earthquake or a biological crash involving a broad swath of important species. What we do know is that our water-moving practices of the past cannot continue. The solutions proposed include expanded water supply via new dams, more water conservation by agricultural and urban users, and a new conveyance system that would route water around the Delta.
Naturally, each of these solutions has its fans and foes.
What I find most interesting about many Bay Area residents is our curious combination of entitlement and superiority when it comes to water. Consider a letter to the Mercury News editor I recently read from a Peninsula resident. He was dead set against any new water projects that would enable the farmers to the south and those dreaded Southern Californians to steal more of “our” water to irrigate their lush landscapes. I’m humored because nearly all of the water served in the Peninsula is imported from a very man-made series of dams, reservoirs, and pipelines that devastated wildlife habitat, disrupted natural river flows, and is regarded by many as nothing short of an environmental disaster.
When it comes to water, are Peninsula residents the pot or the kettle?
How about us? While it’s easy to talk abstractly about Peninsula residents and Southern Californians as the bad actors in this movie, where does Morgan Hill’s water come from? I’m afraid the answer isn’t much better. While we do rely entirely on groundwater for our city water supply, we long ago began taking more water out of the ground than Mother Nature was putting into it.
What makes up the difference is water imported from the Delta using the same water system and damaging the same wildlife habitat as the water used to irrigate those lawns in Southern California. We should also remember that we rely on energy imported from other areas to pull all of that water out of the ground. Without either of these imported resources, Morgan Hill life and landscapes would be very different.
So what is a responsible Morgan Hillian to think?
Each of the solutions above (new water supply, more water conservation, and new conveyance) could help us continue to supply water to the community indefinitely.
They all, however, cost money … big money … and finding a way for the state to pay for them remains a thorny issue. What’s certain, however, is that opposing all of the above is not a responsible position. We must either be willing to pay for improvements to the state’s water system or be prepared for much more conservation.
If the state can’t agree with either of these positions, there won’t be any water in the pot or the kettle … and that, dear readers, would certainly represent a black day in our history.
Eco-Fact of the Week: There are 1,300 miles of levees in the Delta and Suisun Marsh – a longer stretch than the entire California coastline.
Eco-Web Page of the Week: The State Department of Water Resources has a Web page dedicated to their ideas on fixing the Delta at www.water.ca.gov/deltainit/. Of course, there are many other Web pages out there pushing forth alternative plans.
Anthony Eulo is a Program Administrator for the City of Morgan Hill who personally supports investing water ratepayer dollars to meet our state’s future water needs using a combination of lots more conservation, new conveyance, and new storage. He welcomes your questions, comments, and thoughts and can be reached at 778-6480 or en*****@mo*********.gov.
