future water strategies
California is heading toward a water crisis. The spring of 2008 was the driest in 88 years, and rivers across the state are running dangerously low. Furthermore, mountain snowpack has been subject to increased evaporation, a condition likely to be exacerbated in future years by climate change. The disaster in New Orleans has also brought attention to the aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system. An earthquake or levee breach could disrupt the intricate flow of water into and out of the Bay Area; such an event would create a water disaster in all parts of the state from the East Bay to the Mexican border.
Water shortages or disruptions would have far-reaching and, if prolonged, dire consequences for Southern California. The region needs to undertake an urgent program to secure sufficient, reliable water supplies for the coming decades. The solution will have to incorporate a portfolio of water strategies, since no single strategy will provide a “silver bullet” solution to the region’s water needs.
All documents are in PDF format unless indicated otherwise.
Position Papers
» Sustainable Water Supplies: 2008 Position Summary - February 2008