California’s Eroding Water Reliability

In order for California to meet the water needs of its citizens, ecosystems and businesses, the state must take advantage of opportunities to both reduce demand and implement sustainable water supply policies.

Climate Change

Snowpack is vital for the State, as it serves as a natural water banking system that releases water throughout the year. Climate change has not only shifted the timing of snow melt such that there is less water runoff in summer and early fall months, but also has affected the amount of snowpack. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) reports an expected loss of at least 25% of Sierra snowpack by 2050, which is equivalent to 4.5 million acre feet of water – enough for 9 million households per year. See more about climate change and water policy.

Source: The California Department of Water Resources, Progress on Incorporating Climate Change into Management of California’s Water Resources, 2006 (PDF).

Delta Decline

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta forms the eastern portion of the San Francisco Bay estuary and receives runoff from over 40% of California’s land area. Providing critical habitat for many species, it also is the hub of water deliveries in the State, servicing urban, industrial, and agricultural, demands. Recent dramatic declines in several fish species dependent on the Delta emphasize the need to restore habitat, water quality, and adequate in-channel flows for improved ecosystem functioning.

Source: The California Department of Water Resources, State Water Project Delivery Reliability Report (PDF).

Groundwater

Millions of Californians rely on groundwater for part or all of their water supply. Decreasing groundwater quality threatens the security and safety of this water supply due in part to the over-pumping of finite groundwater supplies, which can result in severe arsenic and nitrate contamination. According to the State Water Resources Control Board, over 8,000 public drinking water wells have been shut down since 1984, mostly due to contaminated supply. This epidemic currently leaves more than 100,000 Californians without access to safe drinking water, a danger faced disproportionately by low-income communities and people of color. Clean drinking water is a human right, and California must take action to sustainably manage our groundwater and halt this ongoing injustice.

Water Storage

There is much rhetorical support for new surface water reservoirs. However, despite tens of millions of taxpayer dollars spent studying the proposals in the CALFED Record of Decision, not one has been found to be cost-effective or environmentally acceptable. Furthermore, not one of the potential beneficiaries of the proposed surface reservoirs has offered to use their own money to pay for their benefits. The Investment Strategy includes recommendations on how to protect taxpayers by implementing the “beneficiary pays” principle. Groundwater storage, frequently done as part of a conjunctive use program, can have significant benefits as long as the sources of the water are protected. Currently, aquifers offer at least three times the storage capacity available in reservoirs, and, of the two, aquifer storage is by far the least expensive option. No one knows the exact amount of water that can be stored within California’s 515 groundwater basins. California’s Department of Water Resources estimates the total storage capacity to be between 850 million and 1.3 billion acre-feet. In comparison, surface storage from all the major reservoirs in California is less than 50 million acre-feet. Still, dams and reservoirs offer easier and less expensive delivery benefits – it is cheaper to deliver water from an above-ground facility than to pump it out of the ground. In conjunction, however, these storage systems can produce greater benefits than the sum of their parts. The desired level of storage in an above-ground facility can be achieved by sending more or less water to the aquifer. For instance, before a predicted rapid snow melt or aquatic river leads to flooding, we can make room for more water in the reservoir, dam, or river by turning on the spigot and allowing the excess water to be stored in the aquifer. California must prioritize smarter use of our existing water storage infrastructure – both man-made and natural – to avert the oncoming water crisis.

Recognizing the Value of Aquifers

SB 122, proposed and championed by PCL and CivicWell, adds “aquifers” to the definition of “natural infrastructure.” The success of this measure crucially supports California’s capacity to catch and store stormwater and snowmelt runoff in the face of climate unpredictability. Groundwater recharge projects have multiple benefits, including reducing flood risk and restoring natural habitat. Prior to this bill, these multi-benefit projects faced immense difficulties in gathering grant funds – often needing to submit multiple proposals with different requirements and deadlines. This is to time- and labor-intensive for capacity-constrained local jurisdictions. With aquifers recognized as natural infrastructure, multi-benefit restoration projects are now eligible for a host of grants that previously would have required separate funding applications as a result of harmful siloing. This opens up over $1 billion in existing public funds under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and Proposition 1.

Source: State Water Resources Control Board Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program.