Steps need to be taken to reverse state drought


By
 in ,

If you know anything about California right now, you know the state is facing a severe — albeit man-made — drought. For the past four years, 37 million Californians in our state have suffered from the impacts of extreme to exceptional levels of drought throughout the region. In an effort to reverse current California Gov. Jerry Brown’s failed action on water policies, a local Northern Californian farmer named Dean Cortopassi has invested in creating a 2016 ballot measure that seeks to ensure that any large-scale projects, such as the Delta pipeline, that cost over $2 billion with revenue bonds must receive approval from voters, according to the Los Angeles Times. This initiative will spark an increase in transparency that will compel Brown to face the decisions he irresponsibly made in the past. Unfortunately, while this bill seeks to resolve issues with local farmers present since the start of Brown’s term, it fails to recognize that halting large water projects may make it more difficult to reverse the issue at hand: low levels of water supply. But California needs to institute comprehensive legislation that will ensure water supply security, not only for the present, but also for the future.

Recently, policy leaders and Californians have become all too familiar with the concept that if California suffers economically then so will the nation. Due to the drought, California will spend roughly $3 billion dollars and shed nearly 21,000 jobs, according to a recent study by University of California Davis. And with increased spending comes deficits in other arenas in the economy — accounting for significant job loss in both the agricultural and farming industries. Brown has taken drastic emergency measures to reverse the harsh effects of the drought; 26 percent of water has been reduced during Brown’s four month plan to decrease water usage by 25 percent. But more needs to be done.

The current water shortage in California reflects the inadequacies of liberal policy leaders who have failed to take action in restoring new water sources as the state continued to grow. The drought is purely man-made and was, in fact, preventable. For instance, according to WatchDog, more than half of the state’s water resources flow out to the San Francisco Bay and to the Pacific Ocean.

“What we’re seeing — water releases to benefit a small number of common fish, removing dams along major rivers, delays of desalination plants, failure to build adequate water storage — is not an anomaly,” Steven Greenhut wrote in the WatchDog. “It is the cumulative effect of water policies dominated by environmental interests.”

But things might be looking good for the future, if both the national House and the Senate can agree to halt state officials from pursuing threats to violate California water law.

This is the time for policy leaders in our state to be committed to cheap, clean water via the institution of reservoirs that ensure hydro-electricity practices. This is not the time, however, to institute a policy similar to Brown’s — extreme government regulated water shortages, water rationing and colossal water prices at the expense of the agricultural and farming industry. Currently, the California water system is fit to serve 22 million people, yet our state holds 38 million. Policy leaders should analyze what can be done to alleviate the burdens of the unequal distribution of water that provides a disservice to 16 million Californians. It’s not about the short-term — it’s about the long-term. And with that mindset, Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate must pass legislation that work toward creating sustainable water resources, rather than enforcing emergency water rationing among Californians.

Efforts to reinvigorate the state’s economy hinges on looking at methodologies that prevent future water shortages. The Western Water and American Food Security bill’s focus on working to ensure that the creation of new water supply systems not be delayed, inadvertently works in opposition to Cortopassi’s proposed measure.  It also ensures that the Bureau of Reclamation conduct feasibility studies within the period of three years of a $3 million or more project being completed. Specifically speaking, measures similar to H.R. 2898 must be advocated for. Provisions such as increased transparency, evaluations on corrective actions for dam maintenance inspections, all of which are included under H.R. 2898 must be mirrored, and if members of the Senate want to alleviate California’s water shortage, they, too, must recognize the merit in the Western Water and American Food Security bill.

Sarah Dhanaphatana is a junior majoring in political science.  She is also deputy features editor of the Daily Trojan. Her column, “Dhanapolitics,” runs Fridays.