Facing the Enigma of Californias Water Crisis - Essay Example

Facing the enigma of California's Water Crisis Iona Mani This study is about the current water crisis that California faces. Millions of Californians depend on the Bay-Delta for their water. Currently, with increasing diversions and exports the Bay-Delta is deteriorating. Agriculture, Industries, Businesses and People all depend on the Bay-Delta waters. A list of questions is posed to CalFed, an agency responsible for looking out for the Sacramento Delta waters. Based on findings on California Rivers and the Bay-Delta we put together ways to protect the Sacramento Delta limited resources, and improve water management. These include water conservation, recycling and ground water desalination. Facing the enigma of California's Water Crisis The San Francisco/Bay Area's agribusinesses, wildlife habitats, and fisheries are gravely endangered by state and federal agencies' plans to increase water diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, rivers, and estuaries. Already, water exports are killing fish indigenous to the area and poisoning water quality in upstream rivers and the delta. Increasingly, these diversions will only add to the problem, while subsidizing corporate produce growers in the San Joaquin Valley and urban sprawl in Southern California. The planned diversion is unnecessary because there are possible solutions through conservation, water recycling, and ground water desalination. The growing demand for water, at a low cost, can be met without further imperiling Northern California's wildlife and water quality. Water use in California is very high due to a combination of factors. One, it being an agricultural state, and the other, is its population rate continues to rise rapidly. Keene's (2003) research finds that, "California's population is projected to increase by 600,000 every year." Water is a precious and limited resource. Yet there are few who are aware of this. We waste our water down the drain all the time. Since it is a public resource, we treat it as our property and not value it as much. California, like many other places, is well known to face problems related to power and oil. Yet what is much less known is the growing water crisis. As California's population keeps growing and new industries emerging, the demand for water and consumption also increases. So diversions were created in "the Bay-Delta Estuary, which includes the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Suisun Marsh and the embayments upstream of the Golden Gate. The Delta and Suisun Marsh are located where California's two major river systems, the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, converge to flow westward through San Francisco Bay" (State Water Resource Control Board, 1998). California diverts more than half of the water that naturally flows through this ecosystem. The water was drained faster than the rain could refill it. As billions and billions of gallons were diverted, there appeared to be concerns about the quality and shortage of water. This idea of water diversions is not something new. "For 150 years, the Bay-Delta has suffered from human activity. Frequent pumping from the Bay-Delta has made it no longer function adequately as either a water supply or a healthy habitat for fish and other wildlife" (The Bay-Delta, 2004). So what are these diversions According to the hyper dictionary the word diversions have three different meanings. 1. The direction of water in a stream away from its natural course. 2. The draft of water from one channel to another 3. The interception of runoff by something which discharges it through unnatural channels In plain words these water diversions are man-made and unnatural. The Delta is an important part of California. Reviews of research on the Bay-Delta (2004) find, businesses from Sacramento to the Bay Area and all the way down to southern part of California in San Diego--all rely on the Bay-Delta water. Whatever the kind of industry--computer sciences, healthcare or construction--most need large volumes of water. "More than 22 million Californians get at least a portion of their drinking water from the Bay-Delta. The Bay-Delta is also the largest estuary on the West Coast of North America and a natural resource of hemispheric importance. It irrigates 6 million acres and 200 types of crops in the Central Valley, producing almost half the nation's fruits and vegetables. And it is home to more than 750 plant and animal species and is an essential rest stop for birds on the Pacific Flyway"(The Bay-Delta, 2004). NRDC finds that "forty percent of the land area of California drains through the delta" (Water Diverted from the Bay-Delta, 2001). Nejedly (2002) further finds that, 'the Delta is no longer what it once was. The Delta instead of being a vast lake, like it once was, is an artificial state created by man. The waters of the Delta do not have the quality of water of even fifty years ago. The waters of the Delta today are contaminated with toxins and have production of trihalomethanes. The waters can no longer be a source of drinking water.' "The Delta has now become the ultimate sewage and water depository, agricultural, industrial and human wastes from Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys"(Nejedly, 2002). Water exports have caused further deterioration of the Sacramento Delta. San Diego County Water Authority claims, "the Bay-Delta provides between one-quarter and one-half of San Diego County's imported water, depending on supply conditions. Through its purchases of imported water, the Water Authority helps finance Bay-Delta improvements" (The Bay-Delta, 2004). The Water Authority for over 15 years has actively participated in improving the quality and reliability of the Bay-Delta waters. It supports conservation, recycling programs, and ground water desalination projects. "In 1994, the Water Authority backed the formation of the CalFed Bay-Delta Program. CalFed Bay-Delta Program is a partnership between state and federal agencies" (The Bay-Delta, 2004). Obviously the Water Dept of CA was not doing its job. So an increasing number of problems arose from these diversions. The people put together their rights they have over their water and presented it to the Water Authority. Chase's (1997) article Pipe Dreams states, the County Water Authority turned around and gave it to CalFed to address the issue: The need for more water More reliability and regulatory certainty Must improve ability to convey water and facilitate water transfers Improve the water quality Comprehensive ecosystem restoration to support water quality Make it affordable CalFed developed a long-term plan aimed at solving the list of problems posed above. It recognized that this is a complex issue and must be addressed soon. "It started with a rigorous five-year planning effort, CALFED has created a comprehensive water resource management plan that balances the competing uses of the Bay-Delta. In the summer of 2000, CALFED released a 30-year master plan that describes a broad and adaptable program of projects to restore the bay-Delta as a dependable water supply and healthy ecosystem. The plan to restore the Bay-Delta emphasizes improving the way water flows through the Delta to the pumps and canals that convey water to cities and farms. It promotes water efficiency through recycling, water transfers and increased water storages opportunities in both Northern and Southern California. It also improves estuary management so that fisheries and habitats within the Delta are restored" (The Bay-Delta, 2004). CalFed documents its findings, "The Bay-Delta system is currently not able to reliably supply water for agriculture, urban areas and the environment" (The Bay-Delta, 2004). So what happens when demand exceeds supply Are we abusing our water There has not been a better time than now to create a better solution for our water problem. Environmentally and Economically Sound Solutions of CalFed First of all the diversions need to be reduced. Chase (1997) states in the article Pipe Dreams, "We require a sufficient amount of freshwater flow. This is critical to protecting the health of Californians who rely on this portion of water." With an increased amount of diversions we see a coinciding decrease of freshwater supply. Looking at data from NRDC's Water Diverted from the Bay-Delta (2001) created by the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project over the last five decades, it shows a steady increase in the quantity of water being diverted. The only decrease in diversions was in the early 1990s due to a drought. Then the diversions were started back up again "at an astounding 6.3 million acre-feet in 2000, which was the highest level in the history of the Bay-Delta diversion. One acre is approximately 326,000 gallons, the amount that would cover an area about the size of a football field with a foot of water. The dramatic increase was the completion of the Diamond Valley Reservoir in Southern California"(Water Diverted from the Bay-Delta, 2001). Maximize conservation. Chase (1997) states, "Water conservation is the cheapest method to increase the reliability of California's water supplies and it does so without harming the environment." Having conservation programs will avoid the need of building costly reservoirs and dams. Just imagine how would it be if we were charged for the water we consume. We definitely wouldn't waste so much of it. Water is a natural resource and it is not limitless. We would think twice even if we were charged for our water as we are charged for our electricity. As a matter of fact, we can't afford to waste even a drop of water. Chase (1997) argues, "we take more than half of our water out of our rivers and even more in very dry years and much of this water use is inefficient." So are we using California's water efficiently The answer is obviously no. Water is wasted to a large extent. The sprawling urban dwellers of Los Angeles to San Diego are major water users and mostly use inefficient household fixtures. Chase (1997) says we should start by "installing efficient fixtures, such as low-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads and faucets, and high-efficiency clothes washers, which use up to 20 gallons less water per load." Chase (1997) concludes, "just by installing efficient toilets and showerheads we could find water savings of 40% of the water used in homes today." Do we really need more water According to Chase's work on Water Efficiency (1998), she claims, "we don't need to capture more water, we need to capture water savings." It is not enough to have water; we also need good quality of water. We need good quality water to utilize for our personal use. Farmers need good quality water for their crops and industries need good quality water for its use. However, once each of us uses the water, the discharged water is not of good quality and is unfit for any purpose. This is where recycling comes in the picture. It is an important component to saving the Sacramento Delta waters. San Diego County Water Authority says, 'currently recycled water is reused for many purposes. It ranges from landscape irrigation to toilet flushing to filling lakes, and in our bathrooms' (The Bay-Delta, 2004). We have the technology; therefore we should recycle it using new technologies. People should be demanding for advanced treatment technologies for the water coming in their taps. Research on the Bay-Delta state, "agencies using this water spend millions of dollars annually for treatment to ensure it is safe" (The Bay-Delta, 2004). California's water is divided among three sectors. The agricultural, industrial and the domestic sector. Each sector is constantly in competition with each other for more water, which has caused the Bay-Delta to suffer and has created many complex problems. We need to address the problem and reduce the competition for the Delta resources. California's wealth lies in its agriculture. Being an agricultural state, most of the water is allocated to that sector. Most of the farmers need fresh water for their crops or for those who don't have access to freshwater, they get it from irrigation. According to NRDC, the agricultural sector receives about 80% of California's water, while the domestic sector demands about 20% (Water Diverted from the Bay-Delta, 2001). NRDC finds that "much of the water is wasted through inefficient irrigation practices. And a great deal is used for low-value crops. For instance, 20 percent of the water diverted by the state is used to grow alfalfa, a crop used primarily to feed livestock" (Water Diverted from the Bay-Delta, 2001). Chase's (1998) research states we can conserve on farms too: farmers and water districts are investing in new irrigation technologies to significantly save water. These on-farm practices save up to 50%, using less water to grow the same crops. This in turn calculates "On 5% of California's Agricultural land the water savings could be about 2 million acre-feet of water" (Chase, 1998). Farmers use a lot of water. So should they get their water for free Considering the environmental damages to the rivers and lakes, they should pay for the water they use. Although it may be surprising, currently farmers and also some urban dwellers are paying a flat rate for the water they use (the amt is based on how much water is actually used). This encourages conservation. Chase (1998) states there is water savings here of 40%. "Stop irrigating lands that are polluting our water" (Chase, 1998). Give farmers incentives to stop irrigating such lands and there will be water savings of about 1.4 million-acre feet. (Chase, 1998). Nejedly (2002) researched the history of the Delta and found, 'that levees were created around the 1850s. Its purpose was to control flooding in the Bay-Delta. Because they are "so old there could be a failure due to an earthquake or any other disaster. This could have a devastating impact on the water quality and water supply deliveries. Failure of any levee at any particular time of high tides and salt-water incursion produces the entry of higher salt content waters into the Delta. Cleansing of the Delta by subsequent fresh water flows requires time. Removal of the water and reconstruction of the levees are expensive. If salt-water entry seriously affects the Delta, Delta water quality for export of for agricultural use is jeopardized. Thus, attention to levees, recognition of their importance of water quality in the Delta, their potential to water management as reservoirs and their future as the preeminent agricultural, recreational, fishery and water resource potential for the State, lies in the degree of attention we give to the Delta in an objective way to save what we have created, and what we desperately need to maintain" (Nejedly, 2002). California has a significant fishing industry, especially the Bay Area. Because of its richness the catches there are huge. People all over California, go to the Fisherman's Wharf in S.F. to enjoy these catches. Increasing populations and industrial developments have also placed huge pressures on the demand for this food supply. This in turn endangers the habitat of the Bay as fisherman meet their customers' demands by over fishing. Now there is a decline of the Sacramento Delta and other estuaries, and the Bay Area fisheries are in danger. Like all estuaries, the Bay-Delta too requires freshwater. This provides the life to the fishes and other wildlife as they migrate to the Bay Area. "The 1980s also saw the beginning of a disastrous downward spiral for many bay fisheries, such as the winter and spring runs of Chinook salmon, delta smelt, longfin smelt, and Sacramento splittail" (MacFarlane & Norton, 2002). Now these fishes are on the endangered list. We need to ensure environmental water reliability and improve estuaries so fisheries and habitats are restored. A lot of the problems are caused from the agencies mismanaging water resources. According to Keene (2003), we need to manage our ground waters and have appropriate ground water storage. We need to integrate a system to remove dissolved salts from the ground waters that consists of waste. This process called "ground water desalination, renders such water unusable otherwise, fit for human consumption, irrigation, and for industrial use. It is technically a proven and effective mechanism for providing a new source of water. A variety of desalination technologies have been applied in many locations throughout the world" (Keene, 2003). Desalination can provide a reliable supply of water, by storing it when it is abundant and using it during periods of drought in California. And it is currently cheaper to perform. We need to increase our storage capacity both in the North and South (Keene, 2003). Increasing our capacity of water storage would increase the reliability of supplies, and provide us with better water quality from the Bay-Delta. The public needs to be educated about water management and how we as Californians need to value our water. The problem of this issue lies in the government. The government chooses to publicize the oil crisis and global warming as major issues and not include the water issue. This is considered minor. For whatever reason it is considered minor, the issue can't be left standing for long. We also need to be involved in our community. Only in this way, will we be able to make demands and create changes using new alternatives. NRDC Green Gate Guides tells us that we can help by "reducing your own demand on Bay-Delta water supplies by conserving water in your home and keeping it clean. Efficiency of utilization in all diverse uses of water should be optimized and an awareness of water as a scarce resource should be fostered" (Water Diverted from the Bay-Delta, 2001). And if this is still not convincing enough, Chase (1998) states that, "this entire project could cost 8-10 billion dollars - approximately $300 for every Californian. Rational water pricing, regulated water markets, efficiency standards, the reuse of wastewater, and the setting of minimum flows for ecosystem health are among the actions that are needed." Nejedly (2002) concluded, "Certainly treatment costs, reconstruction of Delta island levees and its maintenance, transportation cost, resolution of water rights." So we should take the time to make sure this money is spent in the right way. Saving the water will be man's greatest challenge. California continues to be one of the richest states of the U.S. San Francisco, the financial center of California, continues to grow at a rapid pace. There is also increase in migration up north near San Jose, Sacramento and Riverside. This accelerating population, and huge agricultural farmlands put pressure on Sacramento Delta for its water. This water determines California's beautiful weather, it is home for many wildlife, and brings in tourists each year. Without fresh water the ecosystem will be damaged. In order to conserve this precious resource we need to use adequate planning and effective management of water resources. Facing the enigma of California's water crisis, and we as California residents do nothing about this large problem at hand, and take our water for granted, then we can say with certainty that we will be plagued with an everlasting California drought. In a nutshell, it is quite possible for California to substantially reduce its water consumption and save the beautiful wildlife by emphasizing conservation, efficiency by recycling, and ground water desalination. Bibliography California Dept of Water Resources (1998). Order WR 98 - XX. California State Water Resources Control Board. Retrieved November 20, 2005, from http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/agendas/1998/december/1203-01.html Chase, C. (1997). Pipe Dreams. Retrieved November 20, 2005 from San Diego Earth Times site: http://www.sdearthtimes.com/cut_to_chase/ctc_5.html Chase, C. (1998). Water Efficiency. Retrieved November 20, 2005 from San Diego Earth Times Site: http://www.sdearthtimes.com/cut_to_chase/ctc_19.html Hyper Dictionary. (2000). Retrieved word 'diversion' on November 18, 2005, Site: www.hyperdictionary.com Keene, C.F. (2003) Water Desalination. Dept of Water Resources. Retrieved on November 18, 2005 from Site: http://www.owue.water.ca.gov/recycle/desal/Docs/Findings-Recommendations.pdf MacFarlane, R.B., & Norton, E.C. (2002). Physiological ecology of juvenile Chinook salmon at the southern end of their distributin, the San Francisco Estuary and Gulf of the Farallones, California-Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Fishery Bulletin. Retrieved November 21, 2005, Site: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_mOFDG/is_2_100/ai_99114596# Natural Resources Defense Council. (2001). Water Diverted from the Bay-Delta. Retrieved November 20, 2005 site: http://www.nrdc.org/greengate/water/divertedf.asp Nejedly, J.A. (2002). California Water Crisis. North Bay Business Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2005, site: http://californiawatercrisis.org/the_history_of_the_delta.htm San Diego County Water Authority. (2004). The Bay-Delta. Retrieved newsletter on November 20, 2005 site: http://www.sdcwa.org/news/baydelta-faq.phtml Read More