California Drought Exemplifies Environmental ‘Missing Link’ - In discussing the water needs of agriculture and population, no one is talking about saving a portion for natural habitats
BY JONATHAN FARRELL
As California's Governor Jerry Brown signed a $687 million drought relief legislation deal this past February, environmentalists and water advocates like Eric Wesselman fear more trouble will be flowing instead of subsiding.
"Agriculture uses 75 to 80 percent of the managed water in California," noted Wesselman. With over 38 million people, California has to figure out better and more efficient ways of managing and using water. This past January 6 Wesselman officially took on the job of Executive Director for the non-profit water advocacy organization, Friends of the River. And, while Wesselman is no stranger to the complex subject of water issues after eight years with the Tuolumne River Trust, he views the efforts of this legislation as "stupendously dangerous and destructive."
"California rivers are valuable and need a stronger, more powerful voice." Wesselman is steadfast and serious in the belief that some of the precious water that California is so in need of must be left for nature. "I want to build that stronger voice on behalf of the rivers," he added.
Like his colleague at FOR, Ron Stork, Wesselman believes that humanity must respect nature and not use up all of the water in a given year. Water is not just for humans but for the wildlife and streams and rivers that make life sustainable for the entire ecosystem. This is critical, especially because California is in the midst of a prolonged drought, and traditionally, the State's "cash crop" is agriculture. Both the California State Senate and the House of Representatives approved the legislation unanimously. The continued bias towards agriculture must be re-examined.
For decades, California has been a leader in agricultural business; part of its "golden state" magic is that it is ever abundant, eve resourceful. Yet with a mobile population that keeps expanding, that sense of abundance has limits. Stork, Wesselman and many others see conservation and better water efficiency measures as key to surviving drought times.
"It will be costly and take some doing," said Stork recently from a previous interview. Stork suggests working really hard to "think outside of the box." Yet he, Wesselman and others also see it as the way of the future. "The old system of dams and 'the sky's the limit' attitude towards water just doesn't work anymore," noted Wesselman.
As reported by Reuters, the largest share of the drought relief package - $549 million - comes from accelerated spending of bond money that voters previously approved in two ballot propositions. Those measures will fund storm water recapture, expanded use of recycled water, better management of groundwater storage and stronger water conservation measures.
