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State's water system at breaking point
Community Voices
| Sunday, Jul 13 2008 5:13 PM
Last Updated: Sunday, Jul 13 2008 5:15 PM
California and Kern County is a brilliantly designed painting. From the farmlands in the Central Valley to the flowering landscapes of Southern California, the colors and diversity in texture are something out of a Monet masterpiece.
It is an extensive rearrangement of the existing natural order, created by the ingeniousness and will of man because of their use of one of our most precious natural resources: Water.
California is home to two of the largest water systems on the planet, as well as many small ones. Yet most of our residents do not realize that to live in California, especially the south half, is to bear witness to the most extensive rearrangement of nature's hydrology on the planet.
Unfortunately the original plumbing designed years ago to make our city, county and state what it is today isn't doing the job. California currently has 37 million people using a water system that was built decades ago for half that many people. Projections indicate our water use will triple over the next 25 years as our population balloons to an estimated 45 million by 2020. To date, there is no plan for building any significant new infrastructure to insure we will have the water we need.
For years, inept politicians have failed to resolve the water issues that will eventually bring California's economy to its knees. The recent emergency declaration by the Kern County Water Agency and the Board of Supervisors' resolution declaring "a potential disaster condition existing throughout the County" is nothing to take lightly.
In the late 1990s, California faced an energy crisis because it failed to build power plants to keep up with demand. Today we face an oil crisis because we have failed to allow more oil exploration and additional refining capacity. We cannot afford to make the same mistake with water.
Many say conservation is key to solving our water crisis. I agree it is a small piece of the puzzle, but it cannot solve our growing water crisis alone. A long-term, sustainable approach to California's water crisis is essential to maintaining California's economic stability.
California's trillion-dollar economy is the eighth largest in the world. California is the nation's largest agriculture producer. Kern County's agriculture production alone outpaces 20 of the 50 states nationwide. This is because of many factors, but it couldn't be done first and foremost without water.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein recently said, "I have just one statistic, one only, and that is 25 million people depend on Delta water for drinking water of the state. And the probability of a big earthquake over 6.7 is 75 percent in the next 30 years. And if that were to happen, there are all indications that the Delta could collapse, the water would be gone, there would be no water for drinking, there would be no water for agriculture, and there would be no water for fish, marsh, and ecosystems."
A scary comment from someone who truly knows the effects of our broken water system.
Investing in California's water infrastructure is essential to maintaining California's and Kern County's strong economy, as well as continuing to attract new employers to further stimulate our economic future. In the wake of the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, we know all too well what can happen without serious forethought and planning.
We must all encourage our elected leaders to find quick and sensible solutions to more water storage and better water conveyance issues. Politicians and stakeholders must leave their egos and agendas at the door when developing a common sense plan to benefit all. For the future of our state and county, we must work together to address these issues.
Michael Young of Bakersfield is a local farmer and president of the Kern County Farm Bureau.