California has a chance to seize control of its water destiny.
Thanks to Governor Schwarzenegger’s leadership over the past three years and leadership of legislators from both sides of the aisle representing our entire state, we have achieved a 2009 legislative package that can modernize our aging water system and make wiser use of California’s precious water resources. Water supply reliability will be improved, but so, too, will our stewardship of the environment and governance of the Delta, a vital water source for two-thirds of California.
The water plan now before us is the most comprehensive in decades. The new plan is comprised of four vital water policy bills recently passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, and an $11.14 billion water bond, timed for voter approval in 2010. As a package, it can help meet our water needs deep into the 21st century, keeping our economy vibrant and our people, farms, fish and habitat provided with the lifeline of water they all require.
The four-bill legislative package establishes a Delta Stewardship Council, sets ambitious water conservation policy, ensures better groundwater monitoring, and provides funds for increased enforcement actions to thwart illegal water diversions.
With local cost-sharing, the bond will fund drought relief, water supply reliability, Delta sustainability, statewide water system operational improvements, conservation and watershed protection, groundwater protection, as well as water recycling and water conservation programs.
For the first time in history, California will monitor its groundwater, urban water agencies will have to develop plans to achieve 20 percent conservation by the year 2020, and agriculture will be required to develop ag water management plans.
Management of the Delta’s complex ecosystem will benefit from new governance, with a Delta Stewardship Council providing a broad statewide perspective. The Council will develop a plan to guide state and local actions in a manner that advances the co-equal goals of Delta restoration and water supply reliability.
The Governor has been a staunch advocate of reform and modernization of California’s water systems for over three years. In recent weeks, the Governor and legislative leaders have brought together citizens and officials, farmers, environmentalists and irrigators, in a marathon effort to address and resolve our challenges.
Passage this month of the comprehensive water package marked the culmination of many years of discussion, analysis and negotiations. It puts the Golden State on a path toward long-term water stability and major progress towards safe and reliable water supplies long into the future.
This package represents a new approach for California—total water resource management, including conservation, water recycling, habitat restoration, water storage and many other water management actions. That said, we must build on our recent bipartisan success and focus improvements to our water system and how best to create resilience for California’s economy and environment in the face of climate change.
In the months ahead, I urge Californians to carefully study and evaluate this important comprehensive water modernization program. This package represents a significant shift in water management that will serve as a platform to address 21st century water needs.