“Whether it be the winos in Paso, grape-growers in Fresno, naturalists in the San Joaquin River Delta or just the average person in San Luis Obispo, everyone wants cheap access to the resource, and few conservation efforts are in place to ensure we have enough now and in the future.”
Zachary Antoyan
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The fact that we need water to survive should be obvious. I shouldn’t have to argue over the fact that in order to grow food, create energy and ride in lazy rivers, we need a steady influx of the liquid. But here is another fact: Our access to fresh water is going away. In case you didn’t notice, in January Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for drought in California. “State water officials say that California’s river and reservoirs are below their record lows.” This, like every single political issue ever, has no easy fix. Shocker.
If you drive north to Fresno on US-41 or toward Sacramento on I-5, you’ll notice a series of signs saying, “Congress created dust bowl.” Aside from the fact that they are missing a hyphen between “Congress” and “created” to be grammatically correct, the signs themselves are … signs … of the ongoing battle between different parties within the state over this resource.
Between the use of water for agricultural purposes, natural environments and everyday uses such as filling up my kiddie pool, everyone is scrambling to ensure their livelihoods remain intact. Unsurprisingly, no one is willing to share.
Take, for instance, the local city of Paso Robles. The SLO Tribune reports that in Paso, “Water levels have gone down by more than 80 feet in some areas.” This is a significant decrease.
It was once simple to dig a well and have easy access to water in California. Now we are forced to build more expensive wells and dig them deeper than they have ever been before.
This is prevalent in many communities around the state. I myself can say in my hometown of Fresno, farmers and residents alike are feeling the pinch. New regulations were enacted to combat the water shortage, forcing water meters to be installed in every home in the city by 2013. This is because water tables below ground are not being replenished by rain or snowmelt.
The reasons behind this lack of replenishment can be attributed to numerous factors including wasteful irrigation practices (e.g., flood irrigation), inefficient plumbing systems, people taking long showers, probably my kiddie pool and something something climate change.
Whether it be the winos in Paso, grape-growers in Fresno, naturalists in the San Joaquin River Delta or just the average person in San Luis Obispo, everyone wants cheap access to the resource, and few conservation efforts are in place to ensure we have enough now and in the future.
In the document Gov. Brown signed acknowledging the water crisis, directives are set that start to create a conservation infrastructure. It attempts to address the concerns of numerous areas from environmental to agricultural and domestic.
Santa Barbara County is already ahead of the curve. Providing rebates for efficient use of water for both private and public entities, Santa Barbara’s rigorous campaign to conserve water is a model for other cities and the state. It focuses on conservation education and the importance of water and provides helpful resources to make a home or business more efficient. The campaign has had a significant positive effect on water usage in the county.
Now, of course, when talking about this issue, one must also talk about its impact on water animals. One such animal has a controversial existence. This is the Delta-Smelt. It’s funny that we could consider the existence of life controversial, but this seemingly small, insignificant fish has made ripples throughout the state. Environmentalists want to prevent the usage of water from Delta Smelt ecosystems to preserve their habitats, and farmers can’t use the water since the Delta Smelt is endangered. Either way, it’s a lose-lose. Use the water, lose the fish. Keep the water, lose the agriculture.
I am instinctively tempted to side with the fish on its existence here, but should it come down to fish or us, I’m inclined to side with the fish. I mean us. Either way, sacrifices would have to be made. If we reach the point where we do have to make a choice between our food and water and the livelihood of a fish, it would be clear that we had already lost the conservation battle. This issue shouldn’t exist.
I shouldn’t have to explain to you why water is important. Now, more than ever, conservation efforts must be rigorously applied throughout the state to ensure everyone’s livelihoods remain comfortable. I cannot express how important this truly is, and I can only hope that you approach your water usage with as much care as you would an equally valuable resource that is scarce. I don’t know, pretend it’s gold.
This is Zachary Antoyan, taking a moment of silence for his now-retired kiddie pool. Have a fantastic week, everyone.