1. California Drought 2014 Charlton October 22, 2014

2. The Economist, January 2014 The Drought of 2014

3. The San Joaquin Valley The Southern Central Valley

4. Water Basics

5. Water Measurement The “Acre-Foot” One “Acre-Foot” (AF) = 325,851 gallons of water 1 AF serves 1-10 families of 4 for one year, depending on the family use Inversely proportional for amount of water used for landscaping and gardens

6. Municipal People Agricultural Food Environmental Ecosystems 1 AF A ZERO SUM GAME Who wins ? Reservoir Storage is Very Low

7. DECISIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES ! Direct Consequences: The Predictable Indirect Consequences: The Unforeseen

8. The largest single user of water in California is the ENVIRONMENT, which uses 48% of California’s water (an average of 39,000,000 AFA) 31.0% of California's available water goes to wild and scenic rivers, 8.5% is dedicated to instream flows 6.5% is required Delta outflow, and 2.0% is given to managed wetlands The second largest user is AGRICULTURE which uses an average of 41% of California's water This irrigates almost 29 million acres of farmland, Supports growth of 350 different crops. Actual agricultural water usage varies directly with annual rainfall MUNICIPAL and industrial users consume about 11% of California’s water per year California Water Allocation Each group would like to have more California Department of Water Resources

9. California Water

10. The Sierra Nevada Watershed The state’s principal watershed supplying more than 60 percent of the developed water supply One of the most significant natural and biologically diverse regions in the world. Constitutes about 25 percent of California’s land area, or 25 million acres US Board of Reclamation 2010

11. The world’s largest, most productive, and most controversial water system California’s interconnected water system manages over 40 million AFA  Serves over 30 million people  Irrigates over 5,680,000 acres of farmland Substantial Groundwater Supplies  Stores more than 850 million AF, enough to cover California to a depth of 8 feet  525 known groundwater reservoirs  Not all groundwater supplies are usable Pollution Poor natural water quality Economically not feasible -pumping costs too high California’s Water Conveyance Systems

12. Conveyance I: The Central Valley Project One of the largest water systems in the world Stores over 7,000,000 AF of water, or 17 percent of the state’s developed water. Controlled by the US Bureau of Reclamation. Links 20 dams and reservoirs and nearly 500 miles of canals and pumping stations Irrigates a third of the state's farmland Supplies drinking water for 4 million people. Dedicates 800,000 AFA of runoff dedicated to environmental usage

13. USA Today, April, 2007 Surface Water Storage and Conveyance EXAMPLE Millerton Lake and Friant Dam In the Sierra Nevada Watershed Inflow: Stream flow from the San Joaquin River (upstream) Outflow 1: To the Friant-Kern Canal and the Madera Canal Outflow 2: To the San Joaquin River (downstream) (spillway is at the center of the dam).

14. Conveyance II: The State Water Project The largest state-built water project in the USA Sends water from the northern Sierras to to the SF Bay area and Southern California. Consists of the 500-mile California Aqueduct and a network of 33 reservoirs and aqueducts Delivers about 3 million AFA to > 23 million Californians and 755,000 acres of farmland Managed by the State Department of Water Resources State Water Project Central Valley Project

15. The Bay Delta US Board of Reclamation 2014

16. California pumps an estimated 16.6 million AF a year from its underground water basins. The state's 525 groundwater basins are estimated to hold nearly 20 times the amount of water that can be stored behind the hundreds of reservoirs in the state. Between 250 million AF and 450 million AF of groundwater can be pumped economically, This is six times more than the amount of water stored in California’s reservoirs Groundwater Resources

17. Current Situation

18. But Wet Years are Inevitable MonthRecord RainfallYear January8.83 in1909 February8.19 in2000 March9.75 in1938 April7.43 in1967 May2.73 in1957 June2.18 in2011 July0.21 in1958 August0.26 in1976 September2.72 in1959 October3.17 in2004 November5.00 in1926 December9.33 in2010 Fresno, California

19. Severely Depleted Reservoir Storage Folsom Lake. San Jose Mercury News, September, 2014 Full Reservoir Capacity Shown by the Red Line

20. Reservoir Storage is Very Low % of Capacity | % of Historical Average SACRAMENTO VALLEY Shasta Reservoir 24% | 41% Lake Oroville 28% | 47% SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY Folsom Lake 33% | 62% New Melones 22% | 39% Don Pedro Reservoir 37% | 57% Exchequer Reservoir 10% | 24% San Luis Reservoir 20% | 39% Millerton Lake 34% | 88% Pine Flat Reservoir 11% | 33% SOURCE: California DWR October 21 2014

21. No Water Deliveries for Farmers  US Board of Reclamation: Will not deliver 2.4 million acre-feet of water sought by farmers.  California Department of Water Resources: Will not be able to deliver any of the 4 million acre-feet of water sought by local agencies.  California is the top U.S. agricultural producer in the US, at $44.7 billion  Dairies are the state’s largest agricultural business, with 2012 revenue of $6.9 billion, produced 20 percent of U.S. milk output  Drought impacts to some of the nation’s largest fruit and vegetable crops, including avocados, strawberries and almonds.  Consequences: Milk and cheeses prices are up 20 percent in 2014, to record prices Bloomberg, February 2014

22. Groundwater Pumping Rates are High

23. Low Flows to the Delta Cause Salinity

24. Groundwater pumping in California is not regulated, so over-drafting is prevalent Jurisdictional control of water basins, and pumping rights is scattered among many entities which often compete with one another for water Over-drafting is particularly a problem when deliveries are curtailed “Recent drought and regulatory cutbacks in water deliveries to protect endangered fish have forced farmers to turn back to large- scale groundwater pumping” USGS 2014 RESULT: Pumping in the Central Valley has led to subsidence over 1,200 square miles and includes five towns This can not be un-done Groundwater Pumping Causes Land Subsidence

25. Impacts on Agriculture

26. Central Valley Agriculture

27. California Agriculture Produces nearly half of U.S.-grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables Produces nearly a quarter of the nation’s milk and cream California exports to almost 150 countries, mostly to Canada, the EU, Mexico and Japan California’s agricultural production and processing accounts  7.3% of the state’s jobs  5.6% of the state labor income  6.5% of the state value added Every $1.00 of value added in farming and agricultural-related industries generates an additional $1.27 in the state economy. For every 100 jobs in agriculture and food industries, there are 94 additional jobs created throughout the state. 1 st in the USA 5 th in the World

28. Forty years of increased crop production with water use efficiency From 1967 to 2007: Applied water in agriculture declined 14.5% 1967 – 31.2 million acre-feet 2007 – 26.7 million acre-feet From 1967 to 2007: Crop production per AF of irrigation water has increased 85.4% 1967 – 1.15 tons/acre-foot of applied water 2007 – 2.13 tons/acre-foot of applied water California Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Water Resources, 2008 California Agriculture -Water Efficiency

29. Play a role in increasing food supply at a time when other countries will be challenged to produce food  Climate change  International crises Help the USA meet the challenge of increased food demand as the global population grows Lead the world in applied agricultural technology and productivity Maintain (don’t shrink) agricultural footprint in California To meet future demand for food, California must:  Modernize its water infrastructure  Invest in its future as a leading global food producer  Maintain global leadership in production  Develop adaptation strategies to handle scarce water supplies and drought Directions for California Agriculture

30. California Agriculture -Drought Complete Orchard Loss –Lack of Water

31. Drought impactLoss Quantity Normal Quantity Percent Loss Water delivery reduction6.5 maf20 maf32.5% Shortage after increased groundwater pumping1.5 maf20 maf7.5% Fallowed irrigated land410,000 Acres7,000,000 Ac6% Crop revenue loss$740 MM$25 BN3% Revenue lost plus additional pumping cost$1.2 BN$25 BN4.8% Central Valley economic loss$1.7 BNN.A. Direct crop production job losses6,400152,0004.2% Direct, indirect and induced job losses14,500N.A. University of California Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, May 2014 Drought Impact on Farmers

33. What Can be Done

34. The drought illustrates the need for long-term investment throughout the state's water system Proposition 1 (2014): To be voted on in the November, 2014 elections The bond measure proposes to authorize $ 7.5 billion for  $2.7 billion – for building two new reservoirs,  $1.5 billion for ecosystems and watershed projects,  $395 million is available for flood management.  $725 million would be spent on water recycling and treatment projects,  $900 million for cleaning up contaminated groundwater  Other uses Bonds are generally a way the state borrows money for expensive long-term projects by spreading out projects’ costs over many years to taxpayers. Pays for only a fraction of the total cost. Taxes and fees make up the rest. Proposed Water Bond

35. Water Bond -In Favor Future Supply According to the bond, “California’s water infrastructure continues to age and deteriorate. In recent decades, that infrastructure has proven inadequate to meet California’s growing needs.” Agriculture “Developing and guarding our water resources is critical for California to maintain…globally competitive agriculture,” according to the findings of the water bond Water Quality The bond says that, “Every Californian should have access to clean, safe, and reliable drinking water.” Environment The bond provides nearly $1.5 billion focused on protecting rivers and lakes and restoring ecosystems and habitats throughout the entire state of California. Efficiency The bond says that, “Encouraging water conservation and recycling are common sense methods to make more efficient use of existing water supplies.”

36. In opposition are: Certain delta interests, financial conservatives and some environmental groups Arguments against the bond measure include: Financial The measure would thrust the state deeper into debt for decades Solution Funding would do nothing to immediately address the ongoing drought Agribusiness Funding would help agribusiness but not others Money Ill Spent Money would be better used on schools, roads and health care Environmental Loss of Allocation Funded projects would take water away from fish that rely on California rivers as habitat Water Bond -In Opposition

37. A dominant force in California politics, centered in the Bay Area 2009, activists sued the federal government to  Curtail its CVP water deliveries to agriculture  Claimed CVP diverted far too much northern freshwater away from the delta,  Claimed this led to lower oxygen levels there, ruining the ecosystem Oppose construction of dams Results to date have been shut down the irrigation pumps, favoring flows to rivers instead  Despite the cutoffs, the delta smelt did not rebound much.  Permanent and migrant farmworker jobs lost  Tax revenue to the State lost (the State has > $450 billion in debt at present) Current evidence is that municipal pollution is a significant factor in threats to ecosystems and protected fish species, not simply water levels The Environmental Lobby

38. Water Resource Management Strategies Reduce Demand Technology: Ways to reduce urban use (e.g., low flow toilets, showers) Voluntary conservation: Changed behavior (e.g., urban use) Regulation and Enforcement: Laws with consequences (e.g., drought restrictions) Cost and Rates: Improving behavior through water cost structure (e.g., steeply tiered rates) Subsidies: Government encourages behavior (e.g., xeriscape) Technology: Improved water use (e.g., drip irrigation) Tracking use: Metered use and monitored pumping (e.g., new groundwater monitoring laws)

39. Water Resource Management Strategies Reduce Groundwater Use Technology: Clean-up degraded groundwater, creating new supply for irrigation Voluntary conservation: Changed crop use, land retirement, land redevelopment to urban Cost and Rates: Improving behavior through water cost structure (e.g., steeply tiered rates) Subsidies: Government encourages behavior (e.g., low irrigation crops; fallowing) Technology: Improved water use (e.g., drip irrigation and crop selection) Tracking use: Metered use and monitored pumping (e.g., new groundwater monitoring laws) Policies: Improve policies regarding CVP and SWP deliveries Policies: Allow farmers to maintain surface storage without State or Federal management Regulation: Restrict, monitor and regulate withdraws (SB 1361) Recharge: Allow and encourage augmented recharge, infiltration, injection, and banked storage Soil Amendment: Amend soil to retain irrigation water longer

40. Water Resource Management Strategies Increase Storage Infrastructure: Add surface storage capacity (build dammed storage and offstream conveyance ) Infrastructure: Add groundwater storage capacity (infiltration and pumping to clean aquifers) Flood Control: Capture Flood water in new surface storage, and inject to groundwater Infiltration: Build large infiltration galleries, with surface water conveyance for wet years Pump to Groundwater: Create fill capacity by banking surface water, to take instream flows Recreation: Create recreational benefits and ecological benefits Reliability: Improve reliability and water quality with stored water Banking: Build conveyance that will enable use of banked groundwater

41. Proposed Sites Reservoir DWR and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation joint project Capacity: Average annual improved storage would be up to 1.4 million acre-feet (MAF); Supply: Add 500,000 AFA on average and over 600,000 AFA during dry and critical years Improved flexibility and long-term viability of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP)

42. Water Resource Management Strategies Additional Increase Supply Technology: Build and operate desalination Plants Technology: Build and operate innovative water treatment plants for recycling Creative Recycling: Use tertiary treated water for agricultural irrigation Cleanup Unusable Water: Remove nitrates and high salinity, creating new supplies Sub-surface Runoff Capture: Capture water for agricultural use

43. Water Resource Management Strategies Improve Ecological Systems Restoration: Build habit enhancement and restoration projects Stream Flow: Improve watersheds so runoff goes to streams without floods Stream Flow: Build fish ladders, cold water pools, invertebrate farms Flood Control: Build flood control structures to reduce ecosystem destruction Flood Control: Ditches to relieve overflow Flood Control: Strengthen levees, straighten levees Add floodplain: Create floodplain corridor ecosystem, for controlled flood management Other: Invest in economic development, education and outreach.

44. Water Resource Management Strategies Groundwater Sustainability General: Invest in projects will help to protect groundwater that could be used as drinking water Strategic: Improve local water supply reliability Water Quality: Reduce threats to groundwater aquifers, particularly pollution and over-pumping Recharge: Aggressively recharge beneficial use groundwater basins with quality surface water Water Quality: Contain and control pollution, preventing its spread Septic: Replace septic tanks with municipal sewer systems

45. DOUGLAS CHARLTON doug@charltonint.us THANK YOU