October 17, 2007 by Ed Joyce

Any time of year you can find it here. Perhaps we can “drink champagne on ice” as The Eagles sing in “Hotel California.” But it takes water – fresh water – to turn the wheel of California’s trillion-dollar economy. California is estimated to be the world’s fifth-largest economy. The state also ranks in the top-five when it comes to supplying the world with food and other agricultural products. At least until the water runs out. But will that happen? At stake is not only California’s economy but a major source of the world’s food.

A new report from University of Maryland researchers (read report here) shows that climate change will have a negative impact on water resources in California. It is predicted that the state’s winter snowpack will decline at a time when the demand for water rises due to population growth and industrial needs. Water shortages are expected to force farmers to plant less. Because of water shortages due to historic dry conditions and reduced supply coming from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, farmers in the Central Valley and San Diego County will be planting less this year. That could mean fewer tomatoes, lettuce, garlic, onions and other crops. It could potentially mean higher prices at the grocery store.

Several solutions have been proposed to improve the state’s water supply. Governor Schwarzenegger wants more dams along with fixing the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (for more on Delta Initiatives go here) .

Democrats have balked at the dam plan.  Desalination and recycling water are other methods to increase the supply of fresh water.

Conservation is the easiest and most effective way to increase water supplies. Not using so much – shorter showers, not hosing down driveways with water – would save plenty. The San Diego County Water Authority has a comprehensive list of conservation tips and suggestions (go here to read tips) including using drought-tolerant plants in residential landscaping. The Southern Nevada Water Authority pays homeowners $2 per square foot to remove grass in order to save water (Water Smart Landscapes Rebate) . Southern Nevada is under a drought alert because of the worst drought on record in the Colorado River Basin.  It is not only the west that is dry, the southeastern U.S. is suffering too. (read article here) .

While officials continue to urge voluntary conservation, it may take mandatory conservation combined with higher water bills to convince Californians to save water.

“Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink” is a line from the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”  California is like that Ancient Mariner. But unlike the Mariner, we’re not stuck in the middle of the ocean with nothing but salty water. But the choices we make now on how to manage our fresh water resources will make the difference for the long-term health of California’s water supply. Not only do we depend on it, but rest of the world does too.