In California, Passage of Water Bills Signals New Era

EDF helps sparring groups come together to transform water policy

Posted: 04-Nov-2009; Updated: 04-Nov-2009

In California, Passage of Water Bills Signals New Era

EDF is helping find ways for California to provide water to its cities, farms and rivers. View full-size version of this graphic.

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A Water Crisis in the West: A three-year drought presents an opportunity for reform
Transforming How California Uses Water: Protecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta, an ecosystem in crisis
On the Water Front: Blogging for a balanced approach to water policy

In what could be the beginning of the end of California's long-running and contentious water wars, the California Legislature has passed an historic package of water policy bills. This is a major step toward providing reliable water supplies for all Californians and also protects the beleaguered Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem.

"The transformation of how the state uses water has begun," says EDF California director Laura Harnish. "We're moving from a model based on extraction and conflict to one of conservation and collaboration."

How EDF helped win precedent-setting victory

EDF played a key role in reaching this breakthrough solution, forged amid rising tension among different interest groups and with the Delta near ecological collapse.

Together with other conservation groups including the National Resources Defense Council and the Nature Conservancy, we worked closely with the Legislature, Governor Schwarzenegger's staff and major water users to reduce over-reliance on the Bay-Delta and to make conservation a cornerstone of future water management.

"EDF was among the big players in meetings with the Governor's staff and key legislators on solving California's water supply problems," said Phillip L. Isenberg, Chair of the Governor's Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force.

The policy package represents the most ambitious and progressive reform of state water policy in the last three decades. Other Western states — and many nations — are watching to see how California tackles its water crisis.

Reforms set the stage for restoring Delta ecosystem

The new legislation establishes conservation as a cornerstone of water use in California, and makes clear that the protection and restoration of the Bay-Delta ecosystem will, from now on, be a priority. These bills:

Help ensure that sufficient water flows for salmon and other wildlife are left in the ecosystem;
Reduce reliance on exports of fresh water from the Delta;
Require much greater water conservation; and
Develop good science on the state of California's underground water reserves.

"This package sets an important standard for the nation by establishing that restoration of the largest estuary on the West Coast — the irreplaceable Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta ecosystem — is a goal on par with providing a reliable water supply," said Elgie Holstein, vice-president of EDF's Land, Water and Wildlife programs.

Finding a solution for all

The challenge in California is how to provide for a growing population while reserving enough water for rivers and wildlife. Until now, despite three years of drought, water has been regulated as an essentially unlimited resource.

With tensions rising and the Delta near ecological collapse, EDF was asked by the state Legislature in 2009 to help construct a comprehensive package of reforms, which were just voted on and approved by the state Legislature.

Having worked on California water for decades, EDF was well positioned to press water districts, farm interests and environmentalists into a dialogue on reforming the water supply system, while protecting vulnerable ecosystems.

Today, in part due to our work, a consensus is growing that there is enough water for all — if it is managed correctly, with incentives for conservation, innovation and efficient use.

"No one got everything they wanted, but for the sake of California's environmental and economic future, we all felt that we had an obligation to come together and keep working until we could reach an agreement," noted EDF consulting attorney Cynthia Koehler. "That's what we have done."

Next steps: Restoration through conservation and better governance

EDF will now work at the local, state and federal levels, as well as in the public and private arenas, to implement key environmental provisions of the new legislation.

The state's water problems converge at the Bay-Delta which is fed by rain and melting snowpack from the Sierra Nevada. It is the hub of California's water infrastructure, where aqueducts carry water to thirsty cities, farms and streams.

The Bay-Delta is also home to over 750 species of birds, animals, and fish, many of which are now threatened or endangered after years of mismanagement.

The new legislation requires a statewide reduction of water consumption by 20 percent by the year 2020. This is a good start to managing water more efficiently.

EDF will:

Encourage fair and efficient water markets to boost conservation and transfer water from willing sellers to its best use, particularly during drought years.
Ensure as participants in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan that the highest recovery and restoration standards are met for the Delta's wildlife and ecosystem.
Establish innovation and conservation as the cornerstone of water use in California.
Expedite the creation of a Delta Stewardship Council to lay the framework for improved governance and better management of the Bay-Delta.