Regional And Statewide Water Management Challenges

Mountain Counties Water Resources Association’s Executive Director reports on the current state of the region’s water and on the interest for a change in managing it. Mountain Counties Water Resources Association (MCWRA) hosted a members only symposium, Executive Director John Kingsbury reports it was attended by two United States Congressmen, three California State Senators, and one California Assembly Member. Director Kingsbury says, “It was a distinct honor and privilege that our representatives all attended to offer their views and perspectives on the regional and northern California water challenges and opportunities with the new Trump Administration.”

Kingsbury highlights many regional and statewide water challenges in his newest blog. He concludes, “It is crucial we have the collective wisdom, vision, and commitment to do our part, which should be to present solutions and not complaints or problems. It is imperative that we rally around and support our local, state, and federal representatives in this effort. Only by setting aside differences and working with our representatives to implement comprehensive water management solutions will this region have any chance to achieve long-term water reliability for the foreseeable future.”

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWCRB) is currently developing regulations to manage water supplies. More about the public comment period on the regulations was published here. In his blog Kingsbury calls on the SWCRB to review science developed by the Delta Independent Science Board (Delta ISB) noting five main reasons native Delta fish have become endangered: habitat alteration and loss, resource use and exploitation, invasive species, pollution, and climate. In light of those findings Kingsburg says releasing stored water from local reservoirs “should be deemed a waste and unreasonable use of water.” He notes the pulse flows take water “from the drought-stressed northern California tributaries to help the endangered species in the Delta with little or no regard to the impacts to the Sierra region’s ecosystem, its endangered aquatic plant and animal species, including endemic and migrating species that are already stressed by forest fires and drought.” More about the Delta and its impact on regional water are in Kingsbury’s blog Draining The Sierra Nevada Headwaters here.