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California’s Water: A Crisis We Can’t Ignore
California’s Water – A Crisis We Can’t Ignore
Most of us don’t think about what it takes to get water to our homes. As long as water flows when the tap is turned on, everything is fine. But California is facing a serious water crisis, with very real problems….
* The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a key natural estuary and the pathway through which more than 25 million Californians and 2.5 million acres of farmland receive their water, is in an ecological crisis that threatens people and the environment.
* A federal court recently ordered a massive water supply reduction, potentially the largest in California history, to protect an endangered fish.
* California’s water supply and delivery system is aging and vulnerable to a major earthquake or flood.
* California is facing severe drought conditions, with 2007 ranking as a record dry year in some regions.
* Water reserves are dangerously low and likely could not see us through a major disaster.
* Climate change poses serious challenges as sea levels rise and our mountain snow pack diminishes.
* Farmers have already stopped planting some crops as water supply uncertainties grow.
Although Californians have made great strides in water conservation, the collective impacts of drought, climate change, supply reductions and potential natural disasters mean conservation alone will not solve this crisis…it’s simply not enough. We cannot afford to ignore these problems.
The Association of California Water Agencies, a coalition of 450 public water agencies, wants you to know the facts about California’s water crisis. Learn more at www.calwatercrisis.org.
