2. About ACWA
Who We Represent . . .
ACWA members responsible for
90% of the state’s distributed
water
Water Sources & Services
Federal, state and local projects
Surface and groundwater
Agricultural, urban, industrial
customers
Wholesale, retail
90%
3. Water in the News
Agricultural sector
taking a hit
Drought is accelerating
land subsidence
Drought fueling
massive fires
6. 2015 Drought: FourYears and Counting
First-ever statewide
mandated water use
reductions in effect
Australian-style
“Millennium Drought”
Drought impacts will
become more severe with
each year
93% Severe
71% Extreme
46% Exceptional
U.S. Drought Monitor – Oct. 6, 2015
7. Some Good News:
Better Prepared For DroughtThan Ever Before
Huge local and regional
investments in past two
decades
Statewide GPCD reduced
Substantial investments in
regional storage
Increased water marketing
We were prepared!
8. Overall Drought Management Strategy
Reduce “ornamental”
water use
Protect water use in
economic production,
both urban and
agricultural
Overwhelming popular
support for this strategy
9. Managing the Drought
Emergency regulations,
mandatory conservation
Save OurWater public
education campaign
Increased water marketing to
move water where its needed
Substantial local/regional
investments have protected
state’s overall economy
10. Save OurWater Program Helping
Partnership between ACWA
and Brown Administration
$11 million budget for
2014/2015 with extensive
TV, radio, digital advertising
“Fix it for Good” campaign
focused on long term
changes
11. 2015 Drought: KeyTakeaways
Urban Sector
Local, regional investments
have paid off, big time!
Economy largely shielded
from impacts
Regional cooperation,
conservation efforts are
working
The “real” story of this
drought may be the
resilience of our economy
Source: PPIC, August 2015
12. 2015 Drought: KeyTakeaways
Agricultural Sector
Groundwater pumping,
water transfers staving off
major losses
550,000 acres fallowed
(6% of total acreage)
Overall ag economy
showing resilience
Pumping is accelerating
subsidence
Source: PPIC, August 2015
13. 2015 Drought: KeyTakeaways
Some rural
communities at risk
2,000+ dry
domestic wells
already
100+ small water
systems in
trouble
Source: PPIC, August 2015
14. 2015 Drought: KeyTakeaways
Ecosystems at
severe risk
18 fish could face
extinction
Permanent loss of
conifer forests
Waterbird mortality
Source: PPIC, August 2015
15. 2015 Drought:Will El Niño Save Us?
Projections point to
fierce El Niño
Same class as 1982-
83 and 1997-98
16. What if Drought Goes into 2016 or
Beyond?
“Raise the Bar” on urban
conservation
Increase reliance on the
market
1991 DroughtWater Bank
Australian experience
As the drought threatens
the economy, market
forces preferred to state
regulation
17. What About LongerTerm?
Implement the plan
the governor has
put on the table
Drought need not
impair the California
economy, if we stay
prepared
18. CaliforniaWater Action Plan
“In a Nut Shell”
1. Conserve more
2. Store more
3. Fix the Delta
4. Manage
groundwater
5. Provide safe
drinking water
6. Invest in habitat
and watersheds
19. Key Areas of Focus for 2015
Improving Water
Transfers/Marketing
Investing in Storage
Implementing SGMA
Investing in Habitats and
Watersheds
California WaterFix
20. ImprovingWaterTransfers / Marketing
Critical to drought management /
long-term policy
Policy Principles approved by ACWA
Board in July
Objective: Bold action plan in early
2016 to enhance the water market
Intense cooperation with Brown
Administration / EDF
21. Investing in Storage:
Above and Below Ground
We increased storage
capacity by 4 MAF+ in
past 20 years
We need to do at least
that in the next 20
years
Integrating storage /
other investments will
be key
22. Implementing SGMA
SGMA requires:
GSAs by 2017
GSPs by 2020/2022
Sustainable GW basins
by 2040/2042
ACWA working with
DWR / locals
2016 report on
replenishment water
will be a big deal
23. Investing in Habitats andWatersheds
Improving
conditions
upstream will
have benefits
downstream
Widespread
treatment for fire
suppression
Coalition working
in D.C. for better
forest
management
25. Fixing the Delta
Major emphasis of Brown
Administration
HCP/NCCP under
development since 2006
Move the intakes to reduce
conflicts with species
Restore ecosystems and
habitats
Failure of Plan A (HCP) shows how tough
it is to do the coequal goals
26. A NewApproach: CaliforniaWaterFix
Former BDCP split into two plans:
CAWaterFix and CA EcoRestore
DWR/USBR change petition requests
new diversion points on Sac River for
project
Intakes would connect to two tunnels
that move water by gravity to
pumping facilities nearTracy
Public comment process expected
this fall
27. A ComprehensiveApproach
If we focus on the
Delta alone, all we
will have is an
argument
Sometimes you have
to grow a problem to
solve it
Delta solutions make
the most sense in the
context of statewide
policy
Hub of the system
28. How Important is a Delta Fix?
A Delta Fix, if implemented, makes the other elements
of the plan work better:
The market works better
Storage works better
SGMA implementation works better
Watershed investments work better
Habitat works better
29. The Future of CaliforniaWater
In California, like
Texas, it matters
how programs are
packaged
Delta fix alone
Comprehensive
package for all
Californians