Across the western United States, both policymakers and citizens must change their ways to conserve what little water remains in the rivers, streams and aquifers. Here in California, we are bearing the brunt of the drought’s effects. Earlier this week, the California State Water Resources Control Board imposed a series of new sanctions to combat residential water waste. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Board gave local cities the power to impose fines of up to $500 per day for people who allow runoff from outdoor sprinklers, hose down sidewalks or driveways, or who wash their car with a hose that does not have a nozzle with a shutoff valve. Clearly the drought has gotten to a point where we need to think more creatively about finding more reliable water supplies for the long-term. Until this point, the general public has had an aversion towards the large-scale use of recycled water. But could the drought change this mindset? In this piece, I will discuss the potential uses for this sometimes overlooked water supply and address how the drought may change this mindset. Continue reading
Author Archives: Jeff Simonetti
How is the Drought Affecting California’s Water Rights?
Over the last few weeks, the Journal of Water has posted a few very interesting articles about the challenges to California’s water rights. In particular, local irrigation districts in Central California and the State Water Resources Control Board have gotten into arguments over whether the most senior water rights can be curtailed in a time of drought. According to a Modesto Bee article, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) may this month curtail more junior water rights from drawing water. The SWRCB argues that they need to take this measure in the midst of unprecedented drought to protect the most senior water rights holders. The irrigation districts and the water rights holders are concerned that this move will lead to water rights curtailments of even the most senior rights in the state. At this point in California, there is clearly not enough water to satisfy all of the claims to water in the state. Until Mother Nature provides us with more rain, we have to determine who should receive water, and how much. In this piece, I will address the issue of water rights law in the state and how this may play out if the severe drought continues. Continue reading
Nevada’s Drought Crisis
Talk about an interesting unintended consequence of the drought – in Wildhorse and Willow Creek Reservoirs in Elko County, Nevada, the Department of Wildlife has lifted all fish catch limits. The Department of Wildlife is concerned that as the water levels in these reservoirs fall, oxygen levels will decrease further causing a massive fish kill during the summer. This summer will be the second year in a row that Nevada lifted fishing limits due to drought, and the drought in Nevada is in its third year. Nevada relies on rainfall to support everything from tourism and construction in Las Vegas to agriculture in the more rural areas of the state. However, for the last three years, Mother Nature has been uncooperative. In this piece, I will review some of the challenges that Nevada faces as well as the steps the state can take to address the long-term challenge of water shortage. Continue reading
Why we all need to Care About Drought in the West
Last week, I wrote a post about how water politics helped to shape the primary elections in Nebraska. Nebraska, like many areas in the Western and Midwestern United States is facing a prolonged drought. The drought has an effect on everything from fracking policies to the prices that you pay in the grocery store. In today’s world, we are more inter-connected than ever – a change or a hiccup in one region or market can quickly have ripple effects in another area. We have to look no further than the housing crisis that led to the recession in 2008 for an example of this phenomenon. A crash in the US housing market caused much more global pain due to the incredible interconnectivity our modern financial systems have. The water industry and related fields such as agriculture and oil services are no different. Drought in one part of the world (namely the Western United States) can have a dramatic effect on policies and the prices of everything from groceries to oil. In this piece, I will focus on the drought in the Midwestern United States, and why we should care about its effects. Continue reading