California Dreaming: Sustainable Water Management or Chaos? Dr. Jeff Loux, Director, Land Use and Natural Resources, University of California Davis

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1 California Dreaming: Sustainable Water Management or Chaos? Dr. Jeff Loux, Director, Land Use and Natural Resources, University of California Davis

2 Brief context for water allocation in California Physical and geographic Legal and Policy Institutional Planning New Directions in California Water Supply Reliability Alternative Approaches to Water Allocation The Sacramento Regional Water Forum Lessons Learned Topics

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4 Temporal and Geographic Variability Temporal variability Mediterranean climate May to October dry season; highly variable timing of wet season rainfall and snow fall Frequent extended drought: ; ; 77; ; 92; 2007? Complex guessing game with rainfall, snowmelt, runoff, timing, storage and climate change We use a 75 year hydrologic record, but there is no average year; we have to look at wet, normal, dry and critically dry and multiple dry years 130 million acre feet of runoff in a flood year like 1995, 35 million acre feet of runoff per year in

5 California s s Water Use (million-acre feet) Average Drought Average Drought Water Use Urban Agricultural Environmental TOTAL Supplies Surface Water Groundwater Recycled & Desalted TOTAL Shortage

6 Historically, where does California get its water? Over 1200 dams and reservoirs

7 Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Storing Water for San Francisco

8 Direct Surface Diversions from Rivers

9 Groundwater Use

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14 One of the Many Canals, Aqueducts and Water Systems Moving Water Hundreds of Miles From Where it Falls to Where it is Needed

15 The conflict and competition is always about geographic distribution and dry year availability; water supply reliability is the key

16 Future Water Supplies and Demands 36 million to 50 million Californian s by 2030 (40% increase) Where: hotter, drier places like the Inland Empire, San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Region And, to make matters more challenging

17 Further Complications Groundwater contamination and overdraft impacts Increased environmental regulation and environmental water use Higher drinking water standards Hardening of supplies because of laudable conservation efforts; there is no fudge factor in the next drought Loss of 800,000 AFY from Colorado River Climate change Result: million acre feet annual shortfall

18 CA Mean Temperatures o F Source: Western Region Climate Center

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20 Snowpack Reduction Source: Scripps Institute of Oceanography

21 Sea Level Rise, Flooding and Levee Failure January 1, 2006, Twitchell Island

22 LEGAL CONTEXT Water as Commodity: Water Rights Water is treated as a commodity that can be bought and sold; but highly regulated Riparian Water Rights - use a reasonable amount on land adjacent to the stream Appropriative Water Rights - needs a permit to use specified amount, for a certain time period, for a specified use and place Groundwater Rights - rule of overlying capture Tribal or Pueblo Rights - on tribal lands or land grant claims

23 Water as a Resource: Environmental Laws to Protect Aquatic Resources 1969 California Water Quality Law (Porter-Colgne) 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, California Environmental Quality Act Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (Fed) 1973 Endangered Species Act (Fed) Clean Water Act Federal Safe Drinking Water Act Last major on-stream dam built Public Trust Doctrine 2000 Bay Delta Decision

24 Water Institutions are Complex Public and private Individual missions and decision- makers Federal and state water wholesalers and regulatory Urban, ag and mixed (even environmental) Water districts (of 10 types), water agencies, community service districts, cities, counties Over 1,000 purveyors in CA Over 2,500 other water related agencies for storm water, water quality, flooding, etc. super- regional, regional, city/county, local

25 PLANNING CONTEXT: A Hierarchy of Plans, Incentives and Regulations to Address Reliable Water Supply State Water Plan Integrated Regional Water Management Plans Urban Water Management Plans (every 5 years includes drought contingency, alternate water sources and conservation) Groundwater Management Plans (so called 3030 plans) Traditional Utility Master Plans State Bonds to Provide Incentives: Props 40, 50, 84 $100 billion over 15 years

26 New Directions in Water Reliability: Are the Emerging Water Sources More Sustainable?

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28 Agriculture to Urban Water Transfers Is this a wise policy? How should we assess third party impacts? What are the long term land use implications of these transfers?

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31 Desalination Plant in Santa Barbara

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33 Desalinated Water Issues Brine discharge Energy consumption trading water for dollars and greenhouse gases Siting in pristine coastal areas New infrastructure required to connect new source

34 Nontraditional off stream, off peak surface water reservoirs

35 Water Forum Sacramento Region, California, USA

36 Where is the Water Forum and the American River Watershed?

37 In the center of California just north of the extensive Sacramento/San Joaquin/Bay Delta

38 American River Watershed

39 The Lower American River is the focus of the plan

40 Conflict and Competition: The typical way water rights are assigned in the western U.S.! Water wars

41 Why the Water Forum is Different: Regional Collaboration Bring in all stakeholder organizations/interests in an interest-based negotiation; typically in conflict and litigation Regional, interdependent, comprehensive solutions add to political, legal and financial clout Extensive use of science, modeling and and risk/uncertainty management Other Examples: Sacramento Water Forum, Napa River, Truckee River, Yuba River Accord, Bay Delta Vision

42 Water Shortages During Droughts

43 Lower American River Habitat Threatened

44 Groundwater Quality and Reliability

45 Long Term Water Supply Reliability

46 Who are the Water Forum Stakeholders, and Facilitators?

47 40 STAKEHOLDER SIGNATORIES: Water Arden-Cordova Water District Cal American Water Co. Carmichael Water District Citrus Heights W.D. City of Folsom City of Roseville Clay Water District Del Paso Manor Co. W.D. El Dorado County W.D. El Dorado Irrigation District Fair Oaks W.D. Florin County W.D. Galt Irrigation District Georgetown Divide P.U.D. Natomas Mutual Water Company Omochumne-Hartnell W.D. Orange Vale Water Co. Placer County W.A. Rancho M urieta C.S.D. Regional Water Authority Rio Linda/Elverta W.D. Sacramento Suburban W.D. Sacramento County Farm Bureau San Juan W.D. Public City of Sacramento County of Sacramento League of Women Voters Sacramento County Taxpayers League Sacramento Co. Alliance of Neighborhoods Sacramento M unicipal Utility District Environment Environmental Council of Sacramento Friends of the River Save the American River Sierra Club M otherlode Chapter Business Associated General Contractors AKT Development Building Industry Assn. Sacramento Assoc. of Realtors Sacramento Metro. Chamber of Commerce Sac Sierra Bldg/Construction Trade Council

48 Collaborative Process 40+ signatories and many other partners 6 years of intensive collaboration ( ) followed by 30 years of implementation 4 primary interest-based caucuses: business, environmental, water supply and public Year 2000: detailed agreement signed

49 Two Coequal Objectives Agreed Upon Early and Referred to Often

50 Provide a reliable and safe water supply for the region s s economic health and planned development through the year 2030.

51 Preserve and enhance the fishery, wildlife, recreation, and aesthetic values of the Lower American River.

52 Water Forum Agreement - Seven Integrated Elements Each Linked and Interdependent on the Others

53 Increased Surface Water Diversions

54 PLANNED WATER USE FROM THE AMERICAN CURRENT DIVERSIONS = 216,500 AF (Based on 1995 Levels) PROJECTED DIVERSION = 481,000 AF (Through Year 2030) RIVER

55 Actions to Meet Customers Needs While Reducing Diversion Impacts in Dry Years

56 How to keep water in the river while still supplying customers water in dry years Dry year restriction agreements despite water rights Conjunctive use of ground water basins Updated flow standard (complex in stream flow strategy) Water conservation and recycled water use

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58 Conjunctive Use of Surface and Groundwater WATER DEMANDS Safe Yield Groundwater Surface Supply Increased Pumping Wet Above Normal Below Normal YEAR TYPE Dry Critical Dry following Critical

59 An Improved Pattern of Fishery Flow Releases From Folsom Reservoir

60 IN-STREAM FLOW OBJECTIVE Maximize annual production and survival of salmon and steelhead in the river

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63 Lower American River Habitat Management

64 Fish / River Habitat What s s being done? Proposed flow standard American River Management Group Folsom Dam operations modifications Voluntary reductions in water diversions Improved riparian habitat

65 Water Conservation and Recycled Water

66 Best Management Practices: Urban Water Conservation BMP #1 BMP #2 BMP #3 BMP #4 BMP #5 BMP #6 BMP #7 BMP #8 BMP #9 Water Audits Program for single-family and multi-family residential customers Residential plumbing retrofit Distribution system water audits, leak detection, repair Metering with commodity rates Large landscape conservation programs/incentives High-efficiency washing machine rebate programs Public information programs School education programs Commercial/industrial/institutional conservation programs BMP #10 Wholesale agency assistance programs BMP #11 Conservation pricing BMP #12 Conservation coordinator BMP #13 Water waste prohibition BMP #14 Residential ULFT replacement programs

67 Landscape Demand Management (Water Conservation) Water Use Summer Peak (Outdoor) Base Demand (Indoor) Jan May Sept Dec Month

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70 Local Water District Showing Lower Per Capita Water Demand Over Time Carmichael Water D istrict Gallons Per Capita Per Day Actual GPCD Projected GPCD Actual and Project GPCD

71 Recycled or Reclaimed Water May not be directly used for potable demands, but can meet many needs such as landscapes, parks, golf courses, industrial uses, cooling, toilet flushing, agriculture and public areas

72 Direct and Indirect Recycled Water Uses (toilets to tap or showers to flowers) Showers to Flowers Source: HDR, 2005

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75 Groundwater Management

76 Sustainable Yield= 131,000 AF Sustainable Yield= 273,000 AF Sustainable Yield= 115,000 AF

77 Water Forum Successor Effort

78 Lessons Learned Science (hydrology, biology), economics and modeling are key Negotiation expertise is key Stakeholder participation is key Institutions can adapt and change despite strong water rights and decision-making power Collaboration (and necessity) can spawn creativity Portfolio water management is the key: integrate conservation, reuse, conjunctive use, transfers, storm water capture are all part of the mix Adaptation to dry years and long term drought is adaptation to climate change

79 Big Questions Remain Modeling results using the 75 year record may be meaningless When pushed with a long drought, can the agreement endure? Under a triage scenario will environmental water give way to urban? Only addresses one issue (water supply) in a confined geography We are seeing institutional ossification