View From Sacramento Senator Fran Pavley Nature Needs Water Too The Los Angeles & San Gabriel...

View From SacramentoView From Sacramento

Senator Fran PavleySenator Fran Pavley

Nature Needs Water Too The Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council

& The Aquarium of the Pacific October 22nd 2009

3 Major State Water Issues3 Major State Water Issues

Climate ChangeClimate Change

DroughtDrought

DeltaDelta

The Climate Is ChangingThe Climate Is Changing

And The Water Picture Is ChangingAnd The Water Picture Is Changing

More Rain – Less SnowMore Rain – Less Snow Earlier Snow MeltEarlier Snow Melt More Variability – Wet/DryMore Variability – Wet/Dry More Extreme Events – Floods/DroughtsMore Extreme Events – Floods/Droughts Unknown Impact On Total PrecipitationUnknown Impact On Total Precipitation

Bottom Line: Bottom Line: Past Is Not A Guide To Future EventsPast Is Not A Guide To Future Events

Three Years Of Drought ... Three Years Of Drought ... And Counting?And Counting?

Even If Rains, We Are In A HoleEven If Rains, We Are In A Hole

Delta Is Not Meeting Delta Is Not Meeting The Needs of AnyoneThe Needs of Anyone

64% Chance of Multiple Levee 64% Chance of Multiple Levee Breaks Within Next 50 yearsBreaks Within Next 50 years

Legislative ResponseLegislative Response

Package of Bills To:Package of Bills To:

New Delta Stewardship New Delta Stewardship CouncilCouncil

New Delta PlanNew Delta Plan New Delta ConservancyNew Delta Conservancy Refocused Delta Refocused Delta

Protection CommissionProtection Commission New Delta WatermasterNew Delta Watermaster

New Water Conservation New Water Conservation RequirementsRequirements

Improved Water Rights Improved Water Rights Reporting/EnforcementReporting/Enforcement

New Statewide New Statewide Groundwater MonitoringGroundwater Monitoring

New Funding Sources – New Funding Sources – Bonds? Fees?Bonds? Fees?

This Will Help, But Not Solve, This Will Help, But Not Solve, LA Region Water ProblemsLA Region Water Problems

Climate Will Continue To ChangeClimate Will Continue To Change

Drought Drought MayMay Become New Normal Become New Normal

““Fixing” The Delta Will Take DecadesFixing” The Delta Will Take Decades

And, Something Unexpected And, Something Unexpected WillWill Happen Happen

EarthquakeEarthquake Catastrophic FireCatastrophic Fire Severe Storms/FloodsSevere Storms/Floods TsunamisTsunamis ToxicsToxics

So, So, What Should We Do?What Should We Do?

Improve Regional Self-SufficiencyImprove Regional Self-Sufficiency

Clean-Up Groundwater BasinsClean-Up Groundwater Basins Increase Groundwater StorageIncrease Groundwater Storage Capture & Reuse StormwaterCapture & Reuse Stormwater RecycleRecycle Tiered Water RatesTiered Water Rates Source Water ProtectionSource Water Protection ConservationConservation

There Is Still Much We Can DoThere Is Still Much We Can Do

Including Restoring The LA RiverIncluding Restoring The LA River

““Anne Frank said, Anne Frank said, ‘How wonderful it ‘How wonderful it

is that nobody is that nobody need wait a single need wait a single

moment before moment before starting to improve starting to improve the world.’ I agree. the world.’ I agree.

Let's start now.”Let's start now.”Dorothy Green, “A heartfelt plea for a Dorothy Green, “A heartfelt plea for a

sensible water policy,” LA Times, sensible water policy,” LA Times, October 8, 2008October 8, 2008