State needs more water storage – underfoot

6OP8GLEICK.JPG

Viewpoints: State needs more water storage � underfoot

By Peter Gleick

Special to The Bee

Published: Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 13A

The massive rains over the past month are both a blessing and a curse
for California. A blessing because we desperately need the water,
having just weathered a serious multi-year drought. A curse because
the intensity of rain causes serious problems with flooding, erosion,
landslides and contamination with pollutants from the land. And the
intensity of the rainfall causes another problem: Much of the excess
water runs off in ways that do not help natural ecosystems or provide
long-term benefits to our cities and farms.

Extreme weather is one reason we've built so much reservoir storage in
California � to help us limit the damage from flood events and to
store water we get in winter for use in dry periods. And California's
massive reservoir capacity has brought great benefits, although it has
also disrupted natural ecosystems, destroyed or harmed fish
populations, encouraged inappropriate development in floodplains, and
altered almost all of our natural river systems and deltas beyond
recognition.

So, we need more storage. But we do not need more surface storage. The
era of big new dams in California is over � indeed, it ended decades
ago. While it is possible that surface storage advocates could succeed
in finding places and money for one or two more dams, these dams will
not solve our water problems.

The good news is there is another, far better alternative: Intentional
and coordinated groundwater recharge. The largest unused storage
reservoirs available in California are the massive groundwater
aquifers that we over-pump in dry years. These aquifers can be
intentionally recharged in wet years, but we don't do that now, with
few exceptions. Indeed, on net, we are over-pumping groundwater,
drawing down our water bank account. This is unsustainable.

Every single major watershed in California should have a coordinated
program to intentionally capture flood flows and recharge groundwater
aquifers. Some innovative water districts, such as the Alta Irrigation
District on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, have been doing
this for decades and are expanding their efforts.

In wet periods, they spread excess water in small recharge ponds
scattered throughout the district and refills their groundwater. In
dry periods, when surface flows are inadequate, they pump groundwater
out to supplement supplies. Done right, this is a sustainable,
brilliant water-management tool.

It is time for the state of California, and every local watershed and
water district, to accelerate efforts to intentionally manage
groundwater withdrawals and recharge. This will require, at last,
comprehensive statewide groundwater law. And the only way this will
work is for the state of California to intentionally monitor, measure
and report on all groundwater uses. Without this fundamental tool, it
is too easy for uncontrolled groundwater pumping to destroy the public
common resource that we desperately need to help us through dry years.

So bring on more water storage � but the kind we have beneath our feet.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/08/3308379/state-needs-more-water-storage.html#ixzz1AftEJWoD
________________________________________________

You received this message as a subscriber on the list: dams@list.internationalrivers.org

To be removed from the list, please visit:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2486/unsubscribe.jsp