Underground water storage is needed
Despite an unusually wet season last year and predictions for a boisterous rainy season this year, California continues to struggle to store enough water to meet the needs of its population and farms. We've experienced two particularly grueling droughts in the last decade, with state officials repeatedly blaming climate change for the challenges.
We don't doubt that climate change is stressing our water systems. But state policy ought to prioritize resilience by building the storage we need to adapt to whatever climate conditions we will face.
Fortunately, Southern California water officials are getting the message.
News reports point to a $211-million underground storage facility in the Mojave Desert that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is currently building. The district this month completed the first phase of the High Desert Water Bank.
As the Los Angeles Daily News reported, “The water bank will take water directly from the East Branch of the State Water Project's California Aqueduct and move it into recharge basins, where it percolates into the underlying aquifer. When water is needed, it can be pumped out using newly built wells and delivered to Southern California communities through the California Aqueduct.”
The new underground storage facility, which can provide enough water for 210,000 households, will help the agency deal with mandated cutbacks in California's Colorado River supplies.
“We know that climate change will bring more of the dramatic swings between wet and dry that we saw over the last few years, so we must take every opportunity to store water when it is available,” MWD Chairman Adán Ortega Jr. told reporters.
That strikes the right note. California needs to store more water in wet years so we have it in dry ones.
Instead of only adopting policies designed to change the trajectory of the Earth's climate, California officials need to build the water-infrastructure facilities needed to adapt to climate realities.
They also need to expand dam capacity, permit more desalination facilities — and do whatever it takes to ensure that California has plenty of water.
Adam Schiff
Re “The junior senator did right thing” (Larry Wilson column, Oct. 29):
What started out as a very good and well-thought-out column wound up being nothing more than a political campaign ad for the biggest liar in the history of the House. Saying Adam Schiff has been a fantastic representative in the House of Representatives overlooks the obvious lies he told regarding Russia collusion and the “proof” he had to support all his lies. Where is the proof he promised? Russian collusion was investigated for years and proved to be a hoax. Schiff has yet to offer any proof of anything he said during the Trump presidency. It was Washington politics as usual. Where I once liked to read Larry Wilson's editorials and respected his opinion, I now realize he is nothing more than a Democrat hack who holds the party line at all costs and continues to spread disinformation. Larry, you're better than that. Anybody but Adam Schiff, even Katie Porter, is a way better choice.
Give Speaker Mike Johnson a chance
Right away, the vultures are circling, ready to swoop down and pick him apart.
The man is the newly elected speaker of the House and this paper can't help themselves. They have to print an article from The New York Times (Oct. 26) that criticizes Speaker Johnson for having the nerve to disagree with the view regarding climate change and fossil fuels that the majority of his party embraces. Is he not entitled to his own opinion? Is he not entitled to disagree? It seems that if a person dares to stand up for his/her beliefs, they are labeled racists, extremists — the list goes on. Give Speaker Mike Johnson a chance to bring Congress together so that by some miracle, it can get things done for the American people,
COVID-19 and Rand Paul
Re “Was Rand Paul right all along?” (Oct. 27):
Yes, Rand was right all along. He had a very difficult time expressing his view of the facts. The media crucified him and his educated facts on the COVID-19 issue. He was attacked at home and harassed in public because of his views and right to free speech. And still in America there is only one avenue of thought. Speaking an opposing idea freely garners some form of attack when you least expect it.