S.F. must share water

San Francisco needs to protect and share California’s most precious and vital resource. That means working with the State Water Board to reduce the amount of water the city takes from the Tuolumne River at certain times of the year in order to help restore the San Joaquin River, ensure the survival of our iconic West Coast salmon and the health of the San Francisco Bay, as well as maintain predictable water deliveries.

Mayor London Breed vetoed a resolution on Friday after the Board of Supervisors split with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission over the state’s proposed Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The board sided with the state (although it appears seven supervisors now have reversed their views) and the PUC opposed the plan, leaving the city’s two most powerful bodies at odds.

The mayor said she feared the resolution would jeopardize the city’s legal options as negotiations continue in Sacramento. It also embarrassed her, five months into her first term.

The state, which has been discussing the plan for a decade, has scheduled the final vote for Wednesday. Then it will move on to develop a similar plan for the other major river, the Sacramento.

While it remains to be seen what will come next, one thing is clear: San Francisco cannot continue diverting water as it has from the Tuolumne River, a tributary of the San Joaquin. Climate change is affecting precipitation — we may have more drought, less snowpack, and even too much rain to handle at times. The state needs to rethink statewide water use and carve out a share for the environment now.

In San Francisco, this goes well beyond installing low-flow shower heads: We need to diversify water supplies, including developing more groundwater storage and use — just as the other 57 counties are doing.