Crises as tipping points
Editor’s note: “Ukiah Valley Water 101” is a new column, written by local resident James Green. It will be published monthly in The Ukiah Daily Journal.
Ukiah Valley, we’ve arrived at a crisis level regarding our water supply. Wait, what? You haven’t heard? Well, that’s unfortunate.
Ukiah Valley gets its water from Lake Pillsbury through the Potter Valley Water Project, ul
timately dumping into Lake Mendocino, and water is pumped from wells tapping the underneath aquifers. All of these sources are replenished through rainfall. For the second consecutive rain season, rainfall is around 33 percent of average for this time of year. Cyclical droughts and floods dot the historical timeline here in our serene, picturesque valley.
However, with the growth of residential and agricultural demands, our water is now taxed at levels not sustainable with consecutive severe drought years. So here we go again. Our local water agencies are going to be asking for a voluntary reduction (~20 percent) from all of us as a starter. However, it will not end there.
Be prepared for some hard choices this summer, and for many, severe cutbacks in available water, like residents of Redwood Valley. This time around, the lack of water is bad. Very bad.
In the years 2000 and 2001, California suffered a major energy crisis. If you don’t remember “rolling blackouts,” good for you. They took a toll on everyone’s patience, put people’s health at risk, and had a devastating impact on the economy as almost every business requires electricity to produce anything or keep the doors open for retail. Prior to this, no one was paying attention. No one knew, nor cared, where electricity came from. Why? Because the lights and TV came on when we flicked the switch. The AC and refrigerator just worked….until they didn’t. The public became educated through the evening news and investigation over the next few months where their electricity came from, and how California can tap outside sources in case of electricity shortage. Energy saving measures like switching to a more efficient bulb, and buying “Energy Star” compliant appliances were hammered into us and became commonplace practices as the years followed. Solar panel system purchases skyrocketed, albeit, other factors contribute to this as prices for such systems continue to fall. We cannot do that for our water supply. We can’t make more water, nor tap an alternative source.
Instability of oil producing regions, and weather related events that cripple oil refinery capacity has had a similar effect. Gas prices surge, then all of a sudden, we’re paying attention again where gasoline comes from. We drive less or decide to buy a hybrid or all-electric vehicle, and industries tapping alternative fuels get a boost in investment and popularity. This doesn’t happen with our water supply. The rates we pay for water do not depend on the availability nor amount of stored water. For most, this creates a problem in itself because there is no crisis to generate the tipping point prior to inability to irrigate, or water not come out of our faucets.
So, what’s it going to take to shake us from our apathy? How do the numerous water districts and agencies in the valley tug on the ears of its 35,000 customers and say “WAKE UP!”? How do we all become more “proactive” in better management and conservation versus “reactive”? What is the tipping point here? our water here is an exhaustible, finite resource. It is a closed system with no desalination or aqueduct alternatives. We all need to act like it BEFORE the faucets and hoses run dry. We all share this responsibility.
James Green is a representative of Millview Water District, Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, Upper Russian River Water Agency JPA and a concerned citizen. I’m writing this column because after four years of reading about the Potter Valley Water Project, and previous droughts, I’ve seen almost no increase in citizen engagement. I’d like to see that change before it’s too late.