How California can chart new approach to solve water woes

For all of his accomplishments, when it comes to water issues, Gov. Jerry Brown is leaving Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom with a mess. What’s needed is a paradigm shift — a change in the conversation that doesn’t pit Northern California vs. Southern California and environmentalists against farmers and urban dwellers.

Consider: What if Newsom borrowed a page from Brown’s climate change playbook, which called for a big move away from coal and oil in favor of renewable and green energy?

What if, instead of seeking to build more dams or find new ways to divert more water from California’s rivers, Newsom focused on how we can conserve water and create vast new supplies of renewable water through increased recycling, new treatment plants, additional gray water systems, efficient irrigation systems, large-scale stormwater capture and more.

That’s leadership. And it would leave a far greater legacy than Brown’s ill-conceived Delta twin-tunnels plan, which would cost $19.9 billion but wouldn’t add a drop of new water to California’s limited supply.

Newsom can start by making his position clear at a pivotal State Water Resources Control Board meeting rescheduled for Dec. 11. The board is scheduled to vote on a proposal to substantially increase water flows in the San Joaquin River and its tributaries from as low as 10 to 20 percent to 40 percent of natural flows.

It’s the only way to preserve the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta estuary for future generations. The San Joaquin River now runs dry in places during the summer months. The San Joaquin, Merced, Stanislaus and Tuolumne rivers need increased flows to help restore the health of the Delta, the largest estuary west of the Mississippi.

The meeting was rescheduled from last Wednesday after Brown and Newsom sent a letter asking for the delay.

The fear is that pressure from agricultural and municipal leaders will cause the board to reduce the flows to only 30 or even 20 percent of natural flows, increasing the amount of water available for irrigation and urban residents. San Francisco may be one of the municipalities pressuring its former mayor to allow more water to be taken from the Tuolumne, which provides nearly 15 percent of the city’s supply.

Newsom should tell the board to stand firm. It’s not only in the best interests of the state’s water future but also is consistent with his desire to resist President Trump’s effort to roll back crucial California environmental protections.

The president has trashed environmental regulations and directed federal agencies to do everything possible to increase water exports from the Delta. Trump has zero credibility when it comes to having any idea of the science of California water issues. This is a man who famously claimed that water “diverted into the Pacific Ocean” had inhibited the state from fighting Northern California wildfires.

If Newsom wants to signal that it’s a new day in California and that he has the leadership skills to set a new course for the state, announcing a new approach on water issues is a great place to start.