Governor’s choice is key to providing clean water for all

California’s drought highlights the importance of an appointment sitting on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk — filling the final seat on the State Water Resources Control Board. This is a critical agency appointment at a critical time.

The drought highlights many inequities in California water policy.

Disadvantaged communities in Stockton face the prospect of a drought summer plagued by harmful algae blooms in Delta rivers. Those algae outbreaks, which can harm children and kill pets, are caused by excessive nutrients and inadequate freshwater flow. Think what it means for a parent to be afraid for their child’s health if they swim in a river on a hot summer day.

Central Valley communities that rely on groundwater for their drinking water face twin challenges. First, their groundwater has been contaminated by decades of fertilizer overapplication on neighboring farms. Second, during the drought, neighboring farmers with deeper wells may pump their town’s wells dry.

In Southern California, people often look to Santa Monica Bay when thinking about water quality. But for many Angelenos, the Los Angeles River is the body of water in their backyard. Many of the communities along the river are disadvantaged communities of color. Those communities see the restoration of the L.A. River as a key to their economic future and quality of life. But the river is severely polluted. Without water board efforts to clean up pollution, efforts to restore habitat and build parks and riverside trails will be hamstrung.

Make no mistake, water pollution is holding these communities back.

The salmon fishing industry and Native American tribes face the prospect of another drought disaster if the Bureau of Reclamation drains too much cold water from Shasta Dam. That could mean lethal water temperatures for juvenile salmon this fall — and lost fishing jobs and tribal resources in following years.

The state water board is a key decisionmaker on these issues. That’s why the appointment of the board’s fifth member is so important.

Last year, the board launched a new racial equity initiative. The appointment of a person committed to equity and addressing imbalanced water policies could help move the board forward. The wrong appointment could lead to paralysis.

California’s water regulators face tough challenges, including inequitable water policies, lingering pollution — particularly in disadvantaged communities — and collapsing fish species, all of which are exacerbated by climate change. To give the board a fighting chance to successfully tackle them, the governor should appoint a new board member with demonstrated commitment to equity and deep experience working directly with disadvantaged communities, not a business-as-usual candidate who consults with polluters more than with California’s most vulnerable residents. This appointment will not end the drought, nor will it instantly clean up our rivers or resolve inequities. But the right appointment can help realize California’s goal of ensuring the human right to water.

The Legislature is aware of the challenges facing the board and the inequities in our current water policies. This is why Assemblyman Robert Rivas, DHollister, introduced AB 377, to give the water board new tools to deliver clean water to all Californians. But strong laws require strong appointments to deliver results.

Nationwide, the past year has seen a growing focus on equity. In a complex society, inequity takes many forms and appears in many areas. In California, where it is often said that water is life, water is one of those areas. All Californians deserve clean water. And by appointing a state water board member committed to reversing the inequities in our water policies, Newsom can help California take an important step toward ensuring clean water for all.