Thursday, May 20, 2010

Water WARS

What this expression really means? It describes the dispute between water agencies over water rights, that is, the right of a user to use water from a water source such as rivers, streams, lakes or groundwater.

In California, especially in arid areas where irrigation is practiced, disputes and conflicts over water rights are often more complicated and contentious. The fundamental controversy surrounding California’s water is one of distribution, over both, distance and time, combine with conflicts between competing interests over use of available supplies.

About seventy five percent (75%) of the water supply originates in the northern third of the State (north of Sacramento), while eighty percent (80%) of the demand occurs in the southern two-thirds of the state. Moving water over great distances has created intense rivalries in California which have divided the state into north against south, east against west, environmentalists against developers, and agriculture against cities.

To make the matter worst, drought conditions and environmental regulations have resulted in reduction of water allocations to the San Joaquin Valley (Central CA), rich agriculture region producing over 50 percent of the fruits and vegetables that supply the USA. Large amounts of fresh water are diverted away from these communities, as environmentalists believe pumping water from the Delta (Northern CA) to irrigate farmland harms fish on the endangered species list, like the smelt and chinook salmon.

Less water has kept an area the size of Rhode Island out of production, resulting in a 40 percent unemployment rate in the certain communities of the region and increased prices at the grocery stores.

It is increasingly apparent that there is not enough water for everyone to do all the things they want and in the long term the only sustainable form of water management are better use per drop of water, water reuse, more efficient technology, broad and participatory dialogue between water and civil society groups dealing with issues such as water quantity, quality, economic development and hydroelectric power.

The highly complex and sensitive nature of water availability, use, and allocation requires strong, capable mechanisms and institutions to negotiate and balance competing interest and to manage this vital resource. The existence of such mechanisms and institutions is a critical factor influencing intra-state relations over water.