California lawmakers face an epic moment in the state's wrangling over water. They now are mulling an imperfect but much-needed package of reforms for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and state water use.
If approved with a reasonable amount of funding, this package holds promise for kick-starting restoration of the Delta, improving monitoring of groundwater, financing new water storage and reducing wasteful water practices and illegal diversions of water.
The package would also ensure a full study of new ways for moving water through and around the Delta, including construction of a canal.
California last faced such stark choices in 1982: Voters were asked to approve a peripheral canal that a divided Legislature had authorized two years before. Voters rejected it.
We can't let this opportunity pass this time. The status quo has not served anyone's interests. The Delta has continued to decline. Fish are in decline. Farm districts and cities have seen water deliveries reduced. The federal courts are threatening to take over the management of water in the Delta.
Take a step back and examine the larger picture. Delta levees continue to erode. More could collapse in an earthquake. Efforts to restore wetlands, an essential filter and form of habitat in the Delta, have been fitful. Not enough work has been done to ensure efficient use of urban water supplies.
The package isn't perfect. But for California to make any progress on water, there must be compromise. The bottom line is this policy package is a vast improvement over the status quo.
Failure to modernize the state's water policies could mean another generation of frustration, litigation and agriculture on the decline.
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