Operation Unite is about bringing people together to solve water problems. Chime in and contribute to uniting efforts to solve problems.
Developing the California water portfolio with an increase in water recycling and reuse is a strategy that builds resiliency in California during severe droughts. It will lessen California’s dependency on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and create a cleaner, more healthy environment. The most favorable water supply is a locally-controlled source that is abundant and close-by; recycled water.
"WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TOO MANY WELLS GO DRY IN A COMMUNITY?" OPERATION UNITE IN COOPERATION WITH KVMR 89.5 FM HAS SCHEDULED THE SECOND LIVE RADIO BROADCAST DISCUSSING THE CONSEQUENCES OF A COMMUNITY LOSING ITS GROUNDWATER RESOURCE.
A Round Table Discussion is scheduled for Monday, July 13, 2015, beginning 6 PM and ending 7:10 PM PST on KVMR 89.5 FM. Guests include Supervisor Frank Mecham of San Luis Obispo County, Tom Tebb, Director of the Washington Department of Ecology, Jim Schwab, Manager of the American Planning Association Hazards Planning Research Center and Vic Ferrera, Nevada County Operation of Emergency Services.
The live broadcast can also be listened to live on www.KVMR.org/player.
The Studio Call-in Phone Number is (530) 265-9555.
Questions and comments will also be taken through Periscope.tv. We encourage you to download the App for Periscope.tv before the broadcast. Periscope.tv gives you access behind the scenes in the studio.
An extended question and answer session is scheduled on Periscope.tv immediately after the live broadcast ends.
Operation Unite® is nearing the end of its 30-day pilot public facilitation project in Nevada County. Go to our Operation Unite® Facebook site and find out some of the things that have occurred.
We have been raising awareness and dialogue on the Central Valley farming issue, the concerns in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the need for groundwater management in the Paso Robles watershed in San Luis Obispo County, the need for groundwater management in all the foothill and mountain communities of California and California’s efforts to conserve, recycle and reuse water throughout the state. We have been interviewing the movers and shakers in California, Washington, Colorado and other regions in the world and have placed their efforts in front of the California public to see. The effort of these people demonstrates that we will always have water working together.
We have had daily presence on radio stations in Nevada County with broadcasting of talk shows, roundtable discussions, public announcements and our Water is a Many Splendor-ed Thing short segments. Local television has been broadcasting our Faces in the Drought series to the northern regions of the Sacramento, Placer, Nevada and Yuba counties. Newspaper articles regarding water have been published in local newspapers. Citizens from all around have shared drought tips. Everyone is working together.
Come, visit Operation Unite’s Facebook page and see what has been happening and what is scheduled during the final five days of the project. We believe what we say; "We will always have water working together." You can bank on that!!
"We will always have water working together". The audience at the California World Fest 2015 got this message through Operation Unite® stories of real experiences occurring in the Central Valley of California, Afghanistan, Yemen, eastern Washington state, New Dehli and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Actions worth practicing include enhancing our ability to adapt and collaborate, become more resourceful and Know Your Water® conditions. Ground truth all the details and spend a lot of face time with everyone. Don't leave anyone out of the discussion.
Drought and fire are definitely connected. The Lowell (Nevada County) and Wragg (Napa County) fires are a reminder of the wide consequences that a water limited year can bring to an area. It is so important to prepare mitigations and responses to water supply limits and fire. Thank you to all the firefighters, support personnel and the American Red Cross and other humanitarian groups for being our front line to California fires.
Let’s prepare, rain or shine, for drought and fire mitigation. It takes proactive actions to save lives, save money and minimize disruption of the everyday life in California. No action is just not worth it.
Dr. Lori Johnson, urban planner and disaster preparedness consultant, considers business planning to be just as important as conserving water during a drought. During long-term droughts, local businesses (large and small) may opt to move their operations to where water is abundant. That would be devastating. Planning is key.
Ron Milligan, Bureau of Reclamation, has the difficult task of managing the distribution of water throughout the state in a fair and equitable manner. I spoke to Ron during the last drought (2009) and learned of the multiple use approach to getting the most bang for the buck for every gallon of water.
Ultimately, water that is available and water that has been promised needs to come into balance. Bill Jennings, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, shares his perspective on solving California’s water challenges:
We live in a world of limits;
Most people are good and
We all need to tighten our belts.
Lack of water can create a domino effect of changes in social and economic conditions. Mayor Silva in Mendota, California has seen, first hand, the impacts to his citizens. Limited work equates to minimal income available for buying food for farm worker families. The food bank and other resources make life bearable through this summer in Western Fresno County but it is not the chosen life circumstance of the farm workers or farmer. They are used to sixteen hour days of farm work and find satisfaction seeing the fruits of their labor manifest into sustenance for communities across the country.
They feel their work is important and recognize that working together will help all of us adapt to a healthy future. It starts now.
Effective rainwater harvesting can be successful in California if we learn to reduce our outdoor water needs in rural and urban residential settings. The greatest drawback is the length of the dry season in California. Adapting to more focused irrigation methods, choosing outdoor vegetation that use less water and supplementing outdoor watering with water reuse can produce a victory for all Californians. The added benefit is on-demand water that can be used to fight fire. Incorporating rainwater harvesting can be a game changer that erases today’s domestic drought casualties.
It takes a committed effort to build capacity within a public that thrives in changing water conditions. Growing a commitment by the public requires an investment that makes the impossible possible. Time and consistency for growing resiliency is key. Choose a program that facilitates cooperative and adaptive efforts for managing collective and personal water supplies. Elected representatives will benefit by a supportive and engaged public. We all will.
The water user is a main stress on groundwater aquifers or any water resource so the water user is a fundamental player in both mitigations and responses that will return the resource to its sustainable level. It doesn’t matter if the drought goes another year or longer. Drought will always be visiting the western U.S. and we need to do things different. Let’s get together. We can do this.
Drought monitoring started in 1999 and is reported on a weekly basis for the entire U.S. This data is an “eyes and ears on the ground” monitoring program that is illustrated through maps made available to the public and scientists for studying drought across the country. Drought slowly creeps up on us. We need to respond to drought as soon as possible. Delayed responses to drought usually generate more pain for a community. Mark’s Drought Monitor program is an effective tool for managing drought.
Steve emphasizes everyone to learn to use less water. We in the U.S. can save a lot of water and still be very comfortable. Rainwater harvesting is a main tool that can help us supplement our groundwater supplies. Australia was very successful in applying rainwater harvesting to specific regions of the country.
The most intensive water use room in the house is the bathroom so install low flow toilets, taps and shower heads (27% of domestic water use). Repair any leaks occurring on your property (1.5% of domestic water use) and reduce your outdoor irrigation (usually half a property’s water use, at least). Lastly, pay attention to your farmers. Our food is the largest part of our water footprint. Pay attention to the issues that farmers are experiencing when producing the essential fruits and vegetables that you eat. California provides an enormous percentage of food to our country and parts of the world. Support their efforts to provide the necessary water in a manner that safeguards the water resources of the region. Responsible growing, responsible stewardship to the natural resource.
Adapting water demand to water availability is the keystone behavior that dials in groundwater sustainability. If you change one parameter (water use, time of use, location of use), everything else changes to reach a new equilibrium. It’s dynamic! That’s why we need a dynamic groundwater management program. Working together makes this easy. Let’s talk.
Making groundwater decisions cannot be made blindly. Water quality and water levels are important information that is needed to guide water users in making good groundwater decisions. Ground truth our groundwater conditions and let the data drive our management responses. It’s more than possible. It’s fundamental. Let’s do it now.
Enhanced groundwater recharge accompanied with groundwater storage monitoring is more than half the solution. It is simple. It is fundamental! Give your aquifer a big gulp. Ahhhhh, that’s satisfying! Now, it’s time to balance the equation!
The American Groundwater Trust came to Stockton, California to educate groundwater users in the Central Valley on protecting the integrity of their wells through effective maintenance of old and new wells. Important stuff considering the cost of a new well can easily exceed a million dollars.
Longevity of a healthy well starts with its design criteria and construction. Once it is built, the well must be developed. Well development is an often under achieved step in maximizing a well’s ability to pump clean, clear and abundant groundwater at the least cost. Equally valuable is the commitment to complete a time-based maintenance approach instead of a “let’s wait until our well barely pumps an adequate discharge rate”.
The mantra that I repeatedly heard was, “Complete maintenance on your well at a frequency that removes incrustation, biofilm and siltation before it has time to harden.” The return on investment will be easily demonstrated in your pocket book when you see your electricity bill reduced and your pump living all nine of its lives.
The groundwater utilizing public will only sustain its water management adaptation skills by continuous public facilitation focused on water conservation, rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, aquifer reporting and sharing public management successes every year. The bonus years will be the water abundant years. Droughts will be easily managed. Get ready and go, rain or shine. It makes all the difference in the world.
The water utilizing public will work together most effectively when there is a simple common goal that is approached through common community values. We will always have water working together. Say that three times and then call Operation Unite®.
What is it worth to have a warning method that tells you that the stock market is about to drop? I thought so. It’s worth a lot to me too.
It is also worth knowing if your groundwater supply is going dry before it happens. Manage your water supply by starting a Know Your Water® program membership and a Neighborhood Water Alliance program in your community. Managing your groundwater supply can make a bad situation just go away. Pick up the phone.
