GROUNDWATER
What's your water backup plan? How can working together assure you of a sustainable water supply? What is a Neighborhood Water Alliance? Today's audio answers these questions!!
The importance of water in California is paramount in all activities present in each category of natural and modern civilized society. Such integrated uses and the high water demand that is felt during a drought can turn one Californian against another. Realizing our value for each other, especially during a drought, is fundamental to our success.
Dividing up water in California is a lot like sitting at the kitchen table and serving your favorite pie. Everybody wants a slice. If we find ourselves one slice short, we find a way to make it work. Food, water and habitat sit at this table and each is a part of the same family........ ours.
California can gain some valuable insight by watching what is happening in Texas. They have been experiencing an extreme drought (similar to California) and now the state has experienced record precipitation and flooding. This summer places all Californians in a state of readiness and action:
Minimize your water demand;
Reduce fire risk on your properties and support all fire response efforts in your community and
Provide your opinion and vote for state and federal levee projects and other flood prevention and response projects in California.
Operation Unite has scheduled a 30-day pilot public facilitation program starting June 22 through July 21, 2015. KVMR, KNCO, KAHI, Nevada County TV, local newspapers and Yubanet are working with Operation Unite to provide drought talk that focuses on helping the public understand the realities of drought impacts in their lives and discover that participation by each of us can cause our water vulnerabilities to disappear.
Today's talk begins with an overview of water levels in Shasta, Folsom, Lake Oroville and San Luis reservoirs and the possible meaning of observable water level trends. We will get through this year because groundwater is our buffer.
Satisfy your water supply needs and improve your ability to fight fire by;
Installing a holding tank to your groundwater well system;
Building a rainwater harvesting system and
Monitoring your groundwater levels and water quality through time.
Steve discusses components for improving water supply strategies for rural residential properties and small farms. The benefits gained by installing a holding tank and the investment in a designed rainwater harvesting system are worth their weight in gold. Be informed and take action now.
If the desert nation of Israel can thrive then a drought stricken California, we can do it too. The key for Israel's success is recycling waste water, building state-of-art desalination plants, improving irrigation efficiency and development of drought-tolerant crops. Israel uses 2.5 times less water per capita than Californians.
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.
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.