Managing the 15,000,000 U.S. Wells that People have Forgotten

Decentralized groundwater supplies are some of the most difficult areas to keep safe from contamination and over pumping. Over 15 million of these wells across the United States are supporting domestic water supplies and this is becoming a problem. The greatest obstacle in addressing this developing problem comes from the people that own and use that water. They don't feel vulnerable and they view regulatory oversight as an infringement on their rights (human or property). This equates to no pro-active actions, no contingencies and an unawareness that their water may be developing unhealthy chronic conditions in their family's health.

Stephen Baker of Operation Unite® had a great interview on “The Water Values” podcast with David McGimpsey. They discussed some of these issues and what to do about it.

David is an attorney working in the arena of water. He has created “The Water Values” podcasts primarily as a platform to launch a podcast about, you guessed it, water. Past interviews have included Pat Mulroy, former General Manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Las Vegas Valley Water District, Charles Fishman, author of the book “The Big Thirst” and Ken Mercer, American Water Works Association and Senior Manager of Technical and Research programs.

Click here and learn more about managing decentralized groundwater supplies in this great interview with David McGimpsey.

The Worst Time to Seek Regulatory Approval for Groundwater Use

The Worst Time to Seek Local and State Approval for Expanding Groundwater Demand is During a 5-Year Drought. But Ananda Village did it and Operation Unite® Helped.

OPERATION UNITE® DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
BUILDING PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY
ANANDA VILLAGE, NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

GOAL OF PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
The intent of this public relations project is four-fold:

1. To develop in the Ananda Village community an awareness of their real water conditions and vulnerability to water scarcity;
2. To educate Ananda Village residents and neighboring property owners of their management responsibilities and the management process being placed into the Ananda Village groundwater management plan; and
3. To educate and build confidence in the Nevada County and State agencies involved in reviewing and approving the expansion plan with respect to the groundwater supply of the community and neighboring citizens,
4. Creation of a monitoring program built on developing certainty in aquifer behavior understanding and a management plan that focuses on Ananda Village goals and protection of surrounding property owners.

COMMON COMMUNITY GOAL
The common community goal was to create and maintain a groundwater supply that does not create adverse impacts to neighboring properties while providing adequate water for the anticipated population at Ananda Village.
 
CORE COMMON COMMUNITY VALUES
The common community values at Ananda Village were characterized as:

• Honesty;
• Integrity;
• Good faith; and
• For the good of the whole.

STRATEGY
The Ananda Village strategy was built on transparency, demonstration of responsibility, respect and trust and best science.
The strategy was three-fold:

1. Provide Ananda Village overwhelming information on groundwater conditions, temporally and spatially, on the Ananda Village property that educates the regulatory community with supportive data and a groundwater management plan that creates a safety net for Ananda Village and surrounding land owners.
2. Create a continuous presence in the general public of Operation Unite® and its mission, the importance of water and the technical aspects that control water supply and environmental health for Nevada County and Ananda Village citizens.
3. Build an adaptive capacity within the Ananda Village community to respond to drought and lower personal and facility long-term daily groundwater use.

Implementation of the strategy was also facilitated by conducting near-continuous messaging at the Operation Unite®  Facebook page, Operation Unite®  website, Operation Unite®  weekly emails, weekly radio news, monthly radio news and community television (limited duration). These vehicles for messaging provided more general and broad view points related to groundwater use and management and community values.
 

TABLE 1. PUBLIC RELATIONSHIP BUILDING TOOLS USED IN THIS PROJECT

DATE                            NAME

May-1410-yr Fractured Rock Aquifer Study Presentation         

2015-2017Weekly News (liberal radio station)

2015-2017Monthly News (conservative radio station)

2015-2017Continuous Announcements Regarding Meetings with "Water Buffaloes" in Western States

2015-2017Meetings with Nevada County and State Regulatory Agencies on Project

2016-2017Operation Unite Website

2015-2017Facebook Page

2015-2017Newspaper Articles

May-15Climate Change Presentation

May-15Weekly Mailing

May-15Developed First Neighborhood Water Alliance Group

June-15Climate Change Video

June- August 2015Drought Tips

June- August 2015Know Your Water - Ananda Village Video

June-15Round Table (permit exempt wells, the individual)

June- September 2015Nevada County Community Television

June-15Special Guest at Farmers Market

July- August 2015Water Conservation Video

July- August 2015Ranching and Drought Video

July-15World Music Festival Presentation

July-15Round Table (permit exempt wells, the regulatory responsibility)

December-15Water Forum

March-16Round Table with Representatives from the Republican, Democratic parties and the Tea Party

June-16Presentation with the Democratic Party on Public Responsibility on Water Issues

October-16Meet the Experts Workshop

February-17ABC Channel 10 News Coverage of Ananda Village Groundwater Management

May-17Public Planning Commission Meeting

June-17Board of Supervisor Meeting

 
Extensive groundwater monitoring and frequent analysis in the study facilitated a best science demonstration of the active components of the Ananda Village technical program. The Ananda Village community and general public efforts are focused on education at the individual, neighborhood and community levels. An effort was made to expand contact with both oppositional and agreeable citizens and groups to the Ananda Village project.

PROGRAM OUTCOME
Outcomes that reflect Ananda Village program successes were recognized; 1) within the Ananda Village community, 2) the acceptance by the regulators in approving the expansion plan and groundwater management program for Ananda Village and lastly, 3) the minimal level of public push back experienced during the public planning commission meeting for the Ananda Village project.
 
Collaborative relationships were generated at three levels; regulatory, within the Ananda Village community and property owners surrounding Ananda Village.

The Operation Unite® relationship building program built transparency and a collaborative spirit with the regulating community overseeing the Ananda Village project. Local county staff turnover made it necessary to revisit the county multiple times.  This increased “face time” helped develop a positive, responsible working relationship between the groups. Concerns and needs by the regulatory community were addressed in detail and with vocal and written explanations. Modifications and adjustments were made as important points were raised by Ananda Village and the regulators. Operation Unite® and Ananda Village illustrated new ideas while simultaneously being attentive to the rigorous requirements that the regulatory oversight team had to navigate through and ultimately satisfy. County and State processes were respected and addressed directly and with competence by Ananda Village.
 
The Ananda Village community was charged with learning and exercising practices that reduced overall daily consumptive use of water per person. This was measured and compared to the mandatory reductions required by Governor Brown of California. Ananda Village reduced their water use by 36 percent compared to year 2013 water demand.
 
Surrounding property owners to Ananda Village were engaged directly and indirectly through the program. Broadcasts, emails, direct contact and community eventscreated good communication with the community, at large. Ultimately, oppositional positions regarding water supply were few during the public planning commission meeting. This was achieved by continued communication between Ananda Village and the surrounding property owners, trust building that had developed through interactions with Operation Unite® and Ananda Village, education in effective groundwater management and  earned public trust in Ananda Village’s intent to be “For the Good of the Whole” and consistent in “Acting in Good Faith.” Outward demonstration of the Ananda Village values resonated with the surrounding community.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This study was funded by Operation Unite® Founder Stephen Baker with donations from KVMR. Several data loggers were donated by Global Water Instrumentation, Incorporated or purchased by individual well owners. A special thanks to the U.S. Geological Survey for providing technical and experiential knowledge in the use and application of data loggers. Thank you also to all well owners that volunteered their wells for this study. In addition, expertise for well head modification design on volunteered wells was completed with skill and confidence by Ron Best. Thank you for all of your work.
 
Peter Goering, Ramu Atwell and Leah Kirk of the Ananda Village water department and their community demonstrated an exceptional commitment to looking at the facts, staying true to their community values and demonstrating the discipline and skill to reduce their water use. This was particularly apparent during the 5-year duration drought experienced in California.
 
The Nevada County Planning and Environmental Health departments provided an exemplary example of collaborative interactions necessary for satisfying state and local water supply requirements while optimizing the future vision pursued by Ananda Village.

The honest and enthusiastic San Juan Tax Payer’s Association is recognized for its commitment to the community, openness to new ideas and passion in building resiliency and a sustainable groundwater supply for all.
 
The public forum gained great credibility due to the contributions made by Chip Close of Nevada Irrigation District, Chris Paulus of Cal Fire, Vic Ferrera of Nevada County Operation of Emergency Services and local media. Sharing of drought tips and other water efficiency ideas was generously provided by Jim Gates of Nevada County Free Range Beef, Kyle at Fodder Farms, Ina Elrod of Penn Valley, Deb Fox for organizing and including Operation Unite® in the World Music Festival lecture series and the many contributors for the Drought Tips short segments. Gratitude is extended to over 200 people interviewed for Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing short radio segments from around the United States, India, Afghanistan, Yemen and South Korea. These individuals shared their intimate stories that touched the hearts and intellect of many listeners in Nevada and surrounding Counties.
 
Round table successes were directly accomplished because of efforts of Paul Emery and the KVMR staff and our knowledgeable and passionate guests; Garret McInnis, H2O to Go, John Becht, Craig Ruben, Jack Kuehn, Vic Ferrera, Nevada County Operations of Emergency Services, the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisor Frank Mecham, Tom Tebb, Washington Department of Ecology, Jim Schwab, American Planning Association and Atman Goering of Ananda Village.

Valuable discussions were provided by the Nevada County Republican, Democratic and Tea parties concerning awareness of water issues and suitable mitigation choices during a pre-election radio round table talk broadcast.  In addition, the Democratic Party provided a stage for Operation Unite® to educate its party on groundwater in the foothills and water for Californians.
 
Appreciation is also extended to the nearly 25 individuals that met numerous times to work out the details of the first Neighborhood Water Alliance program in Nevada County.
 
An additional thanks to the professional support provided by Darby Davenport and Cal McKitrick for documenting special events through the magic of their photographic eye. A very special person, Catherine Busch, who not only provided her gifted videography skills and art form but also critiqued Operation Unite® messaging through the eyes of a seasoned and very successful, award winning documentary producer. Thank you. Richard Miller provided his organization and people skills  as an administrator during radio round tables and Operation Unite® recording sessions on location and in the studio. Your participation made its positive impression.
 
Thank you also to Steve Baker and Paul Emery at KVMR radio station, Tom Fitzimmons at KNCO radio station, Nevada County Television members and staff, Brian Hamilton of The Union newspaper, Gil Dominguez of Touchdown Productions, Pasquale of Yubanet and the Nevada County Association of Realtors for their strong and consistent commitment to the community and water  issues impacting Nevada County.

Good things happen because good people ran with their passion and a common goal. Thank you to all.

Commit, Perservere and Accomplish

When building collaboration, choose leaders that inspire political and personal commitment and action. This many times is accomplished by building a broad-based involvement as you go and sustaining hope and encouragement through participation during the consensus building process. Foundations are made through hard work and time. There is no way around this.  Our issues of today may be different but the attributes for success are the same as they always have been; commit, persevere and accomplish.

Nearing Retirement of Many Water Professionals is Now a Benefit to Up-and-Coming Professionals

Solving our future’s water issues will require a professional workforce trained in the best science and an ethical code that is reflected by our communities, at large. What is being done to bridge the gap between the wave of water professionals that are now retiring and the next workforce that will carry the torch? How can future water professionals benefit by the wisdom and experience gained by our retiring professionals?

Operation Unite® has a programming department named, “Living Water®.” Living Water® has developed many different radio programs including the “Meet Your Mentor” program. The “Meet Your Mentor” program connects real mentors in the water industry with listeners who have interest in training and education in vocational and academic schools, finding a job, continuing education, ethics, education and dealing with setbacks experienced in the industry. Our goal is to build bridges and relationships between up and coming water professionals and experienced water professionals currently active or retired. There are many different water-related fields and Living Water® is launching the first two right now; Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology.
 
Visit Operation Unite® at www.operationunite.co/ or go directly to http://www.operationunite.co/blogs/ , choose a mentor page and listen to the radio programs. You have two mentors to choose from; Robert Trousil, Civil Engineer/Hydrogeologist/Hydraulic Engineer working for the Alaskan Department of Transportation and Robert Campbell, Engineering Geologist working as a consultant in northern California. Men and women both will be chosen to participate as mentors in years to come.

Our historic past will yield great achievements in years ahead because mentoring builds forward from today’s capabilities.  Meet Your Mentor places a spotlight on behaviors that solve water issues, with ethics, competence and integrity. Over sixteen shows are available for listening. Listen and share the Meet Your Mentor programs with your family members, K-12 schools, community colleges, Universities, governmental agencies, business leaders and work associates.  Visit Operation Unite® at www.operationunite.co/ or go directly to http://www.operationunite.co/blogs/. MEET YOUR MENTOR brings people together to solve water problems.

Go on, Commit Yourself to Managing Your Groundwater

Achieving sustainable groundwater is more than a requirement. It makes your life’s water needs manageable. The decisions are all yours, it is applicable to your daily life, adjusting to low water years is easier and there are fewer conflicts. So why not commit yourself to managing your groundwater resource!

Public Engagement: A Blend of Science, Art and Social Elements

“Extreme weather and climate events pose a serious threat to the health and welfare of American families and businesses.”
                                                Understanding the Link Between Climate Change
                                                and Extreme Weather, U.S. EPA

"It is the quality of the relationships between groups and people, not technological limitation that hinders our ability to solve these water issues in a timely manner."
                                                Stephen J. Baker, Founder, Operation Unite®

 “It requires reflection, intention, and actions.  It requires intellect, but it also requires insight.  And it requires heart and compassion and empathy, including empathy for each other in addition to our beloved Stakeholders and species.”
                   Felicia Marcus, Chair of the California State Water Resources Control  
                  Board, Dec. 8, 2016, MavenNotebook

A new approach is needed now. We must approach Impacted Public and Stakeholder engagement in a new way, an approach rooted in scientific fact, objective reasoning and relationship building, an approach that can mobilize both Impacted Public and Stakeholder engagement and commitment to both process and outcome.

Operation Unite® is specifically designed to address this missing engagement need through the application of a unique approach that combines science, technology and relationship building to build motivation, collaboration at community, regional, state and national levels.

Managing the Domestic Water Supplies

Responsibility in managing water trickles down from the overlying governance to all end users, large and small.
 
As our governance addresses water management across the countryside, let us also recognize that de minimis domestic water users are included in this chain of responsibility.
 
These water users play the most important part in mitigating any shortage or quality issues that they may encounter.  Domestic water well resources are best managed by incorporating the domestic well owners into the management process. Support their information and data needs, teach them how to use it and witness great groundwater management in action.
 
“The greatest way to apply technical solutions in the world is through a public that is engaged and committed to the process and outcome; an honest, we’re all in it together attitude!"
                                                       Stephen J. Baker, Founder of Operation Unite®
 
Start a pilot project in your community and discover how to succeed with this type of management program. Operation Unite® incorporates science, art and social elements to build our communities. Know Your Water® and the Neighborhood Water Alliance programs get the job done.

Wisdom and Observations from the California Water Summit 2017

California leaders shared ideas for building capacity for regional sustainability in California at the recent Water Summit in Sacramento, California.
 
“California water is like a big ball of string with many strings that come out. It’s complicated. We have some ground to cover.”
                                                              Dave Orth, California Water Commission
 

Adequate funding is never available.

There is disconnectedness; key stakeholders are not present in conversations.

California water stakeholders have returned to their silos.

There are overlaps in water resource control.

Regulatory misalignment remains.

 
“It’s important who does the idea messaging. It makes a big difference!”
                                                        Maria Herrera, Self-Help Enterprises
 
“Trust, confidence and credibility is really important. You have to start now. Address the community and culture. Take the time.”
          Tim O’Halloran, Yolo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District
 
“Tying people together to manage water is the next big thing to accomplish a water plan.”
                    Sarge Green, California Water Institute, Fresno State University

An Australian-US Dialogue on Drought

“Water must be treated as a precious resource and needs to be managed into a future of droughts and floods”    
                            G’Day USA, US-Australian Dialogue 2017 Stanford University

• Americans actions tend to be reactionary versus pro-active.
• Decentralized infrastructure/energy approaches that create multiple benefits are being looked at by Americans and Australians for low income, urban regions experiencing water issues.
• Australians found that integrating science, arts and social considerations works.
• Critical people and environmental needs in Australia are dealt with first followed by high priority, general and low security water needs.
• Australia, many times, manages using proportional thresholds. California tends to use absolute thresholds.

De minimis domestic groundwater use isn't de minimis when you have 500,000 wells

De minimis domestic groundwater users aren’t really de minimis when there are 500,000 operating water wells. Interference between wells, impacts to surface water, demands on the counties, boroughs and the state to mitigate groundwater depleted regions and the synergistic negative impacts from increasing septic system usage is the short list of disruptions experienced in our communities.

Operation Unite® recognizes that resourceful and adaptable communities that know how to management themselves while being stewards of the community are the only way to realistically manage groundwater without the negative drama.

Encourage your citizens by educating, demonstrating and planning their responses for creating effective groundwater management. It really doesn’t matter if your groundwater use is for domestic, agricultural, municipal or industrial purposes. Watching the resource beneath your feet and adjusting your groundwater use, in real time, works. The future will be easily navigated because everyone is involved.

Recycled and Reused Water is Renewable

Potable Water Reuse technology is not a limiting constraint. So what is limiting Potable Water Reuse?

• Regulations;
• Funding; and
• A Public Understanding that All Water is Recycled and Reused Including Anthropogenic Treatment Systems.

 “Wastewater is a renewable recoverable source of drinking water, resource and energy”                       Dr. George Tchobanoglous

Exercise Our Integrity by Standing Together

One thing we can be certain about is water demand. People have an expectation that water will be available, on-demand, 24-7 in our small towns, cities and metropolises at all times. On the other hand, farmers want certainty but rarely have sureness that their water will be delivered by Mother Nature or through irrigation systems on time and in the right place. Why is that?

Natural rainfall and snowmelt are acts of God that are not easily predicted when climate changes are superimposed over the chance of getting enough rain based on the last 100 years of probabilistic analysis. Irrigation systems are society created and depend on the physical constraints of storage and conveyance systems and the political tug-of-war that develops between stakeholders and the available seasonal water.

Some say that we not dwell over things that are out of our control and focus on where we can make good change. Managing seasonal water deliveries is one of those things. It begins with everyone having a seat at the table. It starts by listening to the vision and dilemma reflected by each person’s story. It includes patience, fairness, diligence to each other and an integrity that unites everyone. We have this in our communities.

Let’s exercise this process:

• To those farmers in the Central Valley of California that will receive an allocation of 65% on a year that produced near record snow fall and precipitation in the watershed.
• To the Native People that desire inclusion of their principal water values with all society and a safety net that protects them from risky projects that pollute or divert good quality water away from their needs.
• To the disadvantaged communities across the state that are unseen in their dilemma in having clean and safe drinking water and shower water for their homes.
• To groundwater well users that find themselves in harm’s way from industrial well fracking programs that raise risk to domestic and farming populations that rely on potable water to live.
• To the communities that simply desire to retain water for their critical needs.

Financing America's Water Projects

One of our countries greatest water challenges is financing:

• The repair of existing infrastructure,
• Building new conveyance infrastructure,
• Well construction or deepening and operation and maintenance of disadvantaged community water supplies and
• Paying for new groundwater management.

Our current system of economics and governance does not provide a means to fully support these improvements.  

An up and coming water management approach for the United States is a water resource sharing plan that unbundles riparian and appropriated water rights into shares, allocations and water use approvals. Verification of applied beneficial water use of actual waters that are available any given year can be creatively and quickly transferred, especially during times of scarcity.

This method blends well with traditional water doctrines, generates funding for water projects, optimizes actions that produce sustainable water supply conditions and adds certainty to water users.

Go to the Operation Unite Resource page, scroll down to Links for Water Management Strategies and Ideas Professor Michael Young’s ideas for California.

California is in a Conundrum

California is in a conundrum. Water stakeholders need certainty in their water deliveries, the consistency of available drinkable water is missing many of the disadvantaged communities, new water projects are needed, possibly 1,000,000 acres of farmland may be removed from production in central portions of California, a primary California water conveyance utilizes the largest inland estuary on the west coast of North American, alluvial aquifers in 127 water basins are diminishing and funding is insufficient for correcting these issues within the needed time period. During all this drama, daily water and food needs of40 million Californians must be met every day. 

How can water management adjustments produce more successes, more quickly? California uses the Prior Appropriative Doctrine. California manages some groundwater areas by adjudication and is now beginning to develop goals required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014. These are good things but more adaptable approaches are needed to facilitate quick water adjustments throughout the year.   It is time to explore new management strategies that will generate the needed funding and complete the projects that address changing annual snow packs, groundwater, conveyance, treatment and storage.

Go to the Operation Unite Resource page, scroll down to Links for Water Management strategies and Ideas Professor Michael Young’s ideas for California. It is working in Australia. It has merit in specific California watersheds. Tell us what you think?

ABC 10 News Report on Operation Unite Groundwater Study

ABC Channel 10 in Sacramento saw firsthand the value in providing public engagement and a data gathering strategy for motivating strongly independent and cautious rural residential/farming populations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to successfully manage their groundwater.  
 

Click Here: ABC Channel 10 in Sacramento with Harry Stockman

This method of monitoring and well user engagement is an effective approach to managing populations using fractured rock aquifers. An example and testimony of success may be viewed at the Operation Unite® Water YouTube Channel video.

Managing Groundwater Through Fairness and Tradition

The American Ground Water Trust shared key guidance for developing and implementing groundwater sustainability plans during its workshop in Bakersfield, California this week.

Developing good groundwater management requires strong, consistent communication, lots of data, a will to integrate all water needs and a clear set of goals:

• Maximize the certainty of everyone’s water supply
• Provide flexibility for adjusting to changing conditions; political and physical
• Address and expedite getting more water into the aquifers
• Respect groundwater rights principles while reducing undue hardship to those having a lower priority

Equity opportunities do exist within a groundwater management area. It’s time to find them!

Pro-active behavior makes a rough road smooth

This past week’s emergency evacuation of communities below California’s Oroville Dam demonstrates the value of pro-active actions.

• Anticipate the downside of a water project and prepare a response BEFORE the event.
• Plan the logistics, materials, manpower, equipment and technical knowledge that provide the “boots on the ground” response BEFORE the event.
• Implement a turn-key program that has the flexibility to adjust to changing conditions BEFORE the event.
• Build a communication network with the local, regional, state and nation response groups and the public BEFORE the event.
• Invest in the future by financing renovation of our oldest, weakened infrastructure, monitor our resources and infrastructure and use the data to prioritize and advance the path of response BEFORE the event.
• Promote an early message of “working together” with stakeholders and the public BEFORE the event.

California has done well. The response continues but thanks are in order. Thank youto numerous County OES departments in northern California and the California Operations of Emergency Services, the California Department of Water Resources, U.S. Corp of Engineers, California Highway Patrol, U.S. Air Force, the National Guard, Red Cross, Salvation Army, churches of all denominations, to name a few. And a special thanks to the many caring volunteers that offered and participated in relieving the difficulties felt by citizens evacuated away from towns and cities down gradient from Oroville Dam.

As repairs continue, let us hope the rains in our near future will be lighter and distributed across drier parts of the state.

The Operation Unite Vision is Built on Many People

Many people contributed to the vision of Operation Unite®:

Pat Mulroy, Former general manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority; “Let the Data Drive.”
 
Felicia Marcus, Chair of State Water Resources Control Board; “It requires reflection, intention, and actions.  It requires intellect, but it also requires insight.  And it requires heart and compassion and empathy, including empathy for each other in addition to our beloved Stakeholders and species.”
 
John Laird, Secretary of Natural Resources; “Lead by attracting people to follow.”
 
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, “Choose projects that move the most water the least distance.”
 
Dennis Bowker,  RCD Resource Conservationist, “When we talk about natural resources and social issues, the closer you can get to what is said to what is heard to be the same, the more effectively you will be to  deal with disagreements and differences, and you come to the point where you realize you had the right answer but that doesn’t mean you have the whole answer. Others viewpoints and perspectives can help develop the whole answer.”
 
Phil Isenberg, former Chair California Delta Stewardship Council, “People didn’t intentionally go out and kill fish species. Societies learn lessons slowly.  How you remedy, how extensible you can remedy them and which ways, that’s really what we should be talking about.”
 
Joe L. Del Bosque, Jr., Del Bosque  Farms & California Water Commission; “Lack of water will wipe out our people. I look at this as a family approach, you might say.   If I were to look at a backup plan, I would maintain jobs for our people.” 
 
Andrew Stone, American Groundwater Trust; “Groundwater sustainability must be seen in the context of our future.”
 
Ron Milligan, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Operations Manager Central Valley Operations; “Use all the flexibility that we can to respect contractual rights even though they may be junior to someone else’s water right. I need to get multiple uses out of a single acre-foot of water.”
 
and the list goes on......

Operation Unite® builds public responsibility by listening, questioning, discovering, understanding, sharing and applying.

Climate Change Symposium Highlights

Highlights from the 2017 California Climate Change Symposium
Science to Safeguard California

“We are in a new climate”
-Noal Diffenbaugh, Stanford University
 
“There is no shortage of crisis. Last week alone, we had drought, floods and fires in California. Disasters affect Democrats and Republicans alike. Coalition and collaboration building is critical.”
 -Director Mark Ghilarducci, California Office of Emergency Services
 
“Keep your focus on your objectives.”
-Secretary Matt Rodriquez, California EPA
 
“We are going to be carbon farmers in this state.”
-Secretary Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture
 
“Thinking adaptation to make investments”
-Chair Robert Weisenmiller, California Energy Commissioner
 
“Lead by attracting people to follow.”
-John Laird, California Secretary of Natural Resources

Dissecting our complexities may not be the answer

Water issues are many times referred to as a “wicked” problem because of their social, economic and physical complexities.  As conflicts arise, they take many forms; data conflict, interest conflict, identity conflict, value conflict, structural conflict and relationship conflict.

Solving these wicked water problems simply isn’t easy when the complexities are dissected. Ultimate resolve for our water projects can be simple in scope but the difficulties lie in the application of trust.

Trust is built through respectful demonstration and commitment to each other in the long run. Technical solutions is the easy part because technologies and modern methods are usually adequate and available. Working together is the stumbling block.  It takes patience, kindness, empathetic understanding and a commitment to each other to bind a society that is built on diversification and a common good.

Build relationships and solve problems. Operation Unite®