Update

A coalition of public water agencies has launched a statewide campaign to educate the public about California's water crisis.

Read more at www.calwatercrisis.org.

Overview

The water system that contributed to California’s emergence as one of the world’s major economic powers is faltering. Existing facilities are barely able to meet current public demands. Over the next 25 years, demand for water statewide will grow between 2 million and 6 million acre-feet, yet California is still a dry winter or two away from a drought and subsequent water rationing for parts of the state.

California has hundreds of miles of levees in the Delta, the majority of which are a century old. Repeated levee breaks for the last few years have damaged property significantly and endangered thousands of lives. An examination of the levees' integrity revealed that they do not meet current standards for safety and flood control.

Goals

Encourage responsible water quality goals and water development policies to meet the increasing demand for reliable water supplies. 

Issue Summaries

Levees 
Position: The CalChamber supports finding ways to fully fund, maintain and upgrade California’s deteriorating levee system so that the state’s communities are protected. The CalChamber also supports the need to invest in alternative means to convey water south to the 23 million people and businesses who need drinking water. 

California Water Plan
Position: It is critical that CalFed stay on track and that all the components of the plan be funded in a balanced manner. Environmental projects have spent most of the money used to date, and it is now critical that community and economic concerns be addressed. Developing additional water storage and conveyance facilities can no longer be postponed. Serious consideration must be given to making alternative arrangements to deliver water to Southern California should the Delta levees fail. Solutions should include an isolated facility around the Delta. If the CalFed process is unable to deliver the product, then it is time to investigate other means of ensuring that California has an adequate water supply.

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