Yes, this drought is bad, but as our friends at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences point out, with crisis comes opportunity. Dry years are always tough on fish, but fortunately California’s native trout, steelhead and salmon have survived drought periods many times in the past. But, we need healthy populations to be able to make it through these tough times. That means when times are good and wet, our native salmonids need to be able to take full advantage of the situation and build populations that are more resilient to and able to persist during these dry times.
From the California WaterBlog article:
California’s history is punctuated by droughts (Hanak et al 2011). Each drought reveals problems and becomes an opportunity to focus on improving water management and expanding smaller-scale innovations.
We agree that drought can lead to fundamental changes in the way water is managed in California. Shining a spotlight on the way we use water, where water is used inefficiently, and how imbalanced the price of water is for different users is all ripe for revamped policies on water management.
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.
2 Comments
One thing the current drought has revealed (again!) is that the south State cannot always count on north State water. More dams and reclamation projects are only kicking the can down the road and prolonging the inevitable. The only long term viable solution is that southern California has to produce its own supply of fresh water, Desalination has worked all over the world; the time has come for So Cal to build desalination plant(s).
As an avid long range tuna fisherman, I have experienced desalinated water on many occasions. Its better than what passes for tap water in the south State and I don’t think the Pacific ocean will begrudge the amount of water necessary for such an endeavor. So why aren’t our legislators pursuing it? I guess the north State is selling their water too cheap to the thirsty masses of the south State.
Hi Jeff,
I just read your article in stream keepers log. Great to see some attempts made to educate people on the water issue!
We have one of the world’s largest, albeit underutilized, solar powered desalinization plant – called the water cycle.
Storage and management are important but address the issue as advil addresses an illness.
Conservation will be necessary as California uses a higher gpcd (gallons per capita per day) than other countries with similar climate zones and populations.
The practice of treating wastewater as toxic, and rainwater as a hazard needs to be addressed at the building site level to initiate sustainable water cycles in architecture.
I imagine homes of the future having an initial water allotment, and recycling that water on site, while collecting rainwater to supplement. I will be co-authoring a technical book about the subject this year for Artech house publishing to impact this issue.
Mark Gangi, AIA
I am the AIA California Council liaison to the California Department of Water Resources, Co-Architect of the LEED Platinum Museums of Water + Life for the Metropolitan Water District, and have a book contract with Artech House Publishing on Sustainable Water Cycles in Architecture