Why Can't We Take Water for Granted?
Even the earliest Californians recognized that water supplies could go from abundant to scarce in a short amount of time.
The state’s semi-arid, Mediterranean climate means we receive little or no rain for months at a time. And rain and snowfall can vary wildly from place to place, season to season, and year to year.
California’s water supply system was built to address that variability. But today, numerous challenges are putting pressure on that system, and some areas of the state are finding it difficult to meet all demands for water.
Originally built to serve a population of just 18 million, the system is struggling to meet the needs of 38 million Californians today – even in times of abundant rainfall. The state’s population is expected to reach 60 million by 2050.
In addition, environmental problems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a critical estuary that is also important to our state’s water system, have triggered permanent reductions in water deliveries for some areas of the state.
Finally, experts says that climate change already is affecting our water resources, and could reduce our mountain snowpack – a key source of water for California – by at least 25% by 2050.
Given these challenges, it’s clear we can no longer take water for granted.