SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - March 29, 2011) - Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Timothy Quinn issued the following statement regarding Gov. Jerry Brown's expected announcement tomorrow withdrawing the official drought declaration for California.
"The end of the hydrologic drought is great news for watersheds and reservoirs that had languished through consecutive dry years in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Drought declarations come and go, but they no longer capture the full extent of the state's ongoing water supply challenges.
"The impressive snowpack and runoff certainly provide short-term help. But with Endangered Species Act restrictions constraining our ability to move water through the Delta, State Water Project and Central Valley Project deliveries are not what they should be for such a wet year. We are also losing opportunities to recharge groundwater basins for use in the inevitable dry times ahead.
"We need a more flexible system that can meet our 21st century needs for water. That means conveyance improvements in the Delta, additional storage both above and below ground, and investments in local resources development. Californians also must continue to use water as efficiently as possible, even in wet years. Every bucketful saved inside or outside the home is water available for the next dry period.
"As recent years have taught us, we can't be complacent about our water supply -- drought or no drought. We also can't afford to let up on ongoing water conservation and our efforts to make needed investments in our system."
More comments from Quinn can be read in a blog post at http://www.acwa.com/blog/rain-and-snowfall-end-drought.
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Jennifer Persike
ACWA Director of Strategic Coordination and Public Affairs
916/441-4545
916/296-3981 (cell)