Close to Home: Investing in sustainable water sources

Looking around the West, it’s impossible to ignore the signs of water scarcity. Our changing climate, growing population and massive demands from irrigated agriculture are colliding with critically dewatered streams and estuaries and the collapse of iconic salmon fisheries. California is wringing dry our diminishing water resources.

On the Colorado River, plunging reservoir levels have forced water supply cuts once unthinkable. In the Bay-Delta, which sustains California’s billion-dollar salmon fishery, drought and mismanagement have forced a statewide closure of all salmon fishing. Land in the Central Valley is sinking, undermining critical infrastructure like the California Aqueduct, because of unsustainable groundwater pumping.

One thing is certain: overdrawing finite water resources has a limit, and we are hurtling toward it. For generations we’ve argued about how to avoid a water crisis, but the debate often devolves to false choices — fish versus people, cities versus farms, north versus south — and re-fighting the same old water wars.

For those who would prefer to see solutions to our water challenges, there is finally good news. Last year, congressional Democrats worked with the Biden administration and a few of our GOP colleagues to enact the most sweeping water infrastructure package in decades. It’s already making a big difference.

We now have a unique opportunity to invest tens of billions of dollars in a sustainable water future, without pitting one group against another and without sacrificing ecosystems, human health, or underserved communities.

These historic investments from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act include $1 billion to expand water recycling, a great way to make water supplies drought-proof and climate resilient; $3 billion to bring more certainty and equity to water management through tribal water rights settlements; $1 billion for water use efficiency and ecosystem health; and billions more for maintaining and repairing old, crumbling water infrastructure.

Funding from these laws, coupled with policy reforms in the 2022 Water Resources Development Act, represents the greatest progress in decades on improving water supply, water quality and ecosystems. With these legislative breakthroughs, we can move forward with a three-pronged approach: building out new, 21st century water infrastructure; using cutting-edge technology to get more out of existing water systems; and restoring natural systems to reduce conflicts and achieve long-term sustainability.

All of this and more are necessary to confront the all-encompassing threat of climate change. After years of talking and fighting, we are finally taking bold action.

These federal water infrastructure investments are a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and when combined with state and local efforts, can be transformative. We have a responsibility to ensure these funds are used smartly and equitably. It has taken half a century to enact a federal water package of this magnitude, so it’s critical that we not squander this progress.

Yet some in Congress seem intent on doing just that by dragging us back into zero-sum water wars. One example is H.R. 215 by Congressman David Valado, R-Bakersfield, which would override California laws to raise Shasta Dam, which the state opposes. In return for marginal water supply gains, this hugely expensive proposal would flood sacred tribal land and undermine protections for struggling salmon runs that support California fishing jobs. This bill invites us to go backward to inequitable, wasteful, and controversial projects.

The better path forward is to implement the historic laws and investments passed by Congress and keep building on that progress. This approach has already been proven on the ground. Local water agencies have pioneered new, green, climate-smart and cost-effective solutions. These solutions have strong local support and funding partners, and now, thanks to substantial federal funding support, they can move forward quickly.

With less politics and more focus on smart water solutions, we can ensure reliable water supplies even in the face of climate change. But the clock is ticking, and we don’t have time to keep re-fighting unproductive water wars.

Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, represents the 2nd Congressional District.

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