1 / 17

How We View and Value Water in the Bay Region Kathleen Van Velsor. Environmental Planner- Sustainable Silicon Valley Wa

How We View and Value Water in the Bay Region Kathleen Van Velsor. Environmental Planner- Sustainable Silicon Valley Water Summit, Dec. 7 th , 2009. Do you recognize this water body?. This one? . This one? Or this one? . Orientation to Bay Area Water.

maris
Download Presentation

How We View and Value Water in the Bay Region Kathleen Van Velsor. Environmental Planner- Sustainable Silicon Valley Wa

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. How We View and Value Water in the Bay RegionKathleen Van Velsor. Environmental Planner- Sustainable Silicon Valley Water Summit, Dec. 7th, 2009

  2. Do you recognize this water body?

  3. This one?

  4. This one? Or this one?

  5. Orientation to Bay Area Water • We have an estimated 400 watersheds within the Bay Region before counting groundwater basins and sub-basins: • Each watershed has multiple land uses. • Degree of understanding of each watershed varies. • Many have not had basic hydrologic analyses performed and water flows are not gauged. • Some are well managed. Many have no comprehensive management regime.

  6. Orientation to Bay Area Water • We import more water than any other hydrologic region of California. • We are expanding our imported supplies. • We are expanding water conservation and recycling – creating new cooperative networks

  7. Bay Area Water • In many instances, our growth and water consumption rates are on the same trajectory. • Many of the sub-regions are water challenged. • Conflict among suppliers and users is commonplace. • Heavy dependence on imported water supplies • especially Delta-based and Russian/Eel River-based

  8. Bay Area Water • Poor data on how much water we have on hand in the region – • entitlements and how much we divert and pump. • Supplied by roughly 100 water retailers, wholesalers, contractors (local, state, federal) to a range of land uses -- each with their own governance • Commercial/industrial • Residential and mixed uses • Large landscapes and agricultural

  9. Frames • Views of water are framed by our common understandings and misunderstandings • Water is cheap relative to other commodities • Our projected needs for water are accurate • We are guaranteed a certain supply of water • Water needs to become more expensive to be reliable • Water is plentiful in the Bay Area– for the most part • Water generally comes from the tap (via reservoirs) • We don’t rely on local water or watersheds • Water supplies are fully protected from hazards

  10. Frames • Our groundwater supplies are not challenged • Water experts will secure and protect supplies • There are secret supplies of water if push comes to shove -- the experts are holding out on us • Suburban communities and farmers waste water, but urban users do not • Smarter, dense growth means less water consumption

  11. Distinct World Views of Water and Values Associated with Them • Bay Area water as coming from the tap (practical/reliable) through a pipe, channel (engineered) or water “temple” (divine and engineered)

  12. Distinct World Views of Water • Bay Area water as Delta-sourced

  13. Bay Area reservoirs Bay Area water as local creeks, rivers and ground waters Sources in the Sierras/No. California Tuolumne, Mokelumne, American Rivers Russian River Eel River Distinct Views of Water Sources

  14. Distinct World Views of Water • Bay Area water as ocean-derived • Desalination as the future of water

  15. Distinct World Views of Water • Bay Area water as conservation-derived and reclaimed, recycled and captured • Land use planning as intimately tied to water resource planning

  16. Distinct World Views of Water • Water as a supply for industry and commerce • Water as an essential ingredient for habitat protection and restoration; fisheries management

  17. Holistic approach to water resource management in the region? Is it possible? As affected by a range of factors: • Rate and styles of growth and development • Conservation of water resource lands and waterways • Climate change • Ability to adopt decision strategy • Politics and socio-economics • Availability of talented professionals and citizen experts • Ability to cooperate and incorporate distinct world views • Ability to incorporate other models of management • Tendencies to shoot the messenger • Investments in styles of doing business • Objective assessment of water supplies, uses and projected uses • Adequacies of existing water resource management plans • Integrating land use planning and water resource management • Education about the wide array of water resources in the Bay Area

More Related