Editorial: Californians need a new mindset about water
Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Jan. 3, 2015, Fresno Bee.
One of the worst droughts on record forced California lawmakers and voters to implement far-reaching initiatives intended to change how the state manages water. And while the policy shifts last year were remarkable, Californians did not achieve the goal of conservation set by the governor.
The disconnect is baffling, considering how much California accomplished in water policy last year. Voters approved a $7.5 billion water bond in a landslide, and legislators passed historic legislation that finally will lead to groundwater regulation.
Lawmakers also approved a $687 million drought-relief package to assist farmworkers impacted by the drought, provide water for communities facing shortages and fund storm water capture and recycling.
Progress was extraordinary, given that water has been a source of perennial conflict in the Golden State.