As most UCLA students hail from California, it’s typical to ask fellow Bruins which part of the state they call home. Inevitably, some of the NorCal versus SoCal stereotypes will surface. What immediately comes to mind are the cliche differences like the use of the expressions “brah” and “hella.” These stereotypes may be true, but there is a more important issue characterizing each region that is critical to our state’s health ““ water.
When we turn on a faucet, it is easy to overlook the convenience of guaranteed tap water. Our typical water-related frustrations do not extend beyond a lack of hot water for our morning shower. Strangely enough, the water we use as Bruins living in Southern California comes, in large part, from Northern California. While secession may never be in the cards for our northern counterpart, Southern California residents need to be aware that our precious lifeline ““ water ““ travels hundreds of miles to reach our faucets and should not be used brashly. Both the way we individually use water and the infrastructure through which it’s carried need to change and reflect the greater necessity for conservation.
At the end of February, Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency to equip California for its third consecutive year of drought. Last summer, the state was plagued by wildfires and water reductions. We can only expect the need for conservation to increase as we head into summer. Families will wash cars and power hose the driveway less and reluctantly take shorter showers.
These measures, while necessary and helpful, aren’t fully addressing the problem: poor infrastructure and the ignorance of our natural climate. To more wisely allocate resources, action needs to be taken by both individuals and the state.
UCLA’s campus may not be the best testimony, with its lush landscape and sprawling lawns, but Los Angeles County is all designated as either semi-arid or desert climate. It doesn’t take hiking up to the Hollywood sign to realize that we live in a dry place with plants that don’t require a lot of rainfall to survive.
So what convinced such a large population of people that this was a great place to live? It’s the exact same reason why it’s difficult to support a large population in Los Angeles: the weather. I doubt it’s always sunny in Philadelphia, but if the sun is always shining anywhere in the U.S., Los Angeles would be one of my best bets.
The solution can’t be easy when we have a limited amount of fresh water at our disposal and a constantly increasing population. What is rather apparent, especially when driving down Interstate Highway 5, is the ludicrous way the state chooses to transport water from Northern California to Southern California.
Large aqueducts carry the water hundreds of miles through the state, requiring a vast amount of energy and losing much of the precious resource to evaporation. These aqueducts may provide an enjoyable summer tanning locale (families can be spotted soaking up the sun in folding chairs next to the aqueducts) for Central Valley residents, but they are an ineffective way to transport the water.
If we were able to better catch our own rainwater rather than funneling it out to the ocean, or better filter and reuse the water we get from the Colorado River, we wouldn’t need as much water from Northern California. The state should also consider transporting the water underground to eliminate evaporation.
Californians are reacting to water constraints. A major Southern California water wholesaler voted April 14 to reduce water deliveries by 10 percent this summer. The Butte County Environmental Council filed a lawsuit against the state of California, saying that the state had violated environmental laws related to water transfers.
The group is concerned with how the transportation of their watershed to other regions in California, and the subsequent forced use of their groundwater, will affect the natural environment in their community. More and more, government and private organizations are considering different strategies to cope with the competition for a limited supply of water.
California is not the only place that is plagued by fresh water scarcity. Abroad, water issues are becoming extremely relevant to international relations. In March, South Korean conglomerate Daewoo positioned itself to lease no less than half of Madagascar’s arable land for agricultural products for South Koreans to combat their own country’s diminutive water supply.
In California, we are not quite at this level of desperation, but if we are not careful, we will head in that direction. Our state not only has to fill its municipal needs with its water supply, but the needs of the vast number of growers in the Central Valley. Conservation and improved infrastructure are key solutions.
Urging your congressional, state and municipal representatives to improve water infrastructure is the first step to changing the course of our state regarding this vital resource. It is also important to landscape according to the climate’s demands. Small changes now could save us from dire consequences in the future. A resource easily taken for granted is essential to life here in California. We should treat the issue with an adequate amount of respect and action.
If the aqueducts along I-5 make you cringe, e-mail Mier at smier@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.