On March 4–7, the 2014 United States Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (USCID) met in Sacramento California on the topic of “Groundwater Issues and Water Management—Strategies Addressing the Challenges of Sustainability.” The Conference included our study of “Conjunctive Management: Changing Water Regulation and Evolving Strategies.” This paper focused on western States regulation of surface and groundwater conjunctively (or not), concluding with creative approaches for water users to employ should groundwater be restricted or limited.
The common themes emerging from the conference included: the increasing reliance on groundwater when surface water becomes limited, salinity concerns from groundwater, and questions on whether California will implement centralized State-control of the groundwater supply. Given the past history of water regulation tied to cyclical droughts, water users and irrigation districts are uncertain about planning for future infrastructure investments when there is the possibility of potential State regulation of their groundwater use.
From an Oregon perspective, State-controlled groundwater use is a daily reality, and you can ask anyone in the Klamath River Basin on their possible concerns of their wells being turned off by the State. For the second year in a row, the Governor declared a drought in much of the southern half of Oregon, and the Oregon Water Resources Department is initiating rulemaking to restrict water diversions in Klamath County. The conference also included tours of two irrigation districts, demonstrating on-call water delivery with a pressurized irrigation pilot program, and an automated lateral demonstration project. These two projects brought irrigation into the 21st century with water scheduling as easy to order as an airplane ticket.
During the tours I had to opportunity to discuss with irrigation district staff about whether the pressing water shortage will change the regulatory framework moving forward, or whether the will decrease after the rains return. Ideas about increased groundwater recharge and storage during times of water surplus are forthcoming now, but once the water returns, will these ideas remain in the forefront? California water users will be faced with important decision in the coming months, many of which will be how to provide for the nation’s pantries when faced with little to no allocation of surface water. Much like the implementation of automated water delivery of water is moving into the 21st century, California will likely be at the forefront of 21st century water storage technology given the stakes of deciding otherwise.
