Get the Facts:
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is California facing a water crisis?

A: Water has always been a challenge in California. As a semi-arid state that receives little or no precipitation for months at a time, California relies on a system of reservoirs, canals and aqueducts to capture rain and runoff during wet winter months, and deliver it when it’s needed during the long, dry summer and fall months.

But the system is aging, and population growth and a changing climate are creating new uncertainty for our water supply today and into the future.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – where 25 million Californians get all or part of their water – is at risk of a natural disaster that would shut off water supplies for two-thirds of the state, the nation’s most productive farmland and much of our economy.

These problems will only worsen in the future, as California’s population climbs toward 60 million by 2050.

Q: What is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta?

A: Located just south of Sacramento, the Delta is the largest estuary on the West Coast and home to hundreds of native plant and animal species. It is also a key source of water for 25 million Californians and hundreds of acres of farmland.

Delta water is critical to the state’s major industrial sectors — from oil refineries and major manufacturers in the Bay Area and Southern California to Silicon Valley’s high tech center and the state’s numerous farms and food processing facilities in the Northern, Central and Southern regions of the state.

Q: Why is the Delta at risk?

A: The 1,100 miles of Delta levees that protect farmland, transportation systems, towns, homes and businesses are aging and in need of repair. Experts agree they are increasingly vulnerable to failure in a major flood or earthquake. Such a failure would allow seawater to contaminate the fresh water in the Delta, disrupting water deliveries for much of the state for months. The economic impacts would ripple across the state.

Key fish populations that rely on the Delta are in decline. Water deliveries have been reduced and even halted to protect fish, and further restrictions are expected in the coming months.

In addition, water quality in the Delta is not meeting the needs of fish or people.

Q: How might climate change affect California’s water supply?

A: Our changing climate is already affecting our rain and snowfall patterns. A growing body of scientific research suggests we may lose up to 40% of the Sierra snowpack we now rely on to provide the “natural” water storage so critical to our water system. The result could be longer periods of drought and higher peak flood flows as more precipitation runs into rivers and streams instead of being stored as snowpack. Warmer temperatures may also increase demands for water, particularly in hotter areas of the state where population growth is expected to be greatest.

Sea level rise associated with climate change will put additional strain on the Delta’s fragile levees, further increasing the risk of a major levee failure.

Q: Where do Californians get their water supply?

A: Californians get their water from a variety of sources. Much of it originates as rain and snowfall in the Sierra Nevada. Mountain runoff flows into rivers and streams and is captured and stored in surface water reservoirs. Stored water is then delivered to most Californians through a combination of state, federal and local water delivery systems. Water is also imported from the Colorado River.

Many Californians rely on groundwater for their water supply. In some communities, groundwater is the sole source of water; in others, water needs are met through a mix of surface water and groundwater.

Increasingly, strategies such as water recycling and desalination are providing additional supplies.

Q: What is the State Water Project?

A: The State Water Project is one of the state’s most important water systems. It stretches from Lake Oroville in Butte County to Lake Perris in Riverside County. Through the SWP, water from the Feather River is stored behind Oroville Dam, and then released into the Sacramento River as needed. The water flows through the Delta, where some of it is pumped into canals and aqueducts that serve parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, Central California and Southern California.

The SWP serves more than 25 million Californians and some 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland.

Q: What is the Central Valley Project?

A: The Central Valley Project is the largest water project in the nation. It includes 18 dams and reservoirs and some 500 miles of major canals or aqueducts. The CVP delivers water to more than 250 contractors, primarily for agricultural use.

Q: Why is our water supply such a concern now?

A: California has not added to its statewide water storage and delivery system in nearly 30 years. The last time a major reservoir was added, it was 1979 and there were 23 million people in California. Today, we have more than 37 million people, and by 2012 our population will exceed 40 million.

Local investments in conservation and facilities have helped stave off water shortages to date, but large-scale investments in our statewide water infrastructure have lagged behind. Many of our canals and aqueducts are aging, and levees in the Delta are at risk of a failure that would disable water deliveries for two-thirds of the state.

Climate change, population growth and natural disasters pose difficult challenges.

As we learned with the energy crisis in the late 1990s, ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away. Solutions are needed to prepare our state for the population growth and the climate challenges we know are coming. Sustainable, long-term solutions are needed that will work for people and the environment.

Q: What are the potential solutions that are being explored?

A: There are many potential options, but experts agree a comprehensive approach that includes investments in our water storage and delivery system as well as conservation and environmental protection is needed.

Additional storage – both above ground in surface reservoirs and below ground in groundwater basins – is needed to equip our water system for the challenges ahead. Our delivery system must be improved so we can better convey water across the Delta to meet the needs of people and the environment.

These conveyance improvements would allow the Delta to be restored to a more natural state, protecting fish and wildlife and affording more recreational opportunities for Californians.

Q: How can we get the word out about these problems and proposed solutions?

A: To help educate Californians on the problems facing our water system and the need for solutions, California’s business, agricultural and other state leaders have come together to form Californians for Clean and Reliable Water (CCRW).

Q: What is Californians for Clean and Reliable Water?

A: Californians for Clean and Reliable Water is a broad, non-partisan coalition of interests, including business, agriculture and many others who are concerned about the looming water crisis facing our state. They have come together to explore the potential solutions to ensure that our most precious natural resource is protected for generations to come.

Q: Why should I get involved?

A: All Californians have an interest in making sure our state can store and deliver the clean water we need – now and into the future.

California has ignored its water problem for too long. Our economy, our environment and the high quality lifestyle we take for granted all depend on water. We simply must invest in our water storage and delivery system now so the water will be there when we need it.

Q: How can I get involved?

A: Sign-up! The Web site provides updates on what is being done to ensure clean and reliable water for generations to come. From time to time, we will call on you to help.

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