San Diego region is drought-safe this summer

SAN DIEGO – Statewide drought conditions are highlighting the value of regionally and locally controlled water supplies in San Diego County, where the San Diego County Water Authority has announced that the region is protected from drought impacts this summer, and through 2045, despite continued hot and dry conditions.

No shortages or regional water-use mandates are in the forecast, the result of three decades of strategic investments that create an aquatic safety net for San Diego County's $253 billion economy and quality of life for 3.3 million residents.

At the same time, Water Authority Board Chair Gary Croucher asked residents to continue embracing water-use efficiency practices that have become part of the regional ethic.

"Thank you San Diegans for everything you have done to make sure that we have enough water to meet the region's needs now and for decades into the future," said Croucher. "You have invested through your water bills and your water-smart practices, and those efforts are paying off in tangible ways. The key this summer is to stay water-smart."

In the early 1990s, the county's economy was crippled by drought, suffering 13 straight months of 31% supply cutbacks from the Water Authority's wholesale water provider, the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which controlled almost all of San Diego County's water supplies.

Today, the picture is much different: The region's diversified water supply portfolio includes highly reliable, locally controlled and drought-proof supplies from the Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant and the nation's largest conservation-and-transfer agreement, which provides high-priority, low-cost water from the Colorado River. The combination offers significant protection against droughts and other emergencies so that the Water Authority's newly adopted 2020 Urban Water Management Plan shows San Diego County will continue to have sufficient water supplies through the 2045 planning horizon, even during multiple dry years.

"There's no way around it: Our region's economy runs on water – brewing, tourism, biotech, defense, farming and so many other key pieces of our economic engine require safe, reliable water supplies to function," said Jerry Sanders, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. "We look to the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies to provide the fundamental water resources that keep us strong – not just for today, but for the long-haul."

The San Diego region's multibillion-dollar farming industry also has flourished thanks to a reliable water supply. Today, the county is among the most productive in the nation with more than 5,000 family farms, the most of any county in the United States. Innovative practices – including water-use efficiency measures – allow local farms to be productive by focusing on high-value crops such as ornamental trees and shrubs, bedding plants, succulents, and indoor plants.

"San Diego County farmers have done their part by investing heavily in water efficiency so that they can produce an amazing cornucopia of products," said Hannah Gbeh, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau. "Our members are stewards not just of the land, but of the water as well. They make the most of every drop through high-efficiency irrigation systems and other strategies."

The changing climate means that San Diego County will need to continue to evolve to meet the water needs of the future through continued efficiency efforts, strategic investments, and scientific advances. Scripps' Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes last year launched the Water Affiliates Group, which brings together cutting-edge science and hands-on water industry experience to enhance reservoir operations in light of the changing climate.

"It is vital that the Water Authority, and our other affiliates are helping to improve modeling in ways that will continue to produce practical, real-world benefits for water managers statewide," said Margaret Leinen, vice chancellor for marine sciences at UC San Diego and director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. "With continued research we can utilize the latest science to develop strategies for mitigating flood risk and increasing water resilience through improved reservoir management. Applying science to action will help protect San Diego County and the rest of California from droughts, as California's climate becomes increasingly volatile in the future."

For more information about water supplies in the San Diego region, go to www.sdcwa.org/investments-protect-san-diego-region-from-drought/.

Submitted by San Diego County Water Authority.