California begins restricting growth due to water shortages
Water management, along with energy resources, is going to be one of the major sources of disputes throughout the globe this century. There are few places where this issue is more apparent than in the American West, where fifty years of rapid overdevelopment, along with worsening weather patterns, has created a serious and imminent water shortage. California in particular, a place of unparalleled growth in the country, is especially seeing the effects of this crisis.
While drought has always been a concern in this state, given that much of the region is a desert, it is only recently that planned developments have been canceled or delayed, out of serious fears of insufficient water resources. Since 2001 there has been a state law requiring new developments to provide proof of sufficient water access. However, due to the on-going drought, it has only been recently that the state has actually held up new developments. Some of these projects are being allowed to move forward after they revise their water management plans (implementing similar solutions to that being done in LA) and some are being blocked outright.
While requiring developers to show adequate water supplies is a very smart policy, it is our hope that these laws do not become swords to be wielded by obstructionists, NIMBYS and others with particular agendas. (As we are concerned may be done by the opponents of the California High Speed Rail.) Clearly water management is going to be one of the major issues facing California, and many other regions throughout the world, for the foreseeable future and we need intelligent laws to deal with this problem. Hopefully that is what this 2001 statute will be used for, instead of just a series of hoops and red tape to navigate along the way to development, or even worse, as a tool to be used by obstructionists, who, in reality, may be completely unconcerned with actual water issues.
- Similar Posts:
- American West heating up faster than rest of world.
- Proposed emissions bill could preempt state laws
- LA introduces major water conservation and reuse project
Comments
Please contribute to the discussion. No need to agree with the post or other commenters, but please be constructive and respectful.
-
Private Leaders
