FIORINI: California's water system is in as much trouble as our roads

In the decades after World War II, California exploded with new people and a rapidly growing economy. This period of growth and its sense of optimism lasted well into the 1970s.

Some may not realize that government played an important role in this growth by building our major highways, developing state and federally built water projects and vastly expanding access to our system of higher education.

These key projects — roads, water supplies and education — were the foundation for California's prosperity.

California's water system today is a complex array of projects built and operated by municipal and regional agencies, along with two large statewide systems. This collection of dams, water pipes, tunnels and ditches has reliably provided high-quality water to farms, families and factories for many decades.

Now, 66 years after World War II ended, our population has more than doubled, but our spirit of optimism has disappeared, replaced by recession and systemic distrust of government.

Over the past few years, anyone who has followed news about water and our environment has a general awareness that parts of our water system in California need improvement. These problems are so complex that it is difficult for most Californians to appreciate fully or even to know what should concern them.

In some parts of the state there are unreliable supplies, water quality problems and conflicts between water supplies and fish species, particularly in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta. Our collective water storage and delivery system is oversubscribed and in dire need of repair.

But because most Californians receive as much water as often as they want it when they turn on their taps, and the monthly cost for that water is often less that the cost of cable TV, it is not clear to many why we are facing a serious and ongoing water and ecological crisis in California.

Contrast that to transportation. When we drive on California's highways, we notice every uneven surface or bump. We quickly realize that these roads are often more than half a century old and in need of basic repair. We can see and feel the transportation needs firsthand when we are stuck in traffic or when we hit a bone-jarring pothole. With water, it's less clear.

Two years ago, the state Legislature passed a comprehensive set of laws aimed at solving water and related ecological problems facing California. A new directive was called for, requiring all to embrace the coequal goals for water supply reliability for California and ecosystem health in the delta, where a significant portion of that water is transferred. A new state agency, the Delta Stewardship Council, was created and given the task of developing a plan of action to guide water and ecosystem policy through this century.

Largely hidden from view — especially in rainy years — our water system is in crisis. We are experiencing environmental conflicts that were not anticipated a half century ago. The system is fixable and the conflicts are solvable. Follow along in the weeks and months to come as we outline for California the recommendations coming to you from the Delta Stewardship Council. You can find more information at www.deltacouncil.ca.gov.

Fiorini, a Turlock area farmer and former director of the Turlock Irrigation District, was appointed to the Delta Stewardship Council by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.