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Water resource planning an uphill battle, but a vital one

Posted by: Maven on October 14, 2008 at 5:53 pm

From the California Council on Science and Technology:

At the CCST Council meeting on October 8, one of the world’s leading experts on hydrometeorology brought the message that California urgently needs to plan its water future using every tool available.

“Over the past decades, the tools available for gathering information useful to hydrologists have greatly expanded,” said UC Irvine Distinguished Professor Soroosh Sorooshian, Director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing. “Nonetheless, at present the accuracy of regional-scale climate model predictions still falls short of meeting the requirements of water resources planning. Factoring in as much resiliency as possible in water resources systems design and planning is still the safest approach.”

Sorooshian was one of several speakers who addressed the Council on water issues, which were the focus of the meeting. He described a range of factors that are complicating water resource management in California, including warming, population growth, the region’s water balance, consumption rates, dam capacity, and aquifer overdraft.

“There are a number of warning signs California needs to pay attention to,” noted Sorooshian. “The Colorado River, for example, is a major source of water for the state. However, the river flow has been fully utilized since 1962 – it is a limited resource. Moreover the salinity increases as the water moves downstream towards California, which is a major problem. Each year, desalination facilities remove hundreds of thousands of tons of salt, but levels may be varying due to climate fluctuation.”

Read more of this post from the California Council on Science and Technology by clicking here.

October 14, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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