Session 1A

The Central Valley Project - Subsidized Water for California Farmers?

Are the below market water rates for agricultural recipients of the Central Valley Project (CVP) a water subsidy in disguise? This panel will bring the debate over subsidized water to the forefront with a discussion of the underlying economics and opposing viewpoints.  Given that CVP is the largest federal water project in the nation and that a substantial percentage of Reclamation project land lies in California, the debates surrounding these reduced water rates for farmers are highly contested.  Panelists will discuss if there is truth to the statement that California's water system would work well if it weren't for subsidized agriculture, or, at least, what appears to be subsidized agriculture.  Or is it the case that most of today's farmers have paid for their water subsidies through other avenues, like higher land prices, and that eliminating subsidies or low water rates is not the most efficient way to encourage farmers to conserve water.  This panel will explore the various approaches and opinions concerning this incredibly significant debate.

Session 1B

California Water Management Success Stories: The Portfolio Management Approach & Other Advances in Sustainability

While water challenges remain on the forefront of California policy, it is important to reflect on the successes and sacrifices made by individuals, groups, and communities throughout the state.  Recent advances have led to more efficient applied water use, increased crop yields, and enhanced water quality. This panel will discuss the "Portfolio Management Approach" and other success stories in our continuing struggle to sustainably manage our water resources.  Specifically, CA water planners, facing a choice between water supply options, customarily use the average unit cost of each option as a criterion.  This approach is misleading when comparing options with different reliability characteristics.  The Portfolio Management Approach has been adapted from the financial portfolio theory and allows planners to account for uncertainty in yield or water quality by calculating "constant-reliability-benefit unit costs."

Session 2A

The Water-Energy Nexus: Integrated Water Resource Management

Providing adequate water supplies requires substantial energy use.  This panel will focus on the legal and policy issues presented by integrated water resource management by looking at local and regional water supplies.  Panelists will discuss the energy intensity of various local water supply portfolios as well as the implementation of AB 32 water-energy measures for local water supplies.

Session 2B

Achieving Water Sustainability in a Changing Climate

The effects of climate change are challenging the way California manages and allocates its water resources. Changes in snowpack, sea level, and river flows are expected to continue into the future, dramatically impacting the reliability of California's water supply.  Additionally, changes in weather patterns will increase flood risks, and much of California's water will come as rain instead of snowmelt.  Responding to these changes in climate will be critical to ensuring the sustainability of the water supply for present and future generations.  Panelists will discuss opportunities for California to better adapt and respond to climate change and its impacts on water resources.

Session 3A

Smart Water Planning for Development and Growth

Changes in land use can present significant challenges to preserving water quality, meeting future water supply needs, and maintaining reasonable water resource goals.  Are there smart approaches to maintaining, restoring, or enhancing natural hydrologic and water-quality conditions that may be affected by urban development and growth?  Panelists will discuss water supply planning, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) implications, and Low Impact Development (LID) strategies that incorporate various techniques to generate less runoff from developed land.

Session 3B

Best Practices for Managing California's Water Banks in the Future: Saving for a (Non)Rainy Day

As surface water grows scarcer and California's water needs increase, there is growing focus on water storage.  Water banking is unique in that it facilitates water storage without evaporative losses and dams. California possesses one of the world's largest water banks, the Kern Water Bank, and is in the position to act as an innovator in the development of water banking law.  However, water bank regulation in California is still developing, and many questions need to be answered. At this time there are major gaps in water bank regulation, and many water banks are under private control.  This panel will focus on ways to eliminate uncertainties in water bank regulation and management and strategies for making water banks a useful part of California's water infrastructure. 

Session 4A

Can California Afford to Declare a Human Right to Clean Drinking Water?

The California Human Right to Water Bill Package seeks to establish the basic right of every human being to have access to clean water for basic human needs as a state policy.  Around 8 million Californians rely on water supplies that fail to meet drinking water standards each year.  The Central Valley and Central Coast regions are particularly vulnerable because communities rely heavily on groundwater.  However, opponents of some bills in the package assert the legislation is duplicative and imposes unnecessary burdens on water agencies.  Governor Jerry Brown has signed AB 938, AB 983, AB 1221, and SB 244 into law.  SB 685 is being held on the suspense file by the Senate Appropriations Committee, while AB 1187 failed to pass out of Assembly Appropriations.

Sponsored by the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice.

Session 4B

Effective Groundwater Monitoring and Management in California: SB X7-6 as the First Step in the Long Road Ahead

The SB X7-6 bill signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2009 aimed to modify the California Water Plan by requiring parties who wish to monitor their groundwater supply to notify and begin reporting to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) by January 2012. Now named the “California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Program” (CASGEM), this measure sets the stage for California's overdue response to the impending water crisis. Unfortunately, this program is only a small step forward because no system seems to exists to process and utilize the reports made to the DWR, nor is there a requirement for these agencies to report how much groundwater they are extracting. This panel may discuss the accomplishments and flaws of SB X7-6, but will focus on how stakeholders will use the water table information going forward to determine the next steps in improving groundwater management.