It’s time for the Conservation folks to be honest with the public about the realities of “reliable” water supply and join hands with Stormwater folks who need to motivate property stewards to break with a century of building code and begin SLOWING, SPREADING, and SINKING rainwater on EVERY SITE possible. Jason Gurdak, Assistant Professor of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, notes “conservation starts with educating future generations about where their resources come from and how limited they may be.” Gurdak has been studying the effects of climate change on groundwater, and the results are as expected — we need to start thinking seriously about recharge NOW, BEFORE the water table drops to the point where it cannot be recharged.
Says Gurdak, “In many ways, California is leading the way in developing solutions. Artificial recharge, managed storage and recovery projects and low impact development around the state will become more important for many local water systems to bank excess water in aquifers.”
For more on Jason Gurdak’s research, check out his book.
