Issue Position: Water

Issue Position

I talked earlier about a "YES" California, a state that tackles problems and isn't afraid to act. That's the mindset we need for new water storage. We haven't built a new state water project facility since 1978, when the state had a population of around 20 million. Now we have around 40 million! Conservation is great and we are more effective with our water than we were then, but conservation can only be part of a solution. We need to build more water storage now to meet current needs and growth in the future.

When I was in the legislature, I successfully fought to get more than $3 billion for new water storage into our state water bond. But the projects identified in that bill, notably Sites Reservoir, have not gotten the bond money they need to finish construction.

Droughts are natural, but water shortages aren't. Adequate water storage lets us bank water in wet years to use in dry years. Wouldn't it be nice to have Sites Reservoir available to meet our needs this summer, when the state is asking us to cut back our water use?

We should say "YES!" to building more dams, freeways, airports, bridges and on and on down the line, so we leave a legacy of useful, first-class infrastructure for generations to come.

I will fight for new water storage such as Sites Reservoir so suburban families can water the lawns where their kids play, and farmers can have every drop they need.

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