Coalition for a Sustainable Delta Responds to Southern California
Water Committee Study

April 18, 2017

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – Today, the Southern California Water Committee released a new report exposing the consequences of decades of water cuts caused by environmental regulations. Not surprisingly, California’s San Joaquin Valley and Southern California regions are taking the hardest hit, to the tune of an average of 1.3 million acre-feet of water each year.

The study’s findings include $5 billion in lost farm worker compensation and $3 billion in lost net farm income; a loss of 21,279 jobs statewide annually, including 11,025 farm jobs; and $15.8 billion in additional water supply and conservation investments for urban customers.

“Unfortunately, we are not surprised by the report’s findings. These water losses are consistent with the 1.05 million acre feet of lost water we reported last year during the height of the drought,” Michael Boccadoro, Coalition for a Sustainable Delta spokesperson said. “While the economic costs of regulators’ water supply restrictions are now clear, the benefits are not. We simply are not seeing any value as salmon and other native protected fish species are continuing to decline.”

The ongoing impacts identified in this report underscore the immediate need for a comprehensive solution to the state’s water supply issues, including improved conveyance, storage and operational flexibility.

“We need solutions that protect jobs, people and fish. We cannot afford to continue to sacrifice the San Joaquin Valley economy and its workers’ livelihoods on efforts that fail to provide any real benefits,” Boccadoro concluded.

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