San Diego may be facing some tight water supplies in the near future. Officials have already asked us to voluntarily conserve because of dry conditions. But potential cutbacks to one of San Diego's key water sources, the Sacramento River Delta , could put the squeeze on even more. KPBS Environmental Reporter Ed Joyce has details.
The Delta supplies water to more than two-thirds of the state's population including San Diego. That supply could take a hit when a judge decides next month on a plan to protect an endangered fish. Water supplies could be cut from between six and 40-percent under the plan. Dennis Cushman is the Assistant General Manager for the San Diego County Water Authority . He says the dry water year, a continued drought on the Colorado River and potential cutbacks from the Delta makes conservation critical.
Cushman: We're out there right now with a message to the public, to the business community and all of San Diego County to do the one thing that we do have control over collectively, and that is demand for water. We're asking people to re-double their efforts to conserve water.
Water districts statewide want us to conserve because of drought conditions. Two districts in Sonoma and Santa Cruz Counties have implemented mandatory rationing. Cushman says he's worried about next year.
Cushman: If 2008 turns out to be the second year of a multi-year drought then we're going to be facing even more serious challenges next year. And overlay on top of that judicial restrictions on how much water can be pumped to Southern California."
San Diego farmers also rely on imported water to nourish a $1billion nursery industry. County Farm Bureau Executive Director Eric Larson says local growers are already facing cuts next January because of the dry conditions.
Larson: If those cuts from the Delta or things like that become institutionalized or permanent, we're going to have some real serious issues for the farmers in San Diego County."
He says if there's less water, it means less crops. Less crops means fewer dollars in economic activity. Larson says farmers in other areas of the state could face even tougher challenges.
Larson: But we have farmers in the state of California that are 100 percent dependent on the water that they receive from the Delta. And for those folks there may be some real draconian cutbacks."
There hasn't been mandatory water restrictions in San Diego County since the last major drought that started in 1987. Ed Joyce, KPBS News.
