The Future of Water

Overview

The snowpack in the Sierra Mountains provides 30% of the State of California’s annual water supply. As of April 2022, this snowpack, which is a key source of reservoir water, was measured at only 30% of the statewide average. 

Water wells throughout the State are at historically low levels, and a classic battle is emerging over water rights among agriculture, cities, the environment, and industry.  

So the question is: How long will this drought last? Have we entered a new normal with less snowpack, less rainfall, and more demand for water? And if so, what can be done to adjust to the new reality?

Two guests provide a thoughtful and insightful perspective on the depth of the problem, the potential to use technology in providing more water, and the structural obstacles to building a consensus to move forward with immediate and long-term responses.

Gary Kremen serves on the Board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District and comes from an entrepreneurial background in Silicon Valley.  Newsha Ajami is the Chief Strategic Development Officer for Research in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

The topics addressed in this interview are:

• 00:00 Overview of the drought and water management
• 02:18 How serious is the drought today?
• 03:34 The problem with water?
• 06:20 Restrictions on water use.
• 07:16 Land use restrictions.
• 08:05 Water treatment by use.
• 10:03 Is the cycle of water broken?
• 11:08 Desalinization
• 12:26 Cloud seeding for rain.
• 14:16 Subsidence
• 15:47 What happens if the drought continues?
• 16:30 Land use versus water use
• 17:57 Can water be re-priced by use?
• 21:50 Can Silicon Valley innovation play a role?
• 24:40 Participants in the fight over water.
• 25:08 Water challenges in the 21st century
• 26:27 Follow-up contact information