Anyone who fancies themselves better suited to crafting state water policy than those who are doing it can put that knowledge to test, beginning today.
Next 10, a think tank on California public policy, has created an online California Water Challenge where users pick from a number of different options -- from more dams to desalination plants to higher fines for water wasters -- to overcome a projected severe water shortage in about 15 years.
Each option also is measured in terms of cost and environmental impacts, and the goal is to eliminate water deficits on both the urban and agricultural side, totaling at best 4.9 million acre-feet, or more in dry years.
Noel Perry, founder of nonprofit Next 10, said the idea behind the challenge is to give users a better sense of what options are out there, and the pros and cons of each.
“We hope to educate and allow them to be engaged citizens on the issue,” he said, adding the California Water Challenge is meant to be a place to start for people interested in water policy.
If those who take the challenge understand become more informed, it’s better for public policy decisions such as the water bond on the November ballot and Gov. Jerry Brown’s plans for a pair of water tunnels in the Delta, Perry said. He added his organization is about information and doesn't endorse or oppose any specific idea.
“People need to understand where the water comes from, where it goes and who uses it,” he said.
Take the Next 10 California Water Challenge.