California's Water Paradox: Why Enough Will Never Be Enough 1

These days it seems everyone is looking for a silver bullet solution to California's drought. Some advocate increasing supply through more storage, desalination, or reuse. Others recommend controlling demand through conservation or restriction of water use by urban and agricultural users. Rarely do proponents of these single solutions seem to fully appreciate the complexity of California's water situation. The fact is that in this large, semi-arid state water is intimately tied to every aspect of life. Over time, we have consistently increased supply and reduced demand to support a growing population and higher levels of agricultural production. A good rule of thumb when it comes to California drought solutions is if it were simple, it would already have been done. Californians have always accepted, and even embraced, the uncertain nature of life in this beautiful, diverse state. From the boom and bust of the Gold Rush to a new population living on fault lines, California's uncertainty is built into our lives.