Storm’s Runoff, Drought Raise Issues of Conservation, Waste

When the rainstorm at the end of February developed into an unexpected deluge, emergency measures prevented billions of gallons of high-quality runoff from flowing down the Santa Ana River and into the Pacific Ocean.

Orange County Water District officials met with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and formulated a plan for saving the storm water without violating the Federal Endangered Species Act.

The three agencies quickly forged a plan that could be set in motion immediately. The corps agreed to halt releases from Prado Dam for several hours to allow water district crews to rebuild sand levees in the river, and then to slow the flow so the water district could conserve it all.

The Fish and Wildlife Service accepted a higher water storage level behind the dam, provided the water district would reserve acreage above the water line for the nesting habitat of the endangered least Bell’s vireo and would donate funds to manage and protect this small songbird.

I am proud of the cooperative way these three agencies worked to bring about something good in a matter that was of vital importance to the people of Orange County.

I am elated that as much as 12,000 acre-feet of excellent water, enough to supply about 75,000 people’s water needs for a full year, was saved through prompt, decisive action.

The water district, as the ground-water manager, is responsible--literally--for seeing that our wells don’t run dry. Ground water makes up more than half the water we use in Orange County, and this district uses every available means to conserve the flow of the Santa Ana River for replenishing the aquifers beneath our feet.

Five years of drought have put California in a critical situation. But I believe two key concepts will help get us through this period of shortage: conservation and cooperation.

It’s going to take all of us, working together, to make the available water supply last through this drought. Our success in conserving the recent storm flows is proof that it can be done.

WILLIAM R. MILLS JR., General Manager, Orange County Water District