When California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory water conservation measures for the first time in state history last week, agriculture, the state’s biggest water user, was largely exempted from the new rules, an omission that quickly drew criticism even among fans of the measure.
“It is striking that his executive order refines restrictions to the urban sector that consumes only 20 percent of California’s water and leaves the agricultural sector, which consumes 80 percent of the water, untouched at least for the moment," said Mark Hertsgaard, an environmental journalist and author who lives in San Francisco. "You can’t leave 80 percent of the problem off the table.”
The majority of the governor’s mandates targeted urban water use, which Brown hopes can be reduced by 25 percent of 2013 levels. The measures include replacing 50 million square feet of lawns throughout the state with drought-tolerant landscaping and requiring
large landscapes such as campuses, golf courses and cemeteries to make significant cuts in water use.
Regarding agriculture, Brown’s executive order mandated that irrigation districts develop drought management plans and directed the State Water Resources Control Board to step up efforts to curtail wasteful water practices in agricultural fields. The state also passed its first groundwater law last year, aimed at limiting the amount of groundwater farmers can drill for. But critics argue the law doesn't call for sustainability until the 2040s, and scientists aren't sure if ground water supplies can last that long.
“The order does not deal with the fact that farmers are accelerating the planting of water-intensive crops, primarily for export, at the same time residents are being required to reduce their water by 25 percent,” said Jonas Minton, a water policy adviser for the Planning and Conservation League and a former state water official.
Minton argued the order should have included restrictions on planting water-intensive crops and more regulations for groundwater drilling.
“People are willing to sacrifice when they believe it is a shared sacrifice,” Minton said.
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