California appears to be in a dramatic fix if you look at the facts of the latest chapter in the state's legendary water history. However, when it comes to water, everything important happens under the surface. Southern California may yet keep its swimming pools and industrial base.
Here's the story so far: Facing the loss of more than half of its Colorado River water supply, the Metropolitan Water District, wholesale distributor for 17 million Southern Californians, bargained with three other water agencies right up to a Dec. 31 deadline, which had been set two years ago by the Interior Department. When midnight tolled and the talks foundered, Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton figuratively turned the tap and cut California's annual use of Colorado River water by nearly 20%, with the south hit harder than the north. Never had the federal government taken such extreme action regarding a state's water supply.
Metropolitan officials began talking about living with the loss of about 420,000 acre-feet, enough to supply 1 million households. California would have to get along with less. But the deal isn't really dead. There's still time for California to recapture the water, with a little skillful pressure.
The Imperial deal would transfer about 200,000 acre-feet a year from desert farmlands of the Imperial Valley to urban San Diego County. Metropolitan and the Coachella Valley Water District were involved in the talks between San Diego and the Imperial Irrigation District because complex swaps would affect the supplies of all four entities.
