When you turn on the tap in your home, where does the water come from? Where does it go? The answers may surprise you.

The California water system is bewildering in its complexity. Some water rights date to the Gold Rush and are held jealously. Our population and economy grew as they did because we engineered dams, viaducts, channels and more that move water from hundreds – sometimes thousands – of miles away.

Giant water projects have allowed us to build an agricultural juggernaut that demands water, even when the rivers and aqueducts run dry. Local rivers and streams are an important source of water for many communities and farms in Northern and Central California. When surface water is not available, we turn to groundwater, but that resource is being overdrawn.

Water is important to all aspects of life – ours, and that of plants and other animals. Water and water policy also have influence on and are influenced by many other aspects of natural resources – climate change, forests, sea level rise, land use, and many more.

The League of Women Voters of California has more than 30 members dedicated to understanding California’s water. The Water Committee, co-chaired by Jane Wagner-Tyack and Roberta Borgonovo, has members from all across California with both scientific and policy expertise on California’s unique water supply and distribution systems.

To help share our information, the Water Committee is planning a series of articles on California’s water to inform you, to intrigue you, and to share the team’s expertise. The articles will be offered about once a month to Local Leagues for possible publication in their VOTER newsletter, and accessible online.

Dr. Diz Swift, LWVC Natural Resources Director

Please join us in learning about the many important aspects of California’s water. This article is the first in the series. Next up:

Water is Related to Everything – How water links to energy, health, environmental justice, agriculture, recreation, and so much else.