Change is the new normal for water agencies

Brown & Caldwell’s Water News: Like many water agencies, the El Dorado County Water Agency in California started looking into climate change five years ago. More than just the natural variations in climate was happening, with less rain falling and less snowpack melting into the American River near Sacramento.

That worried Bill Hetland, general manager of the water agency. With snow melting earlier in the spring, it meant more runoff and a need for more long-term storage. Two years ago, they came up with a drought plan.

From 1,100 miles of new sea walls and other flood protections to possibly more desalination plants to combat less rain and droughts, California is in for a full dose of the effects of climate change. While water problems are becoming worse for water managers in the state, change has been a problem they’ve had to deal with for a long time. “We’re going to be in a world of hurt” without more storage, Hetland said. So the water agency started working with area utilities to add storage. It now has 15,000 acre-feet of storage specifically for drought protection.

El Dorado is just one of many agencies throughout the United States dealing with climate change and its effects on preparation for floods and droughts. Local and state governments, utilities and water agencies are preparing for these changes faster than they might have liked, though….

Looking bucolic in El Dorado, California, from that county's web page