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‘Water' kicks off Modesto discussion series on key issues inspired by city motto
The Modesto Chamber of Commerce is holding a series of advocacy sessions dedicated to the words residents know so well: 'Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health.'
The series, which runs monthly through September, started with a session on water. It was held June 5 at the State Theatre downtown.
Trish Christensen, president and CEO of the chamber, said she wanted to team up its economic development committee and government relations council to bring conference-room discussions out into the community.
'We're really wanting to bring some of the key specialists in these different realms and wanted to lean into the city motto: water, wealth, contentment, health.'
Michael Gaffney, divisions operations specialist for Pacific Gas & Electric, kicked off the event by highlighting the work of people who were responsible for restoring the Modesto Arch, which crosses H Street at Ninth Street downtown.
'Standing proudly since 1912, the Modesto Arch has long symbolized our community's values and aspirations,' he said. 'Back then, and even today, the arch is illuminated at night, drawing our attention to the four words that tell a story of the condition of Stanislaus County since the Sierras began irrigating our land.'
Dorene D'Adamo, vice chair of the California Water Resources Control Board, was the event's keynote speaker. She provided a more sobering picture of water challenges, access and opportunities for sustainable solutions to the Central Valley's ongoing water crisis.
'Every year, there's another record that's been broken of some kind,' she said, describing the chaotic shifts, or 'weather whiplash,' between drought and heavy rainfall.
It's not just droughts that need to be planned for, she said, but also the alarmingly wet conditions that threaten floods.
'Use the water when you have it,' D'Adamo said. 'In years of plenty, use surface water. And then in years we're challenged by dry conditions, that's when you turn on those pumps and draw water out from the ground.'
Audience member Marcus Haney challenged D'Adamo about why farmers are being hit with restrictions on drilling wells. 'You know, back in my day, when those wells were developed, they dug until they hit water. 'Looks good, let's sink this well,'' he said.
He went on to say he believes the issue isn't about water availability, but storage.
D'Adamo replied that digging too many deep wells in the area will lead to a depletion of groundwater.
'In the end, we're going to see restrictions, we're going to see land being fallowed – it's really unfortunate,' she said. 'This is a beautiful area, and as you say, the agricultural productivity is second to none — but districts or groundwater sustainability agencies are going to look at how to manage this.'
Another question from the audience was about where funds for the Proposition 1 bond measure from 2014 which focused on infrastructure for water resilience in the state, went. D'Adamo mentioned the Sites Reservoir as being a recipient of those funds but also said there are funds still available. Money allocated for projects that didn't go through is returned for use on other projects, she said.
Another person was concerned that one of the water storage projects mentioned might impact her access to spring water from Del Puerto Canyon.
D'Adamo lives in Turlock and said she sees improvements in water use efficiency, but not as much as when she visits her sister in Santa Cruz. 'They're way ahead of us,' she said.
Christensen said she's not an 'ag person' and does not work in water by trade, so she learned a lot about the value of water in the Valley during the session.
'That tie to water, the people in our community, unless they are in ag, they don't necessarily understand how important being part of this is,' she said. 'Tracking it, supporting it, conserving it, being part of the solution — we all need to be part of that.'
D'Adamo opened her keynote address by thanking the chamber for inviting her.
'I think the chamber's focus on 'water, wealth, contentment, health' is apt at a time when communities all across the state are really challenged by some of the things we're seeing with climate change,' she said.
The next session in the series will be held July 25 and focus on wealth and is open to the public but costs $35 to attend. Registration can be found on the Modesto Chamber of Commerce website.
Panelists will be Stanislaus County Supervisor Mani Grewal, City Councilmember Nick Bavaro and the director of Modesto's Engineering Department, Toby Wells.
