Abstract
California is facing a critical water supply and water quality crisis, necessitating a clear shift in the way water resources are managed. This study assesses the effectiveness of water law and policy in the urban-agricultural interface, where the two discharge into common waterways but have different regulatory requirements. A case study from one of California’s most productive agricultural regions, the Salinas Valley, explores the complexities and inadequacies of current water law in the interface, as well as promising integrated water management schemes. The article’s findings are based on archival research, extensive document review and 15 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. Findings suggest that local, state and federal water policy is severely fragmented, providing little incentive for the multitude of water entities to collaborate on multi-benefit projects and resulting in unsuccessful water quality improvements. There is a strong need for a more integrated policy approach that bridges different types of dischargers (agricultural and urban), water quality and water quantity issues and also incorporates land uses into policy decision making.
Highlights
California is facing a critical water supply and water quality crisis, necessitating a clear shift in the way water resources are managed
After a brief description of research methodologies, the paper: (1) describes three pollutants—nutrients, sediments and pesticides—and the harm they inflict on water bodies in urban and agricultural waterways, especially when they accumulate; (2) reviews several key water quality regulations in urban and agricultural land use areas, including three adaptive legislative measures related to state water issues; (3) provides a case study that exemplifies the complexities and inadequacies of current water law in the urban-agricultural interface, as well as promising integrated water management schemes; and (4) concludes by recommending avenues for advancing more coordinated and effective responses to water quality management
As Dr Adler’s quote eludes to, this is not an unusual case; rather it is a common phenomenon occurring throughout the United States
Summary
California is facing a critical water supply and water quality crisis, necessitating a clear shift in the way water resources are managed. Urban runoff is regulated much more stringently than agricultural runoff, creating a rich opportunity to compare and contrast urban and agricultural pollution control management strategies and the emergence of alternative multi-level legal arrangements to clean conjoint waters. These discrepancies create the conditions for a unique “natural experiment” to examine the different and uneven institutional arrangements and implementation practices governing water resources between urban and agricultural sectors. The demand for improved water quality in the urban-agricultural interface presents an opportunity to learn from emerging water pollution governance strategies that may allocate benefits more equitably and modify existing legal regimes to adapt to new contexts. After a brief description of research methodologies, the paper: (1) describes three pollutants—nutrients, sediments and pesticides—and the harm they inflict on water bodies in urban and agricultural waterways, especially when they accumulate; (2) reviews several key water quality regulations in urban and agricultural land use areas, including three adaptive legislative measures related to state water issues; (3) provides a case study that exemplifies the complexities and inadequacies of current water law in the urban-agricultural interface, as well as promising integrated water management schemes; and (4) concludes by recommending avenues for advancing more coordinated and effective responses to water quality management
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
