If you ask any Californian living outside of the Central Valley why is water important, some will probably say water is important for drinking, for bathing, for washing our hands and watering our lawns.
Water takes on a whole different meaning if you ask anyone living in the San Joaquin Valley, as water helps drive the region’s main industry, agriculture.
There’s no doubt about it, our state needs to better manage its water resources. We talked to leaders at the recent San Joaquin Valley Regional Economic Forum about what water means to their local economy.
At the second annual San Joaquin Valley regional economic forum, water again became a main topic of discussion amongst business folks, farmers, educators and economists.
That’s why the California Economic Summit, has also made it a priority to address this concern. In this case, Action Teams are talking about and working on the building and maintenance of water infrastructure, as one of the Signature Initiatives for fixing the economy of this state.
It’s also a a critical time for water issues, with Governor Jerry Brown’s Sacramento Delta tunnel plan and state water bond front and center in the discussion.
“His attention to the issue has triggered multiple conversations across the State, and we should all be encouraged that, influenced in part by the ‘water modernization’ proposal presented at the 2012 California Economic Summit, the conversations are becoming increasingly more constructive and encouraging,” said Pete Weber of Fresno, a businessman who also serves on the Leadership Council for California Forward.
“Californians have fought water wars for generations, pitting regions and interest groups against each other,” added Weber. “But there’s a new tone developing–a recognition that the near-term and long-term solutions have to address the needs of environmental, urban, agricultural and industrial users as well as the needs of every region.”
