Calif. needs a Water Czar

Stu News Laguna April 13, 2021

Kudos to Mayor Bob Whalen and everyone in town who is publicly encouraging Laguna's residents to be "water wise" and prudent this month. 

Because California's hopes for a wet March did not materialize, I am afraid we are on the cusp of another drought only a few years after a devastating 60-month dry spell that left water wells empty and farmers idled.  

Which brings me to topic Number One in my book:  No matter how the current recall effort turns out, my hope is the next governor will make naming a Water Czar a top priority.

What powers would a Water Czar have?  He or she needs to be able to make decisions that transcend geographic boundaries, water district politics and partisan gridlock.  Think of him or her like the director of the FBI or Homeland Security, only for water.  Appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, these crime and terrorist fighters operate at a unique level in Washington.

With the appropriate checks and balances in place, California's Water Czar could be given similar powers in Sacramento.  Yes, he or she would consider scientific, environmental, legal and political arguments before making decisions impacting the state.  But once those decisions are made, the czar would rely on local leaders and agencies to quickly implement them.  Not unlike the way governors, judges and police chiefs have to react after receiving news from the FBI or Homeland Security.

Fighting crime or terrorism is not the same as fighting Mother Nature.  Still, we have a model in place that allows certain, key people to operate on a level unlike most everyone else.  It is time California finds that person.

Bob Whalen knows water is key to our survival.  The way I see it, a state Water Czar will play a critical role in being part of the solution to California's water woes and not the problem.

-DF