California is facing potential water supply risks, as rivers and streams lack proper monitoring according to a recent study. This poses serious concerns for water management in the state.
The latest issue of Nature Sustainability revealed that only 8% of California’s rivers have stream gauges for water flow measurements, highlighting significant gaps in monitoring.
Monitoring is crucial for efficient water resource management, biodiversity conservation, and understanding the impacts of climate change.
Lucy Andrews, a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley, emphasized the necessity of reliable and complete information amidst growing demands on California’s resources due to climate change. The study points out concerning monitoring gaps and proposes solutions to address them.
Andrews and Ted Grantham assessed the effectiveness of stream gauges for various water management goals in California. They found that only 9% of large dams have upstream and downstream flow measurement gauges, hindering effective water supply management and flood control.
The research also revealed that 30% of watersheds supporting diverse species are monitored. Despite California’s biodiversity, it still houses some of the most threatened freshwater species globally.
It is crucial to increase monitoring to protect vulnerable species and gain insights into climate change impacts on water systems. The study discovered that less than 1% of unimpaired streams are monitored, affecting researchers’ understanding of climate change effects on natural water flows.
Ted Grantham emphasized the importance of investing in better monitoring infrastructure to manage water effectively amidst increasing climate change challenges and population growth.