Keith Ensminger: It’s not a water grab, it’s protecting our rivers

Re: “We must challenge state’s water grab?” (Opinions, Jan. 25): The Sierra watershed is a California resource that belongs to every California resident. Central Valley farmers have no more stake to the Sierra watershed above or below ground than gold miners had 150 years ago when they drained our rivers. The insinuation in the editorial that our downstream neighbors must accept possible extinction of salmon and turning the Delta into a salt-infested sewer is wrong.

Western water policy was developed on the heels of the Little Ice Age in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the climate was much wetter and colder than long-term climate records show. Our current weather is more typical of historical climate trends, and we need to live within our means.

Farming is a gamble, always dependent on the weather. We developed strong government regulation at the beginning of the 20th Century to keep individuals from denuding our forests and draining our rivers. We need the same commitment to protect the Sierra watershed. California should develop more robust crop insurance and unemployment programs rather than allowing farmers unfettered access to water simply because they live upstream. We need to protect the Sierra watershed for every California resident.

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Keith Ensminger: It’s not a water grab, it’s protecting our rivers."