Here in California we’re experiencing a wide array of water challenges – changing precipitation patterns and drought, diminishing snowpack, decreases in river flows, severe declines in populations of important fish species such as salmon and the Delta smelt, and rising sea levels in the San Francisco Bay that will likely to lead to saltwater intrusion.

California experienced the driest spring on record this year. Reservoirs are just 2/3 full. In June, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a statewide water emergency – the first since 1991. Some water agencies are charging heavy water users higher prices and many are imposing serious restrictions. Unfortunately, water experts don’t think that California’s water scarcity is a temporary problem. The onset of climate change paired with population growth and development means the business-as-usual scenario cannot be sustained. It’s time to tap into our virtual river - a combination of water-use efficiency, water recycling, improved groundwater management and capturing storm water before it becomes polluted.