Water, Water Everywhere—Except in California’s Reservoirs

A winter respite from drought was all too brief. Dredging would solve the problem in the long term

By Edward Ring. He is director of water and energy policy for the California Policy Center. Excerpts:

"In the final week of 2025, more than 1.3 million acre-feet poured into the bay (San Francisco)—enough water to supply all the state’s water consumption other than farms for nearly two months. But California water officials captured less than 7% of the incoming flow because of onerous environmental restrictions. The rest flowed out to sea."

"There’s a solution that would safely permit Californians to harvest far more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta"

"This could make millions of additional acre-feet of water available for all Californians."

"Beginning in the late 19th century, California farmers regularly used their own equipment to dredge the delta channels."

"those farmers deepened the delta channels and spread over their surrounding farmland the rich silt they excavated or used it to reinforce the levees."

"environmentalists essentially ended the practice in the 1970s." 

"One of the central claims is that dredging kills protected native salmon. Precisely the opposite is true: The bigger threat to the state’s salmon population is the presence of striped and largemouth bass"

"In the old days, thanks to dredging, salmon still had access to deep channels with the cooler waters that they prefer and bass avoid."

"Without dredging, the delta’s waters are shallower and warmer. When environmentalists countered with expensive government salmon hatcheries, the bass adapted, hiding in the shallows surrounding the hatcheries, where they are treated to an endless buffet of salmon fingerlings."

"Without dredging, water officials who see storms coming quickly drain their reservoirs to make room for water. Dredging allows more water to flow through the delta without flooding, so water officials can keep reservoirs full"

"Channels deepened through regular dredging would greatly increase the overall volume of fresh water in the delta."