SACRAMENTO—Water Foundation Chief Executive Officer Wade Crowfoot released the following statement following Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to lift the drought emergency:
“This drought devastated communities and natural places across California, so the Governor’s announcement after a wet winter is a very welcome milestone.
“At the same time, our water challenges are mounting: climate change is driving more intense droughts and flooding, our groundwater supplies are severely depleted, our population and economy are growing, and pollution threatens drinking water across California. So it would be a tremendous mistake to go back to business as usual. We simply cannot. The drought was a wake up call, and we can’t hit the snooze button.
“We need all Californians to embrace conservation and efficiency as a way of life. And we need our leaders to work together, make smart investments, and embrace new approaches to managing water. Together we can ensure all Californians have safe drinking water, replenish our groundwater supplies, protect our citizens from droughts and flooding and help our communities and natural places thrive.”
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