The Issue
As in the rest of California, Napa County’s water security will be impacted by the dramatic changes occurring in our climate as well as by the continued growth of wine and tourism. While we are experiencing drought conditions and decreasing water supply, the county is simultaneously permitting more vineyards, wineries, and hotels in areas of deficient water supply and quality.
Our municipalities are dependent on surface water stored in reservoirs or delivered by the North Bay Aqueduct. Agricultural lands and county residences depend on groundwater (wells). Where will our cities' water come from in the coming years when the snowpack disappears? Will our cities be in competition with agriculture for groundwater? It's time for a plan.
What We're Doing
Napa Vision 2050, and others, have analyzed our current situation and communicated with the California State Water Board to examine the insufficiencies of a proposed alternative groundwater sustainability plan for Napa County's basins. Now that the state has instructed Napa County to create a groundwater sustainability agency, we are watching it closely. We are actively monitoring decisions and developments that will challenge our municipalities and our environment. We advocate for protections, fairness, and a careful slowing of ever-increasing developments that are unsustainable.
Our Vision
We want to see robust planning and water conservation by government agencies -- protecting watersheds and groundwater sources, and stopping over-depletion and pollution. We support the metering and monitoring of wells pumping groundwater and the formation of a county-wide agency to ensure equitable and sustainable water access for all residents, municipalities, the ecological needs of the environment, and agriculture.