Several non-storage dams have been built for water quality and emergency supply in the last few years, but we are still a long way from increasing our water supply through storage. The hearing continued by taking testimony from proponents of and opponents to increased water storage. This testimony further demonstrated why we are having so much trouble in building reservoirs to address the shortages of water that California experiences during each drought. Agricultural groups are supporting the construction of new water storage facilities. They recognize that their membership is the first to experience cuts in water supply during droughts.
Business supports the building of new reservoirs because less water means less economic growth.
Water agencies support increased water storage for the added flexibility and reliability it can lend to their mission to provide water for Californians. The unsurprising bad news is that the environmental groups continue to oppose increased water storage. These groups argue that there is no more water that can be stored. They believe that water storage facilities are too expensive to build. They also believe that California's future water needs can still be met even while we increase the amount of water that runs unused into the ocean.