To support people and fish, California must maximize every drop of water, invest in water infrastructure

In summary

Westlands Water District has a history of supporting local communities and investing in habitat restoration and conservation.

By Shelley Cartwright, Fresno

Shelley Cartwright is the deputy general manager of External Affairs for Westlands Water District.

Re “Trump-era water rules should be reversed,” Commentary, April 30, 2021

Given Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call for California to “move past the old water binaries,” it’s disappointing that the Sierra Club is creating division through misstatements and misleading the public.

Westlands Water District has a long history of supporting local communities and investing in habitat restoration and conservation – strategies necessary to support the long-term health and sustainability of our environment and the fish and wildlife that depend on it. The best, most productive way to improve outcomes for our environment, manage ongoing drought impacts and protect disadvantaged communities is to maximize every drop of water we have now and get more water into the system for the future.

Westlands has championed such policies for years. The Sierra Club’s energy would be better directed toward such collaborative efforts to advance the viability of fish and wildlife, healthy ecosystems, and the water supply that sustains people and agriculture.