Pubdate: Sun, 02 Aug 2015
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388
Authors: Brian Johnson, Curtis Knight and Mike Sweeney
Note: Brian Johnson is California state director for Trout Unlimited. 
Curtis Knight is executive director of nonprofit fish and watershed 
advocacy organization California Trout. Mike Sweeney is executive 
director of the Nature Conservancy in California.

POT'S HIT ON OUR WATER SUPPLY

Legalization Must Address Problem of Poaching From State's Streams

California, the nation's top agricultural producer, also is the 
source of up to 70 percent of the marijuana consumed in the United 
States. The marijuana industry is largely unregulated and there are 
few protections to ensure illegal water diversions for grows don't 
dry up rivers and destroy salmon and steelhead habitat. As the state 
begins to debate whether to legalize recreational marijuana, these 
concerns are amplified. With or without legalization, California 
needs to grapple with the environmental consequences of this enormous industry.

The longer the drought, the greater the tension among the demands for 
water for agricultural crops, urban water and the need for cold clean 
water for fisheries. Almonds bring in upward of $6.4 billion 
annually. Dairy products and wine grapes inject $6.9 billion and $3 
billion, respectively, into our state economy. The economic value of 
these industries pales compared to medical and black market marijuana 
sales, which together amount to $16 billion.

Marijuana is a thirsty crop, typically grown off the beaten path on 
private property and illegally on public lands. And it is often grown 
in the most sensitive watersheds with significant wildlife habitat. 
Along the North Coast, it takes twice as much water to grow one 
marijuana plant as it takes to grow one wine grapevine. Water for 
these plantations often is taken illegally. Such diversions can 
significantly reduce stream flow during California's dry season, 
particularly during drought. Stretches of the Eel River and many of 
its tributaries have slowed to a trickle or dried up completely as a 
result of water diversions during the dry season when young fish are 
struggling to survive.

Shasta County landowner Mark Hazarian told us, "On our little creek, 
we have federal- and state-listed species like steelhead trout and 
Shasta salamander, and they have been dying because of water 
diversion for marijuana cultivation. All the alder trees are dying, 
which is ironic as the spring that feeds our creek is called Alder 
Spring. Neighbors say that water has run down this creek in the 
summer since they arrived in 1948. And now it's dry. Everyone who 
lives on the creek is so depressed. Legal water users don't have 
enough water because of all the water poaching."

Marijuana's semi-legal status makes this industry's water usage 
challenging to regulate. Stream-flow protections and adequate funding 
to enforce them are essential to ensure legalization does not 
escalate detrimental environmental effects and push our wild salmon 
and trout rapidly toward extinction.

The state is just beginning to address the effects of marijuana 
production. For the first time, the state has allocated limited 
funding to enforce environmental laws around marijuana production. 
The first piece of legislation to address extensive environmental 
damage caused by cannabis cultivation is working its way through the 
Legislature. Unfortunately, the clandestine nature and sheer number 
of marijuana gardens, combined with insufficient enforcement, have 
allowed this industry and its detrimental environmental effects to 
flourish under the radar. Resources allocated are insufficient to 
meet the need.

The recently released Blue Ribbon Commission report on policy options 
for regulating marijuana in California includes important 
recommendations, and we urge their adoption into any potential 
legalization framework. State agencies need sufficient resources to 
bring marijuana farmers into compliance with existing state 
environmental laws. They also must begin the process of reversing the 
extensive environmental damage caused by this booming industry, 
including developing new policies to regulate water rights in a 
region where thousands of independent water diversions are having 
devastating cumulative effects on rivers and streams.

Adequate funding is essential. Should recreational marijuana be 
legalized in California, a portion of associated revenues (e.g. 
taxes, fees, penalties) should be dedicated to preventing 
environmental effects or restoring land and waters degraded from cultivation.

California has limited water supplies available to support 
agriculture, residential and commercial uses, and wildlife. We must 
bring marijuana production into the conversation about how best to 
allocate this precious resource.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom