There are two important measures on the November 4 ballot that will affect California’s future. The Northern California Water Association (NCWA) Board of Directors urges you to consider and then vote “Yes” on Propositions 1 and 2. By voting “Yes” for these measures, we can guide California in a positive direction for the next several decades. In sum, these measures allow California to plan for the future and save our precious resources when there is a surplus (both water and revenues), so that we will be able to access them for important uses during both hydrologic and fiscal droughts.

The Northern California Water Association (NCWA) Board of Directors has formally supported Propositions 1 (The Water Bond) and 2 (The Rainy Day Fund). By voting “Yes” for these measures, we can help guide California in a positive direction for the next several decades. The following provides questions and answers to Proposition 1, the water bond.

As California struggles through one of the worst droughts in history, voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballot on November 4th on Proposition 1: the “Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014.” If passed, the water bond includes $2.7 billion for statewide water system improvements, which could include the public benefits associated with Sites Reservoir in Northern California. Additional off-stream water storage is a critical component of a water portfolio necessary to provide water security for California during future droughts and maintaining the cities, farms and environment in the Sacramento Valley for future generations.

The legislative passage of a $7.5 billion water bond measure was a bright moment in what has been a tough year for California’s water managers and users. But the measure, now on the November ballot as Proposition 1, raises an important question: During one of the worst droughts in a century, would these billions of dollars put California on a path to water sustainability?