This year, 2014, is the year that will be remembered by my family for two things. It is the year my son, George, was born. And, it is the year the reservoir did not fill. These two events, although both individually extraordinary, could not be more juxtaposed from tremendous joy to stomach churning apprehension. Well, to be fair, George is a newborn, so apprehension plays a role there, too.

Groundwater is one of California’s most precious hidden assets. In the Sacramento Valley, between 26% and 31% of the total farm and urban use is groundwater according to a new fact sheet by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Access to high quality groundwater is vital to this region, particularly after three consecutive dry years where surface supplies are not available in certain parts of the Valley.

The water resources managers in the Sacramento Valley have developed agricultural water management plans to guide important water management throughout the Sacramento Valley.

I had a wonderful opportunity earlier today to join several esteemed leaders in asking the Legislature and our Governor to invest in California’s water future. At our state’s capitol this morning, I joined Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, the Nature Conservancy’s Jay Ziegler, Cesar Diaz from the State Building and Construction Trades Council, Stan Van Vleck from Downey Brand, and elected leaders from throughout the region in supporting a water bond that provides strong provisions to improve water supply reliability for people and nature.