Against the “More Water Now” Proposition: an Interview with Conner Everts.

Topic: Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022

A proposed ballot initiative sponsored by “More Water Now,” a group representing agriculture oligarchs in the San Joaquin Valley, would create the Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022 (WIFA).

WIFA would rewrite Article 10 of the California Constitution and the California Public Resources code in order to bypass the California Environmental Quality Act and the Coastal Act and, in turn, to fund and build designated “drought resiliency” projects until 5 million acre-feet of new water-supply is produced yearly. Money would come directly from 2 percent ($2.5-$4 billion) of the State’s general fund each year potentially for decades and up to $100 billion.

About Conner Everts:

Conner Everts is Facilitator for the Environmental Water Caucus, Executive Director of the Southern California Watershed Alliance and co-chair of the Desal Response Group. He is chair of Public Officials for Water and Environmental Reform (POWER) as well as on the board of other organizations, including Amigos de Los Rios. He co-chairs and moderates the Southern California Water Dialogue and the Green LA Water Committee Coalition. 

Everts was elected to the Casitas Municipal Water District and was president of the Ojai Basin Management Ground Water Agency. Conner was convener of the California Urban Water Conservation Council and on the state task forces on Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), Desalination, and the SWRCB recycled water stakeholder process and the Department of Public Health Direct Potable Reuse Advisory Group.

He currently sits on the Mound Basin Sustainable Groundwater Management Agency. But his most important work is as elder advisor to the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water and with the Southern California Steelhead Coalition helping remove dams on the streams where he caught fish as a youth and hopefully others can in the future.

NOW, click on So Cal Water Wars to hear John Earl interview Conner on the subject of the More Water Now Proposition – and remember when some signature gatherer probably making $5 per signature approaches you promising “If you sign this California will have more water now!” … DO NOT SIGN.  AND PASS THE WORD.