Asm. Rivas Urges Community to Do Their Part, Reduce Water Usage Now
SACRAMENTO - As California heats up and wildfires spark across the state, worsening drought conditions are the latest symptoms of California’s climate crisis. Earlier today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced an expansion of his prior drought emergency proclamation to an additional 9 counties—including Monterey, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties in Assemblymember Robert Rivas’ (D-Salinas) district.
“Our community is facing a water emergency. As an agricultural region, our businesses and residents are especially reliant on this essential resource to survive,” said Assemblymember Rivas. “I applaud the Governor for taking decisive action and extending the emergency proclamation to our area. Now local and state agencies in our community can take immediate, elevated action to bolster drought resilience and conserve water. But the government won’t solve this problem for us—we all must do our part. Every individual’s actions to save water now will help us build water resiliency for future generations.”
The Governor’s proclamation was coupled with a call for all Californians to voluntarily reduce water usage by 15%, with common-sense tips for water conversation posted here. According to federal drought tracking, all of Asm. Rivas’ district is currently experiencing “extreme” drought conditions. In Santa Clara County, the Governor’s extension builds upon last month’s local emergency declaration. County officials there also already mandated a 15% reduction in water usage compared to 2019 levels. Residents are encouraged to consult local resources and water-saving requirements:
Asm. Rivas has advocated for drought relief throughout this legislative year. In April, he joined Senator Borgeas to lead a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators requesting the Governor to declare a statewide drought emergency declaration and otherwise provide needed relief to farmers. AB 271, currently awaiting the Governor’s signature, would safeguard local water supply by helping ensure the timely, expert completion of the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project in Santa Clara County. AB 252, currently in the State Senate, would create a pilot program to support repurposing fallowed agricultural land for less water-intensive uses.
The text of today’s emergency proclamation can be found here.
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Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) represents California’s 30th Assembly District, which includes all or portions of the cities and towns of Aromas, Big Sur, Chualar, Gilroy, Greenfield, Gonzales, Hollister, King City, Morgan Hill, Salinas, San Martin, San Juan Bautista, Soledad, Spreckels, and Watsonville.