San Diego Coastkeeper


The Problem

The San Diego region, like most areas in the arid Southwest, is facing a serious water crisis. We import 90% of our water from outside the region, primarily from the Colorado River and the San Joaquin Delta (through the State Water Project). These transfers have had a dramatic impact on the health of those waterways and communities, and the region’s water policy (or lack thereof) has a profound impact on the environment of California as nearly twenty percent of the state’s energy usage goes towards treating and transporting water throughout the state. San Diego now faces a water supply ‘perfect storm’ that threatens the region’s nearly three million residents.

The Colorado River is literally drying up due to climate change and over-allocations. A recent legal decision to protect an endangered fish (the Delta smelt) in Northern California will result in less water coming from the Delta to Southern California, while climate change conditions have reduced the Sierra snowpacks, which are the primary source of water for that river system. Our own region is in a near-historic drought that has reduced even the little local water the region usually relies on, and increasing population in the southwest is adding demand for water at the same time supplies are rapidly diminishing.

At the same time, there is a lack of awareness throughout San Diego regarding this looming crisis, and water consumption has steadily increased both per capita and for the region as a whole. San Diego Coastkeeper plays a critical role in working with agencies, community groups and decision-makers to address our regional water portfolio in a manner that addresses public health concerns, makes best use of current scientific knowledge and technology, protects water quality and promotes environmentally responsible decisions.