The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) east of San Francisco Bay is so far from Orange County that most of our residents probably don’t know where it is or why it matters. The Delta, a major source of fresh water that provides supplies for as many as 26 million California residents, including those in Southern California, is extremely vulnerable to earthquake damage.
In addition to water supplies for millions, it supplies an agricultural industry that, in turn, feeds millions of us, producing much of the nation’s produce. So why should Southern Californians care? Should a major earthquake hit the Bay Area, the Delta’s dirt levees could collapse and salt water would contaminate this fresh water supply.
Water deliveries from the area may be cut off for up to one year or more once
these weak levees fail. The economic toll of this seismic event would cause losses in water supplies, farm production, wages and jobs, and downed utilities. The U.S. Geological Survey says there’s a 63 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7
quake in the next 30 years striking the Bay Area. Our water supply is not prepared for such a seismic event.
We need a plan. And we have one. It’s called the Bay …read more
Source: Fullerton Chamber of Commerce
