In last Sunday's Sacramento Bee, a report was published detailing the possibility of a huge underground water supply near Chico. California, being the vertically aligned state that it is, will need to better manage this supply to deal with future water needs.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently put forward an idea to build two new dams to help with the storage needs of water in California, a state that has areas with plentiful water that supply coastal and southern areas in need. These new dams are not a new idea, of course, but one that comes up occasionally when Californians begin thinking about the need to keep their gardens green and their pools full. California had a poor wet season this year, and many are predicting a dry summer season. In fact, some scientists suggest California may be entering another multi-year drought.

Not only is water needed in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, it must be managed closely to maintain Central Valley agriculture, salmon spawning rivers, and a delicate Delta ecosystem. Water has become one of the most fiercely divisive issue in the state, and has at times pushed Northerners towards the idea of forming an independent state. Water storage, especially landscape-altering dams, has been a source of arguments between environmentalists and pro-development lobbies. The Auburn Dam, often proposed in the US Congress, has come and gone as a possibility over the years. San Francisco has recently had to endure arguing against their normal allies in the environmental lobby to continue to draw water from Hetch Hetchy.

Regardless of whether or not we are now entering a drought, the state will again go through a period of water need at some point in the future. The Governor knows this, and is suggesting the state add to its reserves above ground.

This discovery of the underground water supply, if indeed it is a large reservoir, opens possibilities for water supplies in California. That is, if current policies are changed, which of course is a tall order. Currently, underground water supplies are privately owned by whoever owns the land above, builds a well, and sticks in a straw. These resources could turn important to the state in augmenting above ground supplies when needed, allowing the healthy movement of water through the underground stores.

Is it that much water? The report in the Bee said the underground reservoir is three times larger than the Shasta Reservoir.

One thing is for sure, Californians will continue to argue over water policy. The key will be managing all the assets of the state when the needs are rising and the supplies are dwindling.