Paper Example: Proposal to Modify the Flow of the San Joaquin River

The San Joaquin River is named among the most endangered rivers in America. Currently, the river only sees about 10 percent of its natural flow. When it is extremely dry, the flow of the water does not even reach the Pacific Ocean. Human activities such as farming have been the root cause of the disruption in the flow of water in River Joaquin. The water board should therefore work towards restoring about 50 percent of the flow of River Joaquin so that the flow can be continuous (Sutter, John). Additionally, the salmons that have since run away from the river due to disruptions will be restored.

Currently, water from San Joaquin River is used for agricultural and other economic uses. However, the state has some changes underway indicating that more than half of the water from the river will be allowed to flow continuously to support aquatic life in the river. The move is however not acceptable to most of the area residents claiming that fish is being given more priority as compared to human life (Winn, Chuck and Miller, Katherine). However, if implemented, the plan will ensure that the river does not dry eventually.

Recommendations and justifications

Involvement of people in the restoration of the river

The people should be involved in the process of restoring the river so that they feel as part of the process. The area residents may feel left out from the process of reclaiming the river which may in return cause resentment and defiance from them. The residents of California should be involved and even asked for ideas on how to manage the river. For instance, the residents should be educated on the fact that aquatic life is as important as human life. If people are involved, the process of modifying the flow of the river will run smoothly and without interference from the people.

Predicted drought

Due to snow melting, it is predicted that there will be drought in the California region which is likely to affect San Joaquin River. To a great extent, the drought will affect the activities of the residents such as farming and drinking water. Hence, there is need for the flow of the river to be modified such that there are no disruptions. Then, water management should be incorporated to ensure that there is sufficient water for farming, drinking and to support aquatic life even during drought periods.

Reclamation of the river

Some parts of the river have over time been occupied by human beings and used for farming activities in the areas where the flow was disrupted. Hence, the first step towards restoring the flow of the river would be to reclaim the parts of the river in order to create a channel for water to pass through. Reeves should therefore be built and if need be the channels of the river should be dug up to create good flow of water (Pitzer, Gary). However, the process will imply a disruption of human activity and some people being relocated from the river. The move will however be beneficial to the longevity of the river and in the long run sustain the activities of the residents.

Water restriction and dams

Farmers in the region have over time constructed canals and dams to restrict the flow of water from the river. The dams and canals should be restricted such that the flow of water runs without disruption from the people. The management board should ensure that strict measures are put in place to deal with the people who go against the policy. The move will allow aquatic life to thrive while at the same time there will be enough water for all the residents to use (Pitzer, Gary). Farming activities may however be affected by the restriction in the short run but will eventually stabilize to allow for adequate farming activities in the region.

Conclusions

The San Joaquin River is at the verge of drying up because the flow of the river has been disrupted by human activities. However, the effects of the river drying up will be detrimental to California as well as the USA in totality. As such, plans to reclaim the river should be put in place to ensure it survives to support human and aquatic life. The people should however be involved in the process of reclaiming the river in order to ensure compliance and success of the program. Farmers who channel the water from the river to dams and canals should be restricted to ensure that some of the water flows to the end of the river draining to the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, reeves should be built as a process of reclaiming some parts of the river that dried up and have since been used by farmers for farming.

Works Cited

Pitzer, Gary. "A Briefing on the San Joaquin River Restoration Program." 2017. Web. 9 November, 2017.

Sutter, John. "America's Most Endangered River." CNN, 2014. Web. 9 November, 2017.

Winn, Chuck, and Katherine Miller. "States Plan for River Flows Spells Disaster for San Joaquin Region." Water Deeply, 2017. Web. 9 November, 2017.