When the Rivers Run Dry
California’s worsening droughts give Santa Clara University students and faculty pause for thought on what can be done
In California, droughts are as commonplace as the water-loving palm trees that dot the land. However, these droughts now last longer and are more severe, leaving rivers dry and reservoirs increasingly lower. The past year has been no exception to a years-long struggle with water resources. This winter season was the driest in over 100 years and there were several record breaking heat waves across the state.
To combat the drought, localities have issued fines and public services announcements to spread awareness. Because of this, Santa Clara has attempted to grapple with its own environmental impact and water usage.
Evidence of the University’s sustainability initiatives include the purple pipes and signs signaling the usage of recycled water. The university provides water conservation resources on its website and has transitioned to water free urinals and low-flow shower heads. Furthermore, Santa Clara’s Center for Sustainability lists and tracks progress towards meeting certain benchmarks.
Despite these efforts, some students see a definite need for more awareness and information on water conservation. Jacqueline Thai, a junior majoring in environmental studies and communication, grew up in Bangkok, where she experienced severe droughts. Thai recalls filling a bathtub with water knowing that it would have to last the rest of the month once the water was cut off. At Santa Clara, she sees a striking lack of urgency and concern.
“There isn't a lot on campus that supports reducing water usage,” Thai said. “So I think without having to see the immediate effects, you don't really make a connection between the severity of the drought and your actions.”
Junior child studies and studio art major Brianna Roberto agrees. Roberto said the lack of engagement could be due to a busy school year and other priorities. However, as a Bay Area native, she believes California’s long history of droughts have left its communities desensitized to the intensifying heats and dry spells.
Despite growing apathy, Roberto states that water conservation can begin with small actions that can easily be shared among students. Shorter showers and being more conscious of day to day water usage, for example, can make a small but meaningful local impact.
Becca Nelson, who serves as the Sustainable Food Systems Program Manager at the Forge Garden, aims to help spread awareness and knowledge about the issue. At the Forge, practices
to combat droughts blend well with lessons in sustainability. For Nelson, this means cultivating healthier soil that retains more moisture and minimizes water leakage.
As an educator for Santa Clara’s Center for Sustainability, Nelson engages students with the culture of sustainability and helps them connect it to their daily habits. The campus itself has begun to reflect this message of sustainability.
“It’s for the sake of pollinators, but also for the sake of water,” Nelson said. “There are larger perennial natives that are not as water intensive. There is a project to expand that to more and more of campus and even changing the idea around green is beautiful and adjusting to browner landscapes when it comes to plants. If you walk around you will see it is different around the newer buildings, and that is intentional.”