SYMP 3-4
Science from the trenches: Tales of an agency scientist caught between endangered species, water and politics
California's State Water Project (SWP) and the United States' Central Valley Project (CVP) artificially transport humongous volumes of water from the relatively wet northern California region to support agriculture and municipal demands in the relatively dry central and southern California regions. In order to meet these needs, water is diverted out the upper San Francisco Estuary where resource management issues abound. How does a scientist navigate the landscape of science, law and politics to inform and guide water and resource management issues in California when the explicit “co-equal” policy goals of providing a more reliable water supply and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the ecosystem are, in fact, impossible? Drawing on over a decade of frontline experience, I offer advice and guidance on how to be an effective scientist in such an environment.
Results/Conclusions
Being an effective scientist in such an environment requires assuming the responsibility of ensuring that agency managers and policy makers are fully informed of the available scientific information pertaining to their issue at hand. This is simple in concept but not so simple in practice. For example, it is not just about explaining fundamental scientific concepts or study results in a manner appropriate for the audience, it also requires clearly articulating and explaining intentional or unintentional misinterpretations of scientific information intended to sway decisions. Moreover, it sometimes involves communicating science and scientific uncertainty in forums where I argue it is simply not possible, such as in oral court testimony. I will attempt to illustrate how to navigate such obstacles with personal experiences over the last decade.