Recently, I had the opportunity to watch the documentary, “Until the Last Drop,” sponsored by the Modesto Irrigation District. The filmmakers interviewed a range of stakeholders involved in California’s water waters to understand the transformation that the state’s water resources have undergone and the controversy of how water is used that has become a significant political issue in recent years. Although water is a contentious issue across the state, the documentary focuses on the controversy surrounding the water that brings life to the Central Valley as well as the Tuolumne River.
The major issue that is covered is how to find an appropriate balance between how much water in California’s rivers is used for environmental purposes and how much is used for drinking, agriculture, or other human centric purposes. The documentary shows the true scale of the work being done to ensure that the decision makers in Sacramento and the Central Valley create an equitable solution. When you read news articles or hear anecdotes about the issues facing the Delta, it seems almost like a two sided issue. You either want to protect the fish, or you want to protect the farms with little grey area in between these two options. “Until the Last Drop” shows the opportunities available to compromise and create a future that can serve both ideals. By sharing both the current issues that Californian’s are facing as well as the long and complicated issues that have led us to our current situation, this documentary is one of the most well rounded sources of information on the issue that I have found to date.
If you are interested in watching the film for yourself, click here to watch it for free on Youtube!