It’s common knowledge that California’s reservoirs are drying up. What is less well known is that there is a looming shortage of people with enough knowledge and experience to manage those shrinking water resources.
Dennis Lamb, general manager of the Vallecitos Water District, said this is worrying to insiders in the industry.
“We’re just going to run short of people in a few years,” he said.
Lamb said when he retires, he will be part of a generation of top water managers leaving their jobs.
At the suggestion of Lamb and other higher level water managers, CSU San Marcos has decided to start a training course for water engineers, middle managers and others who may end up with the job of keeping water flowing.
“The bigger thing we’re looking at is to attract other people outside of the business into the industry,” Lamb said, “ so that we have enough well trained people to take us well into the future.“
Alan Styles of CSU San Marcos said there’s no shortage of teaching talent in this area, because of innovations in the water industry in Southern California.
“They’ve made huge investment in water transportation and analysis in this area, technologically and legally they’re ahead, so why not take advantage of that?”
Styles said with critical water shortages threatening the state, the university hopes the course will help meet future needs in the job market.
A preliminary eight-week course starts in March. Depending on demand, a full certificate course is planned for the fall.
Note : San Diego State University offers a certificate online course in Water Management and Landscape Sustainability
