California’s water chief steps up to fight historic drought

As a native of the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs where it hardly ever rains, Joaquin Esquivel has always known that water is precious.

His uncle often took him to the Salton Sea, and he had family served by a well.

He carries that respect for the resource as chair of California’s State Water Resources Control Board.   “Growing up in the desert, you are very aware of water,” he said.

“It wasn’t something I sought out as a career.” — Joaquin Esquivel

At the request of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who declared a drought last year, the board has adopted emergency regulations requiring residents to cut back water use, such as turning off fountains and not watering decorative grass at commercial sites.

The board also oversees water quality (along with nine regional boards), drinking water, water rights and financial assistance for loans and grant funding for water projects. California has more than 7,500 public water systems serving its 40 million residents.

Esquivel, 39 (he turns 40 Aug. 11), has taken a roundabout path to get to his current job. “I just feel it was by happenstance that I came to the board,” he said. “It wasn’t something I sought out as a career.”

His parents both worked in the local school district, and he thought at first that he might pursue a career in academia. He majored in English at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and got interested in government service after landing an internship at Sen. Barbara Boxer’s Washington, D.C. office. He started out as a research assistant and IT administrator and ended up working full-time for eight-and-a-half years on a range of issues, including water, agriculture and Native American concerns.

He was appointed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017 to serve on the water board and was designated to serve as chair in 2019 by Gov. Newsom.

“Literature is still my first passion,” Esquivel said, adding that he loves science fiction and fantasy. He also enjoys exploring narratives.  “For me, one of the most powerful things we do is the stories we tell ourselves.”

He said this is especially true with water; people can reflect on their personal relationships with water and why they’re concerned about contaminants and purity. In this time of great division, all Californians should think about what they have in common and how they can create a future that works for all, he said.

He was appointed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017 to serve on the water board and was designated to serve as chair in 2019 by Gov. Newsom.

Esquivel said one of the biggest challenges of his job is dealing with the general mistrust the public has for government.  It can be difficult to communicate when people don’t agree on what the truth is. “There can be a lot of confusion and concern about the quality of one’s water,” he said.

It doesn’t help that there has been so much change in the last decade, said Samuel Sandoval Solis, UC Davis associate professor in cooperative extension and water resource management.

In the years before Esquivel joined the board, California approved major new legislation, including the Human Right to Water Act (2012) recognizing every person’s right to clean, affordable and accessible water, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (2016), and the legalization of adult marijuana use and cultivation for personal use (2016).

“He is always frank in what he says and that is something ACWA appreciates.” — Cindy tuck

Esquivel didn’t come up with these changes, but he has to implement them, Solis said.  “That’s a lot on any person’s plate,” he said. “He has done it in a proficient way. That really speaks a lot about him.”

Cindy Tuck, deputy executive director of government relations for the Association of California Water Agencies, agrees. “Joaquin devotes time to talking with and listening to stake holders with different perspectives,” she said. “He is always frank in what he says and that is something ACWA appreciates.”

Esquivel said his biggest accomplishment in his job so far is data work. He has worked hard to get better data available to leaders so they can make better decisions. “We have an opportunity to be a 21^st century regulatory agency,” he said.

The board is reconciling water systems it inherited that produced wealth and progress in the state but aren’t sustainable in the future. The board is considering how native Californians were able to live sustainably on the land for years before Europeans arrived.

“I always idealized places with running water and forests and I always imagined how great it would be to live in those places.” — Joaquin Esquivel

Esquivel is proud that the water board is making racial equity a priority. This month (July), the board has held a series of public meetings seeking comments about how to get there. “Race is a strong predictor of access to clean water,” Esquivel said. “Redlining has had a huge impact on access to clean water.”

He has had his own experiences with facing bias as a closeted gay teen in the early 2000s.  At that time, he said he never imagined that he could be open about his sexuality and supported. “It has been an incredible change,” said Esquivel, who recently got engaged.

Esquivel said he is grateful to be able to serve in the state government under such great leadership. He loves living in Sacramento, where he can visit the American River and it’s an easy drive to the coast. “I always idealized places with running water and forests and I always imagined how great it would be to live in those places,” he said.

He is heartened by how much Californians are interested in preserving water for all, and how they engage with the state’s complex water systems. “I think people get it,” he said. “People understand there’s a value and scarcity in it.”