This is a river. This is a stream. This is a river. This is happening all over the country. There are tens of thousands of miles of dewatered streams in the United States. On this map, the colored areas represent water conflicts. Similar problems are emerging in the East as well. The reasons vary state to state, but mostly in the details. There are 4,000 miles of dewatered streams in Montana alone. They would ordinarily support fish and other wildlife. They're the veins of the ecosystem, and they're often empty veins.
Hau ibaia da. Hau erreka da. Hau ibaia da. Hau herri osoan zehar gertatzen ari da. Dozenaka mila kilometro daude Estatu Batuetan erreka lehorrez beteta. Mapa honetan, gune koloratuek ur-gatazkak irudikatzen dituzte. Antzeko arazoak daude Ekialdean ere. Arrazoiak estatu batetik bestera aldatzen dira. batez ere, xehetasunetan. Badaude erreka lehorretako 6.400 kilometro Montanan soilik. Haiek normalean arrainak eta beste basa-bizitza barne hartuko lituzkete. Ekosistemaren zainak dira, eta, maiz, hutsik daude.
I want to tell you the story of just one of these streams, because it's an archetype for the larger story. This is Prickly Pear Creek. It runs through a populated area from East Helena to Lake Helena. It supports wild fish including cutthroat, brown and rainbow trout. Nearly every year for more than a hundred years ... it looked like this in the summer. How did we get here? Well, it started back in the late 1800s when people started settling in places like Montana. In short, there was a lot of water and there weren't very many people. But as more people showed up wanting water, the folks who were there first got a little concerned, and in 1865, Montana passed its first water law. It basically said, everybody near the stream can share in the stream. Oddly, a lot of people showed up wanting to share the stream, and the folks who were there first got concerned enough to bring out their lawyers. There were precedent-setting suits in 1870 and 1872, both involving Prickly Pear Creek. And in 1921, the Montana Supreme Court ruled in a case involving Prickly Pear that the folks who were there first had the first, or "senior water rights." These senior water rights are key.
Kontatu nahi dizuet horiek bezalako erreka baten istorioa istorio askoz handiagoko arketipoa delako. Hau da Prickly Pear Creek. Biztanle askoko gune baten zehar iragaten da East Helena-tik Lake Helena-ra. Basa-arrainak mantentzen ditu amuarrain mota batzuk, arrunta barne baita ortzadar-amuarraina ere. Ia urte guztietan orain dela ehun urte baino gehiagotik. errekak hau bezalako itxura hartzen du udan. Nola heldu ginen egoera hontara? Beno, dena XIX. mendearen hondarrean hasi zen Montana bezalako lekuetara biztanleak heltzean. Hitz gutxitan, ur asko zegoen eta ez zegoen jende gehiegi. Baina ur bila jende gehiago zetorren heinean, aurretik ailegatu zirenak pixkat kezkatu ziren, eta 1865. urtean, Montana-k bere lehenengo ur-legea onartu zuen. Lege horrek horrela zion, errekaren ondoen dagoenak erreka parteka dezake. Eta, jende askok erreka partekatu nahian zetozen. eta aurretik ailegatu zirenek izugarri kezkatu zirenez, euren abokatuak ekarri zituzten. Auzi batzuetan jarraibideak eman ziren 1870. eta 1872. urteetan, Prickly Pear Creek errekarekin zerikusia zutenak. Eta 1921. urtean, Montanaren Auzitegi Gorena-k Prickly Pear errekarekin zerikusia zuen auzi batean erabaki zuen aurretik ailegatu zirenek lehen mailako ur-eskubideak zituztela. Lehen mailako ur-eskubide hauek gakoak dira.
The problem is that all over the West now it looks like this. Some of these creeks have claims for 50 to 100 times more water than is actually in the stream. And the senior water rights holders, if they don't use their water right, they risk losing their water right -- along with the economic value that goes with it. So they have no incentive to conserve. So it's not just about the number of people; the system itself creates a disincentive to conserve because you can lose your water right if you don't use it. So after decades of lawsuits and 140 years, now, of experience, we still have this. It's a broken system. There's a disincentive to conserve, because if you don't use your water right, you can lose your water right. And I'm sure you all know, this has created significant conflicts between the agricultural and environmental communities.
Hots, Mendebalde osoan zehar arazo bera pairatzen dela dirudi. Erreka horietako batzuek errekan dagoen urarekin konparatuz 50 edo 100 aldiz gehiagoko ur-eskaerak dituzte. Eta lehen mailako ur-eskubide horien jabeek ur-eskubidea erabiltzen ez badute ur-eskubideak galtzera arriskatzen dira, baita uraren erantsitako balio ekonomikoa ere. Hots, haiek ez dute pizgarririk zaintzeko. Jende-kopurua ez da arazoa, sistemak berak zaintzeko ardura suntsitzen baitu, pertsona batek bere ur-eskubideak gal ditzakeelako, erabiltzen ez baditu. Beraz, hamarkadak pasa ostean auzitan jartzen eta 140 urteko eskarmentua eta gero, Oraindik horrela gaude. Sistema apurtua daukagu. Zaintzeko ardura ez dagoelako ur-eskubideak eralbiltzen ez badira ur-eskubideak gal daitezkeelako. Eta ziur nago badakizuela, horrek gatazka galantak sortu dituela nekazarien eta ekologisten artean.
OK, now I'm going to change gears here. Most of you will be happy to know that the rest of the presentation's free ...
Ondo. Orain martxa aldatuko dut zeharo. Gela honetako gehienak pozik egongo zarete jakitean
(Laughter)
aurkezpenaren gainerakoa doan dela.
and some of you'll be happy to know that it involves beer.
Eta zoriontsuak izango zarete garagardoarekin zerikusia duelako.
(Laughter)
(Algarak)
There's another thing happening around the country, which is that companies are starting to get concerned about their water footprint. They're concerned about securing an adequate supply of water, they're trying to be really efficient with their water use, and they're concerned about how their water use affects the image of their brand. Well, it's a national problem, but I'm going to tell you another story from Montana ... and it involves beer. I bet you didn't know, it takes about 5 pints of water to make a pint of beer. If you include all the drain, it takes more than a hundred pints of water to make a pint of beer.
Beste gauza bat ari da gertatzen gure herrian, eta enpresak hortaz kezkatzen hasi dira, euren ur-aztarnaz, hain zuzen ere. Ur-hornikuntza egokia ziurtatzeaz kezkatzen dira. Ur-erabilpen egokia garatzen saiatzen dira, eta kezkatzen dira nola ur-erabilpenak euren marken irudiari eragiten dion. Hau herri osoko arazoa da baina Montana-ri buruzko beste istorio bat kontatuko dizuet, eta garagardoarekin badu zerikusirik. Ez zenekitela 5 ur-pinta behar direla garagardo pinta bat ekoizteko. Prozesu osoa kontuan hartzen baduzue, 100 ur-pinta baino gehiago behar dira garagardo-pinta bat ekoizteko.
Now the brewers in Montana have already done a lot to reduce their water consumption, but they still use millions of gallons of water. I mean, there's water in beer. So what can they do about this remaining water footprint that can have serious effects on the ecosystem? These ecosystems are really important to the Montana brewers and their customers. After all, there's a strong correlation between water and fishing, and for some, there's a strong correlation between fishing and beer.
Orain arte Montanan garagardo egileek lan dexente egin dute euren ur-kontsumoa murrizteko. Baina oraindik milioika litro ur erabiltzen dituzte. Hau da, ura beharrezkoa da garagardoa ekoizteko. Orduan, zer egin dezakete gainontzeko ur-aztarna horri buruz zeinak ondorio kaltegarriak izan ditzakeen ekosisteman? Ekositema hauek garrantzi handikoak dira Montanako garagardo egileentzat eta euren bezeroentzat. Azken finean, oso erlazio sendoa dago uraren eta arrantzaren artean. Batzuentzat arrantzaren eta garagardoaren artean ere erlazio sendoa dago.
(Laughter)
(Algarak)
So the Montana brewers and their customers are concerned and they're looking for some way to address the problem.
Montanako garagardo egileak eta euren bezeroak kezkatuta daude eta irtenbidearen bat bilatzen ari dira arazoa bideratzeko.
So how can they address this remaining water footprint? Remember Prickly Pear. Up until now, business water stewardship has been limited to measuring and reducing, and we're suggesting that the next step is to restore. Remember Prickly Pear. It's a broken system. You've got a disincentive to conserve, because if you don't use your water right, you risk losing your water right. Well, we decided to connect these two worlds -- the world of the companies with their water footprints and the world of the farmers with their senior water rights on these creeks. In some states, senior water rights holders can leave their water in the stream while legally protecting it from others, and maintaining their water right. After all, it is their water right, and if they want to use that water right to help the fish grow in the stream, it's their right to do so. But they have no incentive to do so.
Nola bidera dezakete gainontzeko ur-aztarna hori? Gogora ezazue Prickly Pear. Orain arte, ur-negozioen ustiapena murrizten eta kontrolatzen soilik saiatu da, gu hurrengo urratsa iradokitzen ari gara berriztatzea. Gogora ezazue Prickly Pear Sistema apurtua. Zaintzeko ardura ez dago, ur-erabilpena erabiltzen ez bada, ur-eskubidea galtzera arriskatzen delako. Guk bi mundu horiek elkartzea erabaki genuen -- enpresen mundua euren ur-aztarnekin eta nekazarien mundua erreka horietako lehen mailako ur-eskubideekin. Estatu batzuetan, lehen mailako ur-eskubideen edukitzaileek utz dezakete ura errekan bertan besteenganako babesa legalki zaintzen duten eta euren ur-eskubideak mantentzen dituzten bitartean. Azken finean, euren ur-eskubidea da, eta haiek ur-eskubide hori erabili nahi badute errekan arrainak hazten laguntzeko bere eskubidea da hau egitea. Baina ez daukate pizgarririk hori egiteko.
So, working with local water trusts, we created an incentive to do so. We pay them to leave their water in stream. That's what's happening here. This individual has made the choice and is closing this water diversion, leaving the water in the stream. He doesn't lose the water right, he just chooses to apply that right, or some portion of it, to the stream, instead of to the land. Because he's the senior water-rights holder, he can protect the water from other users in the stream. OK? He gets paid to leave the water in the stream.
Bertako ur-hornitzaileekin lanean, pizgarria sortu genuen hori egiteko. Haiei ordaintzen diegu ura errekan bertan utz dezaten. Hori da argazki honetan gertatzen ari dena. Pertsona horrek bere erabakia hartu du eta bere atea ixten ari da, ura errekan bertan uzten. Ez du ur-eskubidea galtzen, baina eskubide hori erabiltzea aukeratzen du, edo eskubide osoaren zatia, errekarako eta ez lurretarako. Lehen mailako ur-eskubideen edukitzailea delako, errekaren ura beste erabiltzaileengandik zain dezake. Ados? Dirua irabazten du ura errekan bertan uzteagatik.
This guy's measuring the water that this leaves in the stream. We then take the measured water, we divide it into thousand-gallon increments. Each increment gets a serial number and a certificate, and then the brewers and others buy those certificates as a way to return water to these degraded ecosystems. The brewers pay to restore water to the stream. It provides a simple, inexpensive and measurable way to return water to these degraded ecosystems, while giving farmers an economic choice and giving businesses concerned about their water footprints an easy way to deal with them.
Pertsona hau uraren maila neurtzen ari da errekan bertan uzten duen ura. Guk ur-neurtua hartzen dugu mila-litroko gehikuntzetan zatitzen dugu. Gehikuntza bakoitzak serie-zenbaki bat eta egiaztagiri bat du, eta garagardo egileek eta besteek egiaztagiri horiek erosten dituzte ura itzultzeko era balitz bezala ekosistema degradatu horietara. Garagardo egileek ordaintzen dute errekako ura berriztatzeko. Hau oso era erraza, merkea eta neurgarria da ura berriztatzeko ekosistema degradatu horietara. Aldi beran, nekazariei aukera ekonomikoa ematen zaie eta ur-aztarnaz kezkatuta dauden enpreseei laguntzen zaie euren arazoa modu sinplean konpontzen.
After 140 years of conflict and 100 years of dry streams, a circumstance that litigation and regulation has not solved, we put together a market-based, willing buyer, willing seller solution -- a solution that does not require litigation. It's about giving folks concerned about their water footprints a real opportunity to put water where it's critically needed, into these degraded ecosystems, while at the same time providing farmers a meaningful economic choice about how their water is used.
140 urte gatazkaz beteta pasa ostean eta erreka lehorrekin 100 urte pasa eta gero auzitegiek eta arauketek ez dute egoera konpondu, horregatik, merkatu-mekanismo bat martxan jarri dugu erosle eta saltzaile prestuen irtenbidea auzitegirik eskatzen ez duen irtenbidea. Gakoa euren ur-aztarnaz kezkatzen direnei erantzukizuna ematea da, ura behar den lekuetan jartzeko, ekosistema degradatu horietan, eta, aldi berean nekazariei aukera ematea, aukera ekonomiko adierazgarria, euren ur-erabilpenari buruz.
These transactions create allies, not enemies. They connect people rather than dividing them. And they provide needed economic support for rural communities. And most importantly, it's working. We've returned more than four billion gallons of water to degraded ecosystems. We've connected senior water-rights holders with brewers in Montana, with hotels and tea companies in Oregon, and with high-tech companies that use a lot of water in the Southwest. And when we make these connections, we can and we do turn this ... into this.
Transakzio horiei esker lagun bihurtzen dira eta ez etsai. Transakzio horiek jendea lotzen dute eta ez banandu. Eta landa-komunitateentzako beharrezko euskarri ekonomikoa ematen dute. Eta askoz garrantzitsuagoa, ibili badabil. 15.000 mila milioi litro erreketara bueltatu ditugu ekosistema degradatuetara. Lehen mailako ur-eskubideen edukitzaileen eta Montanako garagardo egileen lotura lortu dugu baita Oregon-go hotelena eta te-enpresena ere eta Hego-mendebaleko goi-mailako teknologia enpresena, zeintzuk ur asko erabiltzen duten. Eta lotura horiek egiten ditugunean hau bezalako egoera HAU bilaka dezakegu.
(Applause)
Mila esker.
Thank you very much.
(Txaloak)
(Applause)