Cesar Chavez will always be remembered as a man of the earth. But as California honors Chavez with a state holiday, let's not forget his link to water, a tradition that continues to this day within the United Farm Workers (UFW).

Chavez felt that advances in wages and working conditions meant little if farmworkers' health was destroyed in the process.

That philosophy was implicit from the early days, when the UFW negotiated the first farm worker union contract demanding that workers in the field have access to clean drinking water.

But it was made explicit in 1988, when Chavez entered into a legendary 36-day fast to protest the use of pesticides. It was the longest fast he ever undertook, and it nearly killed him.

Chavez was acutely aware of the impact of pesticides on drinking water. In a major 1989 speech, he pointed to a small town near the UFW's Delano headquarters where six children had died of cancer that health experts believed had been triggered by pesticides and nitrate-laden fertilizers leaching into the water system. It was one of 85 rural communities with drinking water problems, he said.

Today, the UFW remains focused on water quality, but has also become one of the chief proponents of water conservation and sustainable agriculture. Even longtime agribusiness adversaries of Chavez and the UFW should realize that their long-term interest lies in seeking a comprehensive solution to water problems.

Pesticides and fertilizer remain a potential threat to the groundwater that is used by Central Valley communities.

Agricultural and urban runoff is also a major problem for the San Joaquin River, which flows north into the Bay-Delta, the Grand Central Station through which Northern California water reaches agricultural and urban users.

Even highly diluted pesticides are toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms. That complicates efforts to restore the delta's ecosystem. Until the fisheries revive, environmental regulations will threaten the delivery of water to the Central Valley and Southern California.

There are bigger threats—like salt.

In a vicious cycle, seawater intrudes into the Bay-Delta, increasing the salinity of water being pumped to the Central Valley. To save their soil, farmers let the salt-laden water drain into the San Joaquin River.

Further salt is picked up from urban runoff, and it flows back into the delta. During late summer and fall, the salinity reaches uncomfortable levels for water headed to Southern California.

Another threat comes within the delta itself. Farmers discharge organic compounds into the Bay-Delta that can create water treatment nightmares for the Southland. These organic compounds can form toxic byproducts when delta water is treated with chlorine.

But while it's about health, it's also about jobs. The UFW realizes that unless the Central Valley actively helps in finding a comprehensive solution, it runs the risk of solutions being imposed from the outside, such as forced fallowing of land.

In the Pajaro Valley, for example, major water savings would result if a handful of the largest growers altered their irrigation systems. Sensible steps such as not watering at mid-day or covering strawberry fields with plastic tarps could save millions of gallons.

The UFW senses the long-term folly of overpumping underground water, especially in coastal areas, where it creates a vacuum that—when filled by seawater—has ruined underground wells.

The need for agricultural efficiency is not a Central Valley problem; it's a global problem. The U.S.-based Worldwatch Institute warns that with 70 percent of water use going to agriculture, overpumping already threatens the water supply for nearly a half-billion people.

Among the most heavily discussed solutions are water transfers between willing buyers and sellers. Done correctly, they encourage water conservation and improve water quality. While there is concern about potential third-party impacts—such as fallowing of land—the UFW will have a place at the table when these impacts are being weighed.

The UFW has also become an active participant in CALFED, where state and federal leaders have teamed up for a balanced solution to the Bay-Delta crisis.

CALFED's critics fail to realize that when it comes to water supplies, the heart of the $8 billion program involves increased local self-reliance.

The UFW message to the Central Valley is no different from what the Metropolitan Water District is telling its Southern California customers. Those who fail to be moved by altruistic appeals should consider it a case of enlightened self-interest.

Deriving a just solution to our water crisis won't be easy, but Chavez and his union never shrank from daunting challenges. I'm proud to be marching with them.

Frances Spivy-Weber is co-executive director of the Mono Lake Committee, a nonprofit citizens' group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Mono Basin ecosystem, educating the public about Mono Lake and the impacts on the environment of excessive water use, and promoting cooperative solutions that protect Mono Lake and meet real water needs without transferring environmental problems to other areas.

Links to other Cesar Chavez sites:
United Farm Workers http://www.ufw.org/
Cesar Chavez Foundation http://www.cesarechavezfoundation.org/

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