California drying up right before your eyes...

[MrScorpio]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/18/california-drought-gifs_n_5843534.html?ncid=edlinkushpmg00000030

[NYC_SKP]

1. Maybe, one day, we'll learn that population growth is unsustainable. Here and throughout the world.

Each image above is a man-made reservoir.

These were sold, largely, as a miracle combo of flood control, water supply system, and recreation and development boom.

We ended up growing tomatoes in the desert and building massive cities where there was little or no fresh water.

Now they want to build desalination plants.

Well, technology didn't work very well the first time, more technology to deliver more water is destined to fail.

The only cure is to reduce our use and curb development and population growth.

[JDPriestly]

16. Curbing use will not take care of the problem.

Curbing use is a short-term solution. Curbing development would take an entirely different view of the rights of people to use private property. It's unlikely that we are going to be able to curb development quickly enough to reduce water use.

Population growth? Curbing population growth is absolutely essential for the entire human race. But we need to talk to the Pope, the fundamentalists and the Muslim leaders about it because they are the reason we cannot curb our excessive population growth.

Most Californians are doing what we can to reduce our water use. When I wash vegetables or need to run cold water until it is hot, I put the water I use into buckets and water the pots in which I grow vegetables with it. I put out buckets when it rains so that I can water more intensively the plants that I want to grow.

We will have to desalinate water. I know many hate that prospect, but it will have to happen. It will be environmentally better than bringing truck-loads of water from the Midwest, East and Northwest into California. And that's the only alternative.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

20. It isn't the population growth, it's the lettuce

Desert agriculture was a necessity of another age, you couldn't really ship anything other than frozen meat by train and have it arrive edible. Produce would either arrive frozen or spoiled. Now that is just a non-issue, we all eat food grown all over the world that arrived as air freight.

But there are huge fortunes invested and political capital in keeping desert agriculture going at whatever the cost. Until they get their fuck-off money and head for the Mississippi River this will never be resolved.

Suburban sprawl was the best thing to ever happen to Phoenix, every acre of agriculture that was displaced by development was less water being wasted.

[haikugal]

30. It's both... We are over populated and we are wasteful...

We have to get seriously, thoughtfully green and wise, but we won't. Our numbers will be thinned, one way or another, you can count on it.

[mucifer]

51. There is a lot less use in vegetable agriculture than animal agriculture

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/3/660S.full

http://www.iwaponline.com/wp/01201/0114/012010114.pdf

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet

Go vegan!

[Act_of_Reparation]

31. The hell?

Overpopulation has nothing to do with it. California's densely-populated urban centers account for a slim percentage of the state's overall water use.

The problem is enormous farms out in the middle of the fucking desert.

[progressoid]

55. Those enormous farms feed an enormous population.

I agree it's stupid to grow out there, but where would you move them? Most states are already pushing the resources to the limit to feed the all the people.

According to the April 7, 2015, U.S. Drought Monitor, moderate to exceptional drought covers 36.9% of the contiguous United States, a slight increase from last week’s 36.8%. The worst drought categories (extreme to exceptional drought) also increased from 9.0% last week to 9.1% this week. An upper-level westerly circulation brought moisture to the Pacific Northwest and milder air to most of the United States this week. A significant storm system generated severe weather and above-normal precipitation over the Ohio Valley and parts of the Plains, but precipitation was below normal across most of the rest of the Nation

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/us-drought-monitor-update-april-7-2015
?itok=n7VUleRh

[Act_of_Reparation]

56. No, they feed an anormous economic sector.

California grows produce, not staples. Their products aren't keeping people alive so much as they are supplying yuppies their daily avocado intake.

The problem, therefore, is not population, but an absurdly diversified diet. Rather than growing large tracts of staples, we're growing hundreds of small tracts of exotic and unnecessary fruits and vegetables, many of which would not naturally grow in California's arid climate.

Oh, and California also exports a significant percentage of all farm product grown.

[tabasco]

41. You're absolutely right

But I have given up hope that anything will happen in a planned, intelligent manner.

Humans are stupid and it will take a massive disaster (die-off / water wars) to get us to change our ways.

We reproduce like rats and expect technlogy to solve all of our problems as we ravage the biosphere.

[RKP5637]

52. Well said!! n/t

[closeupready]

2. In college in IL, I had a T.A. originally from Santa Barbara, CA who

hated Southern California because, as he explained, the entire LA area was being built on desert, and there was going to be a serious water crisis at some point.

So no, we never learn. Same reason we are going to heat the earth in greenhouse gases by consuming every fossil fuel we get our hands on - by the time it's too late, we'll be WAY beyond any kind of remedy.

[RKP5637]

53. Exactly! We really live in a world of stupid! Only disasters seem to motivate the human

species for the most part.

[geomon666]

3. It's clear to me now

that we need to invade Canada and steal their water. Who's with me?

[BKH70041]

4. Rain Dance!!

[Jamaal510]

48. "It's not very effective..."

[IMG][/IMG]

[zappaman]

5. This is a phony problem!

Or so I've been told...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6531922

[seabeyond]

11. ahhhhh

see, and that poster got on my radar last week. hm.

[zappaman]

14. Well, they're certainly on mine now!

[JI7]

39. same thought at seeing that name

[Dont call me Shirley]

21. Yes, we cannot equate the real water shortage problem with the Enron caused rolling blackouts

[libdem4life]

6. Most of Central (food basket) and Southern California is desert. The main source is the

Colorado River..not sure what this photo is. But the enormous need for the many yards and golf courses and swimming pools from Santa Barbara South is almost unfathomable.

Northern California has natural water, a couple of other rivers and not nearly as populated and gets more rain because of the mass of trees/redwoods, etc.

Over the years, places tried rationing, but the howl of all the spoiled residents proved too much.

They say that the Water Wars are going to make the Oil Wars look puny. I can't imagine how Brown is going to pull this off. Kind of like the Greek Economy...there are no good answers.

[Warpy]

7. No more water skis

Get out the rowboat to kiss the lakes goodby during vacations this year.

Maybe this is Mother Earth's way of telling us not to dam up the rivers. Bring the beaver back, they do a better job.

[tenderfoot]

8. But isn't ISIS a greater threat?

[951-Riverside]

9. Looks like the Reservoir in those photos (Lake Oroville) was purposely drained

State and Feds Drained Northern California Reservoirs

The Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Water Resources systematically drained northern California reservoirs last summer, resulting in low flows and endangering salmon and steelhead in the Sacramento, Feather and American rivers, while filling water banks and Southern California reservoirs.

Last summer, high water releases down the Sacramento, Feather and American rivers left Shasta, Oroville and Folsom reservoirs at dangerously low levels. Shasta is at 36 percent of capacity and 54 percent of average; Oroville, 36 percent of capacity and 54 percent of average; and Folsom, 17 percent of capacity and 34 percent of average.
Castaic Lake as of Friday, January 31, 2014.

Yet Pyramid Lake in Southern California is at 98 percent of capacity and 105 percent of average, while Castaic Reservoir is 86 percent of capacity and 105 percent of average.

The state and federal water agencies exported massive quantities of water to agribusiness interests and Southern California water agencies, endangering local water supplies and fish populations as the ecosystem continues to collapse.

Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, explained how the water was mismanaged.

“We entered 2013 with Shasta, Oroville and Folsom reservoirs at 115 percent, 113 percent, and 121 percent of historical average storage. In April, they were still at 101 percent, 108 percent and 96 percent of average,” said Jennings.

http://earthfirstjournal.org/newswire/2014/02/02/state-and-feds-drained-northern-california-reservoirs/

[tabasco]

42. A desperate act to fill other reservoirs

Now, when those other reservoirs are empty, where will the water come from?

[SHRED]

10. wasteful agriculture irrigation

California Agriculture contributes just 2% of the economy and 3% of the employment in California yet consumes 80% of the water.

They need to end flood and overhead irrigation.
We need a statewide water reclamation program to refill our reservoirs with water we pour into the ocean coupled with a comprehensive water conservation plan.

[Spider Jerusalem]

13. California agiculture also contributes...

64% of fruit and nuts produced in the USA (and 90% of almonds produced globally), 22% of vegetables, and 14% of other crops. http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/in-the-news/california-drought-farm-and-food-impacts/california-drought-crop-sectors.aspx

So reducing agricultural water use in CA is a national problem, not a state problem.

[progree]

17. True. But Calif. ag water use is unsustainable. And attitudes have got to change

This article focuses on almonds -- that take 1 gallon per almond to produce -- and feeds a growing demand in Asia... (which uses 1.07 trillion gallons/year to grow in California)

In all, agriculture uses 80 percent of the water that Californians draw from groundwater and surface supplies but produces just 1.5 percent of the state's gross domestic product, noted Christopher Thornberg, an economist who has served as

Continuing strong prices have some California growers rushing to plant still more trees. In a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey for 2014, 77 percent of state almond farmers polled said they intended to put in new almond acreage despite the drought.

The governor and his cabinet secretaries defend almonds as a high-value crop.

"We're going to try to maximize all beneficial uses, not pick one we like better than the others," said Felicia Marcus, head of the state Water Resources Control Board.

Any talk of curbing almond growing by big investment firms "really just gets to be kind of un-American," said Wenger, the head of the state Farm Bureau

More, much more http://news.yahoo.com/almonds-roasted-debate-over-california-water-143908562.html

The reason its unsustainable is that even before the drought, water was being pumped unsustainably from the ground, and groundwater levels have been going down for decades before the drought. Even during wet years, ground water is being drawn down.

What is especially frightening is the attitude of leaving it up to the glorious free market, in other words, if its profitable, who gives a fuck how much water is used -- see bold above, which apparently includes Governor Jerry Brown

Almonds aren't even the biggest sponges when it comes to water-thirsty crops in semi-arid California — that would be the state's million acres of alfalfa, which go to feed livestock. Alfalfa uses 1.35 trillion gallons / year.

Something HAS to change soon. Even if the drought ends and we average historically normal water years from now on.

[Spider Jerusalem]

18. The problem with calling it a "drought" is that it probably isn't a drought

greatly reduced rainfall relative to 20th century averages is probably the new normal--and it's worth noting that "historically normal water years" are based on rainfall averages of the 20th century...which was the wettest of the past millenium. So "historically normal" over the long term is actually a lot drier than people are used to.

Alfalfa and more importantly beef and dairy cattle (which use 47% of California's water) are a much greater component of agricultural water use than almonds (which use 10% of California's water).

[Auggie]

22. The warming of the planet has introduced a new weather paradigm in California

Areas of high pressure situated over California are becoming more resilient, and that is sending precipitation to the northwest. Earth Scientists point to global warming as the cause.

You are spot-on Spider Jerusalem: Decisions on how to source, store, allocate and distribute water need to be updated to account for this new paradigm. The old models aren't going to cut it.

[reddread]

26. mind you, more people eat beef and drink milk

than eat almonds and drink almond millk.
those almonds are heavily exported, along with the resources they required.
Not that I cant see the sense in what you are saying, but there is a relativity in effect.
Alfalfa and beef/dairy will be the keystone that brings it all tumbling down.
Consider what this will mean to horses in captivity here.
Thanks to a consistently bad record of decision making and engineering decisions pandered towards developers with influence
and complete indifference to the common good.
God Bless America!

[ag_dude]

57. I saw that 47% number floated around somewhere...

...and can't find the source of it.

Where did it come from?

[Spider Jerusalem]

58. Pacific Institute analysis of California's water footprint

available here as PDF: http://pacinst.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2013/02/ca_ftprint_full_report3.pdf

[ag_dude]

59. Thank you, been looking for that.

The number is so far off from government estimates and higher than anything else out there. I can see why people that are trying to make a point would choose it over the government numbers.

Have you looked at their methodology?

They choose methods that (I would say intentionally) inflate the water footprint of beef and dairy production in California. They don't actually measure water use by beef and dairy production, they estimate it. They tally corn/feed grown in other states against the water footprint of California. They apply precipitation on inarable land to the water footprint of beef production.

If you look at actual feed sources grown on arable land in California, that number is nowhere near the 47% number.

That's the danger is looking at a quote from a study instead of the study itself.

There's a reason it's the extreme outlier.

[Major Hogwash]

27. Jesus!

Why the hell do they have livestock in a desert like Southern California to begin with?

[tishaLA]

37. same way they have livestock in a desert like west Texas

Vice on HBO did a great report last year about the crisis in west Texas, which is as dire as that here in CA, but receives much less attention. Their cattle is dying of dehydration right in the fields--and the state of TX, with its anti-regulation bullshit, isn't asking anyone to conserve anything. Instead, churches go out and do group prayers for rain.

[reddread]

25. thats the thing about corruption

locally, when THE major developer here, Assemi decided they DID NOT want to develop property down in the wrong side of town, where we have traditionally quarantined Blacks, who have been completely disserved and disregarded in terms of access to amenities like grocery stores and decent housing, they were permitted to fire up a desperately unneeded almond orchard by their appointed pets on the city council. In five years, with enough water, and actual follow through, they will be harvesting almonds instead of following the urgent recommendations for needed development on the poorer side of town. the one that was redlined into existence for generations in Fresno.

Almond seedlings, abandoned obligations, water we dont have, and developers who own the putrid politicians who get the nod.
The Allman Brothers sang about One Way Out.

we probably dont have one.

[daleanime]

12. Well, I'm sure the problem is getting all the discussion it deserves......

on MSM.......

[Romeo.lima333]

15. maybe it's time to start moving out of california

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

28. I emailed a friend a few weeks back, to ask if the drought made him consider moving.

He said no.

This was a highly educated person with a doctoral degree. His response mentioned desalinization, iirc.

Last I heard, the state had something like 12 months of water or less left. I don't foresee any desal plants coming online within a single year.

I'll ask him again in another 6 months or so, I guess.

[Romeo.lima333]

43. his answer might be a whole lot different next year

[erronis]

33. Reverse the Okie or 49er movements?

That would be fun to watch the 100s of descendents of the old migrations from the dust bowls or the get-rich schemers back to their homeland (dried up Oklahoma, mid-west states with no jobs).

To say nothing about letting the various Indian tribes go back to their rightful homelands.

This may be quite a show.

[reddread]

36. millions

what is it, roughly 11% of the US is in CA?
I for one would not head north to pretend I wasnt from CA to those Californihaters in OR and rainsoaked WA.
What should have happened a while back, when it became obvious we couldnt take care of CA, was it should have been deeded back to Mexico, or Spain, or anyone else dumb enough to take our trash.

Would I go back to where I came from, Kansas?
Not on your life. those motherfuckers are a bad sort of crazy and hateful to anyone and everyone. Cannot find fault with those who fled that hard scrabble rock and dirt life. But, it is absolutely incredible, how CA is perceived and reviled by midwestern bozos who despise the Ford Foundation for whatever reasons they so fiercely do.
Not that there arent very good reasons to question and discuss these influences, but many of these twisted folks would sooner walk, starve or die than drive a Ford.
Id rather die of thirst than drink in a roomfull of brainless bigots.

[PasadenaTrudy]

35. I'm not leaving

Been here 51 years, been through droughts and major earthquakes. Life goes on.

[yuiyoshida]

46. I'm with you Trudy

I was born in California, I have lived in California all my life. There is no place I want to go, unless someone on this message board wants to buy me a one way ticket to Hawaii...

Anytakers? How about Saipan? ...thought so.

[Fred Sanders]

19. America is literally dying of thirst but the main fear is....ISIS, AQ and Iran? Fucked up.

The media wants fear of "terrorists" to be epidemic, to use that false fear, as always, as control, I get it.

But how about the REAL fear of climate change, the media could go with that to generate the needed fear. It is still fear, and the bonus is that it is real.

[Liberal_in_LA]

23. wow

[Rex]

24. It's just a flesh wound!

[bluevoter4life]

29. Nestle will start paying it's fair share aaaaannnnnnyyyyyyyyy day now right?

*Crickets*

[reddread]

38. they will indeed

once reparations for child slavery victims are caught up with.
presumably in the days following the US owning up to its own institutionalized racism and horrific system of injustice.
you want crickets?
here they are.
a plague.

[Gothmog]

32. Central Texas is still in a minor drought and 4/5 years ago Houston was hit hard

I can feel for California because we suffered a decent drought four or so years ago

[The Jungle 1]

34. That ain't what the senator with the snow ball told me.

He wouldn't lie to us.

[tblue37]

40. Wow. KnR. nt

[rhett o rick]

44. What's using all of California's water?

I don't know how good this source is, but for what it's worth:

Alfalfa - The Thirstiest Crop
Natural Defenses Resource Council

California's rivers and wetlands, and the critical San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem, have suffered serious degradation as a result of excessive water diversions. Much of the water taken out of the ecosystem goes to support California's industrial agriculture.
Agriculture now uses approximately 80 percent of California's developed water supply
, but produces less than 2.5 percent of California's income.
Alfalfa, the biggest water user of any California crop, soaks up almost a quarter of the state's irrigation water.

Yet alfalfa -- harvested mostly for hay to feed dairy livestock -- is a low-value
crop that accounts for only 4 percent of state farming revenues.
An alfalfa farm using 240 acre feet of water generates $60,000 in sales, while a semiconductor plant using the same amount of
water generates 5,000 times that amount, or $300 million. (And while such a farm could function with as few as two workers, the semiconductor plant would employ 2,000.)
In short, California devotes 20 percent of its developed water supply to a crop that generates less than one-tenth of one percent of the state's economy. Given the degraded state of California's rivers and growing demands for water for higher value agricultural crops and urban areas, is this an efficient use of a precious resource?

from: http://geosun.sjsu.edu/~sedlock/Uses.Users.pdf

[TBF]

45. And the fracking -

any of us can learn to take a shorter shower and that would of course be advisable. But when individuals face restrictions and companies are allowed to use tremendous amounts of water at will something is wrong:

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/06/3643184/california-70-million-gallons-fracking/

“Governor Brown is forcing ordinary Californians to shoulder the burden of the drought by cutting their personal water use while giving the oil industry a continuing license to break the law and poison our water,” Zack Malitz of environmental group Credo told Reuters last week. “Fracking and toxic injection wells may not be the largest uses of water in California, but they are undoubtedly some of the stupidest,” he added.

[reddread]

47. so much dirt running down that flume

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/04/dan-bacher-governor-jerry-brown-rips.html

the pity of it is that google no longer serves up archival links that show what Jerry's dad was up to with Occidental after leaving office.
maybe i just dont know the magic search terms, but old articles I posted links to previously showed clearly how deep in the sea bed these folks were together.

beware.

[TBF]

50. That doesn't surprise me ...

the Occidental connections. Al Gore had them too ...

[davidpdx]

49. California is in a hurt locker

They have to make some serious changes to turn things around or it's going to get much worse.

[B Calm]

54. Be a good time to look for lost lures, anchors, fishing rods, etc etc.