California farmers fear wells will soon go dry

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
What I don't get is why some idiots water their lawns in the middle of the day when the water evaporates very quickly in 90+ degree heat.


They see it's 95 degrees outside and think "man, it's hot outside! I better turn on my irrigation system so my grass won't start dying".

common sense fails.

 

[totegoat]

I like rice, but $5billion is excessive.

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: shinyWheels
What's interesting is the same people that complain about "Big" Ag and how they use so much water, also complain that we should be supporting our local farmer and buying locally from Farmer's markets.


BINGO! Across the nation, we should be developing local production for local use. Robert Rodale of Organic Farming fame promoted this concept decades ago.

It makes no sense that we concentrate our produce production in one state on the far west coast and ship it to the rest of the country via rail and truck.

Reducing California's big ag would lessen it's load on water use. Simple.

"California produces a sizable majority of many American fruits, vegetables, and nuts: 99 percent of artichokes, 99 percent of walnuts, 97 percent of kiwis, 97 percent of plums, 95 percent of celery, 95 percent of garlic, 89 percent of cauliflower, 71 percent of spinach, and 69 percent of carrots (and the list goes on ...Jul 10, 2013"

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and...at_without.html


Yep, Shut it down, and send all the fruit pickers back to Mexico.

Win Win.

 

[CT8]

The L.A basin and the Bay Area once I sell the last house I own there cay go dry as well. They have turned into stinky cesspools.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
California farmers fear wells will soon go dry.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-farmers-fear-wells-dry-amid-drought/



This has been predicted for decades.
What should really scare people in the arid regions of the West is that the geologic record shows that this drought could go on for decades.
Agriculture is obviously the major user of water, but what will the inevitable contraction of this industry in California do to the state's economy, especially the loss of higher valued crops, like almonds?
It's also all well and good to talk about locally grown food, but only if we return to the days of yore and accept the concept of seasonality in the fresh produce we can buy and consume.
You can grow better tomatoes in Ohio than you can in California, but you can only grow and harvest them a few months out of the year. Asparagus does well here but the harvest is brief. I have some in my garden and it is pretty unkillable once established.
The same is true for strawberries, lettuce, broccoli and a host of other staple fresh produce items the year-round availability of which at reasonable prices we now take for granted.
You can even grow some almond trees in OH, although you might never see a crop. I had an almond that was marginally hardy enough for our winters growing in my backyard for a number of years. It grew quickly and flowered beautifully, but always too early to set any fruit.

 

[hattaresguy]

I don't care, we got lots of water in CT. I wish we didn't have to suffer with low flow fixtures, simply don't need them.

 

[Cutehumor]

if California runs out of water, I'm sure their million dollar homes will drop in value. We have plenty of water here in TN. I wonder if millions start leaving California and moving to the South and Mid-west, how this will affect property values out here.

 

[Kestas]

One worry is the political pressure to declare the Great Lakes water a "national" resource, and start piping water to the desert states. And, by the way, as long as the pipe line is headed southwest, why not siphon some off to irrigate the rest of the Midwest (e.g., Wyoming, Nebraska) for their agricultural needs?

I have a better idea... why don't people set up shop living in Michigan and the surrounding Great Lakes where there's plenty of water, room, and cheap housing? Oh, you'd rather live in a warm, sunny desert climate than in the cold, uninteresting rustbelt? Too bad.

 

[fdcg27]

This idea has been mooted a number of times over the years.
I consider it unlikely to happen because there isn't enough political weight in the West to make it happen and because Canada would scream blue murder.
To build a pipeline of adequate capacity to do anything useful would be an awesomely costly venture.
Where would the money come from?
What route would it take and how much water would remain for California after the inevitable syphoning off that would happen in other arid states through which the pipeline passed?
Not saying that it isn't possible, just saying that the obstacles to resolving California's water crisis with water from a lake I've sailed on seem formidable.
You're right in that those wishing to enjoy SoCal weather have to take everything that comes with it. If people want unlimited water, then they should move to a region that has it.

 

[Mr Nice]

Here in FL they have pump millions of gallons of water out of Lake Okeechobee to the ocean during the rainy season cause the water level is too high.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
if California runs out of water, I'm sure their million dollar homes will drop in value. We have plenty of water here in TN. I wonder if millions start leaving California and moving to the South and Mid-west, how this will affect property values out here.


OTOH maybe we should help them, unless you want Nashville to look like Berkley!!!!

 

[Mystic]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
if California runs out of water, I'm sure their million dollar homes will drop in value. We have plenty of water here in TN. I wonder if millions start leaving California and moving to the South and Mid-west, how this will affect property values out here.


In the end nature rules, even though some people think people control nature. Powerful empires in the past have been destroyed by drought and other natural conditions.

I would be concerned if some of those people left California and came to Colorado.

This could all change if suddenly the rains come. That is how it has been in much of California though time. Years of drought and then the rains come. And when the rains do come there can be flooding.

We had some flooding not long ago in Colorado. And so far this year we are getting what for us is a considerable amount of snow and rain. Although in the NE and the SE what we are getting would probably be considered drought conditions.

I do think it would be a good idea if people used more local produce rather than shipping produce from California all over the place.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
If California runs out of water, I'm sure their million dollar homes will drop in value. We have plenty of water here in TN. I wonder if millions start leaving California and moving to the South and Mid-west, how this will affect property values out here.

The housing price in inland about 20-30 miles or farther from the beach may drop substantial, but along the beach will not change because somehow they will get the water to need.

People who live along the beach are rich and powerful. One example, the most difficult airport to take off is Orange County(John Wayne) airport, the jet have to take off at very steep angle and reduce engine speed at less than 1000 feet high to reduce noise to residences of Newport Beach. This airport is 1 of the most dangerous for taking off, the result of petition(political pressure) of the rich and powerful.

May be many Californian will not have sufficient water for daily use, but those people will have water to fill their olympic size pool, and their lawn is greener than White House. Don't expect their multi millions houses drop in value.

 

[Cutehumor]

With no water, I would think the rich and powerful would be the first to move out of state. Let the minions fight over the last drop of water.

 

[HTSS_TR]

The state will provide them with plenty of water to use daily somehow. The minions will fight over the last drops of water in a bucket but not the rich and powerful.

They like the weather here in So Cal, their demand for services will be met without problem. If they want to move out of state they can move to any state or any country, and be able to pay cash for any house size they want, but they like to stay put. If last drop of natural water had been used they can import water from elsewhere and truck it to their home daily.

 

[BRZED]

There are measures that can and do help and those measures are increasingly being implemented. Every little bit adds up and helps and every single person can contribute by choosing to conserve water whenever possible. When the Dust Bowl drove people from the Southern and Midwestern plains, people from Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico fled to California by the hundreds of thousands. Decade long droughts are expected to happen in the West and Midwest later during this century. If the water runs out in some places, the drought refugees will invariably follow the water.

expand water reuse (grey water)
increase storm water capture
increase efficiency (especially in agricultural and urban water use)
reduce waste of water (leaks and losses)
demand reduction

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: BRZED
Decade long droughts are expected to happen in the West and Midwest later during this century.

What is this based on? I don't believe crystal ball predictions such as this can be made. Nobody can predict short term changes in weather.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Originally Posted By: BRZED
Decade long droughts are expected to happen in the West and Midwest later during this century.

What is this based on? I don't believe crystal ball predictions such as this can be made. Nobody can predict short term changes in weather.


If it's in the Farmer's Almanac, people seem to believe that religiously...

 

[linkbelt]

"What has been, shall be"

 

[Nick1994]

Makes me glad to live in Arizona, yes it's a desert but not really any water issues here.