Posted on 01/09/2025 12:01:29 AM PST by grundle
California has suffered from extreme droughts for years now – but the state didn’t capitalize on a series of heavy storms in late 2022 and early 2023 that brought trillions of gallons of rainwater to the state. Governor Gavin Newsom has received criticism for this from both sides of the aisle, and it remains to be seen how the state will prioritize water infrastructure moving forward.
What Happened?
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the heavy storms plaguing California since late December of 2022 brought an estimated 32 trillion gallons of rainwater to the state. Information from the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that this amount could supply the state’s agricultural, industrial, and residential needs for at least a decade if it were to be stored in reservoirs. But only about 5 to 6 percent of the incoming water was captured, with about 95 percent of the rainwater getting flushed out to sea instead. This is because of environmental restrictions put in place to protect endangered fish species in California’s Central Valley, such as the Delta smelt.
Governor Newsom Under Fire
The missed opportunity to use rainwater to ease California’s drought problems drew criticism from both sides of the aisle. U.S. Representative Jim Costa (D-Fresno) wrote a letter to Newsom calling on state and federal agencies to maximize water pumping, arguing that this action would have little impact on endangered species. Costa encouraged the state to use “dynamic” strategies to respond faster to changing weather patterns and conditions like those posed by the heavy storms.
Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) wrote another letter to Newsom in January. “Farmers need water to save for the coming dry months,” he wrote, “in order to grow the food we eat, and communities need water for homes and businesses.”
Politicians on both sides are encouraging the state to build new water reservoirs as an alternative to encouraging citizens to conserve as much water as they can. Most of California’s water dams and reservoirs were built between the 1940s and 1960s. In 2014, the state received billions to fund new water storage projects, but so far, none have been completed.
Desalination: A Possible Solution
Some politicians are encouraging California to look toward new solutions, such as desalination plants, which are used in other desert climates around the world, like Dubai. State Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) said that “the fundamental problem is that there’s no appetite or will to actually solve this issue and deal with the environmental groups that are relentless in their opposition to any water storage infrastructure.” He called on Governor Newsom to reform the California Environmental Quality Act and streamline the approval process of new water reservoir projects.
sad and sickening but, LA and burbs are now paying the piper for decades of voting for leftists. they thought they were so virtuous and smart.
as the great Kipling said, ‘And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.’
sad and sickening but, LA and burbs are now paying the piper for decades of voting for leftists. they thought they were so virtuous and smart.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
They didn’t lose that water they just dumped it into the ocean.
You are dealing with eco nuts! Any human intervention in nature is bad. Human deaths and suffering is the natural order of their world.
Lots of their houses and businesses just burned down due to their lack of humility.
After all Liberals are always correct!
“ California has suffered from extreme droughts for years now ”
They just outright lie.
Gov Newsom has blocked the building of new reservoirs for years despite the voters voting for them.
Mayor Bass tried to cut $25 million from the fire dept budget. She got $17+ million cut this year.
The firemen ran out of water in Pacific Palisades as the reservoir that gravity fed the water pipes ran dry due to the democrats not filling the reservoir. That was deliberate. They did not even think about the fire danger as they too blocked needed brush clearance. See Trump from 5 years ago tell everyone with Newsom looking uncomfortable next to him talk about what needs to be done.
https://thepostmillennial.com/flashback-trump-urged-california-governor-gavin-newsom-to-clean-forest-floor-to-prevent-fires
Many people now do not have home insurance because the insurance companies cancelled them. They say the fire danger is too great and building costs have skyrocketed.
I wonder if these celebs will continue to vote for democrats. Many lost their homes.
Hollywood stars whose homes have burned to the ground
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14264179/A-listers-left-California-wildfires-Destroyed-homes-Adam-Brody-Anna-Faris-James-Woods.html
There is a proposal for a new law that restricts the amount of water you can use to 55 gallons a day then 50 gallons
by 2030. https://tinyurl.com/4887ubhr They think this and the higher water bills that you will use less water. No doing laundry for you peasants.
This is like taking car lanes away which is called “road diet”, example 4 lanes to 2 or removing them altogether. They think that people will take a bus or ride a bicycle.
This road diet killed many people in northern California near the town of Paradise. Some years earlier the town needed money for road maintenance and the democrats would only give the money if they reduced the lanes which was done. People were trapped in the backup when they tried to flee the huge brush fire due to 50% fewer lanes. Many burned to death.
This is the democrats thinking process. Restrict people from having a good life except for themselves of course.
“In 2014, the state received billions to fund new water storage projects, but so far, none have been completed.”
So where exactly did all that money go?
It went somewhere.
L
Besides rescinding the Green Laws Cali costal areas need to re-think how they fight fires. There is ample water for fighting. There is an unlimited supply. Take a few ideas that the United States Navy has used for over 100 years. Build a sea water piping system and connect all hydrants and sprinkler systems to it. No Desal system needed and potable water would be saved for needed uses elsewhere. They could go even as far in some areas as to install above ground sprinklers remotely or on site activated to fight fires in otherwise unreachable terrain during fires. There would be no water quality issues, no revisor issues, plus there would be lower maintenance and operational cost. It would be drought proof as well.
“California has suffered from extreme droughts for years now”
Wet years are the exception in that part of the world.
Same question…….. I suspect the same answer!
Governor Newsom Under Fire for putting green policies over endangered taxpayers.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the heavy storms plaguing California since late December of 2022 brought an estimated 32 trillion gallons of rainwater to the state.
Information from the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that this could supply the state’s agricultural, industrial, and residential needs for at least a decade if it were stored in reservoirs.
But only about 5 to 6 percent of the rainwater was captured, with about 95 percent getting flushed out to sea instead.
This is because of Newsome’s crazy environmental restrictions to protect endangered Delta smelt.........a fish species in California’s Central Valley.
INteresting.
You’re saying that sea water can be used to put out fires?
I can understand that you don’t use it for growing grass, crops etc. But why don’t they use salt water for fighting fires?
“Lots of their houses and businesses just burned down due to their lack of humility.”
Due to their concern for sardines over human life.
“I wonder if these celebs will continue to vote for democrats.”
Yes.
“Governor Newsom Under Fire for putting green policies over endangered taxpayers.”
He’s under fire by whom, I wonder? I think the far left Californians will not criticize him. They’ll find some way to blame Trump, even though Trump told Newsom to stop flushing their water out to sea, and to clean up the forests that fuel the fires — IN 2019!
Except you are “Salting” the Earth! You can wash saltwater off a ship, kind of hard to get it out of the soil.
People need to do math
10 million immigrants in California and they flush the toilet five times That’s about 20 gallons of water a day just for going down to drain that would be about what 200 million gallons of water people just don’t understand
Recall Gov Newscum and Mayor bASS.
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