Posted on 06/03/2007 8:17:36 AM PDT by SmithL
California's electricity crisis a few years back is remembered for its bizarre blackouts. They resulted from a system that grew more dysfunctional over time until the lights simply couldn't stay on.
Now California's water world is getting a taste of its version of blackouts. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, an endangered two-inch smelt is forcing a historic shutdown of pumps that supply 23 million residents and 5 million acres of farmland. Water will continue to flow from taps and onto fields during this shutdown as the water districts find various ways to maintain a steady supply.
Never before have Delta pumps gone silent because of an endangered fish. And like the electricity crisis, the Delta debacle hints that it will get worse (maybe a lot) before it gets better.
This isn't an exact replica of the electricity problem. In electricity, government made some epically bad decisions when it tried to set up a market system to generate power. That market failed spectacularly. In water, the core problem is indecision by government, an inability to make huge, difficult decisions about managing a Delta estuary facing multiple threats.
The Delta ecosystem is an increasingly complex stew of invasive species, toxic pesticides, unstable levees and rising sea levels. Meanwhile at the pumps, run by the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project, operators have tried to adjust the pumping, sometimes pumping less, sometimes diverting record supplies. The adjustments amount to tinkering with a plumbing regime that isn't sustainable.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
-—I eagerly await massive electrical blackouts in Commiefornia—teach them a lesson-—unfortunately, we’ll all get to help pick up the pieces-—
Invasive exotics, yes it's a huge problem. Pesticides, at $500/gallon and massive amounts of farmland converted to housing or conservancies, usage isn't nearly what it used to be. Unstable levees has nothing to do with water supplies. Rising sea levels? Gimme a break.
Well, at least one out of four is correct, which I guess is pretty good considering that it's the SackBee.
I live in California and I’ll have to pick up the pieces, too. Not all of us are Commies.
-—The Delta ecosystem is an increasingly complex stew of invasive species, toxic pesticides, unstable levees and rising sea levels.-—
So how much has the sea risen out their in Kalifornia? Do they think it will also rise in Oregon and Washington?
Trade off, millions of acres of farmland productivity vs
endangered smelts, hmmm...., I vote,
kill the smelts or set up “smelt farms”
But that will never stop those who love to take the predictable pot shots at all of California, because of the misguided leadership of the democrats, who control the state.
Agreed. Now I gotta go. I’m late for my CommIntern meeting.
So how much has the sea risen out their in California?
They are not referring to an actual rise in the level of the ocean, in terms of elevation change. They worded that very poorly, but typical of a weak newspaper, like the Bee.
What they are referring to is the shifting inwards of the interface between the salt water and the fresh water of the various rivers that flow into the delta area. As fresh water is held back, at the many reservoirs in the system, the line between fresh and salt water creeps inland.
This pumping station, and others, is designed to pump fresh water at low tide, and are shut off at high tide because of salt water intrusion.
As this interface creeps inland, one could say that the "sea has risen".
No. While what you say is true, the Bee isn't that smart. With this citation to "rising sea levels" they're playing the standard GlowBill Warming card.
Saltwater intrusion is a problem, but from what I understand it's no worse than it was in the '70s. The Peripheral Canal was intended to address that problem technically, but Southern California can't be trusted with a bigger straw.
The smelts are probably just a diversion from the real
problem which is unexpectedly high levels of water
consumption by “new residents”. Municipalities haven’t
been investing in infrastructure and traditional water
sources in the 50 sanctuary states are all overwhelmed
with demand. In Florida and Texas lakes that are used
as water supplies are quite low.
Its not just the hospital emergency rooms that are being
crushed, how will we provide drinking water for 50 million
more people?
I think this was written by someone who does not know the difference between subsidence and sea level rise. Not actually studying the geology of the Sacramento Delta, the sea could be rising relative to the land, due to subsidence, faults, and compaction. Ask a geologist who is much more familiar with that are if any of the above process could be causing the land to sink.
Maybe the smelt got tired of being chewed up in the pumps, wised up and moved on. After all, they have survived for eons without us. And maybe CA watched NO and FL get billions from feds for water/enviro projects and want to exploit this opportunistically.
All this trouble over a fish that’s used mostly for bait?
I don’t share your eagerness for disruption and chaos — at least not in my locality.
It is more likely that the writer was referring to rising salinization levels. The sea level is not rising. Salinization is rising due to reduced river flows. The movement of salt inland thru the Carquinez strait changes dramatically based on these flows. In drought years the salt moves further up the rivers. During times of heavy rains and high flows (e.g., Winter 2006) salt gets driven out.
However, it is more likely that the writer was referring directly to global warming mythology.
The writer of this story is an idiot that doesn’t understandy geology, hydrology, market forces, or the debacle of Gray Davis’ electricity crisis.
Farming in NoCal sinced 1920...Dung.
That’s why I don’t comment often. Why restate the obvious?
dung.
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