Posted on 08/19/2008 1:22:17 PM PDT by TheDon
An important California reservoir is nearing its lowest level in 30 years, and other state reservoirs also are very low – more evidence of a gathering water crisis that could lead to mandatory rationing in Southern California by next year, state officials say.
The Oroville Reservoir in Northern California, a major supply reservoir for water that eventually flows into the Southern California region, is down to 38 percent of its capacity, according to the state Department of Water Resources.
By Sept. 30, Oroville, about 75 miles north of Sacramento, is expected to hit its lowest level since 1977, and by year's end, the lowest level since records have been kept, said Wendy Martin, the statewide drought coordinator.
The agency's Web site says precipitation statewide was 30 percent of average in April, May and June, the sixth driest of 114 years on record – powerfully affecting the Sierra snow pack, which melts and drains into Oroville.
...
Much depends on how much rain the state receives during the coming winter months.
"It's going to be an ongoing story here over the next several months, kind of no matter how it plays out," Patterson said. "Either there is going to be widespread rationing around the state, or we dodge the bullet and it gets wet."
...
Tightened supplies are likely to drive up water rates, water agency officials say. And if the coming winter is relatively dry, local water agencies could impose rationing next year, said Karl Seckel, assistant general manager for the Municipal Water District.
"We're laying the groundwork for mandatory rationing in 2009 – meetings, plans are being laid, so if we have to implement it, we can flip the switch and go to mandatory," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Desalination -- the removal of salt from salt water -- would be the ultimate solution to water woes -- if it can be done cheaply enough. That's a big if: "The best estimates are $2 to $2.50 per ton for desalination," says de Villiers. "That not really that far from the real cost of delivering water from the Colorado River, but California's water is so heavily subsidized that they are paying 10 cents per ton when the real cost is closer to $2.50 per ton."http://waterindustry.org/Water-Facts/water-costs-8.htmsnip
Water subsidies are a fact of life in the western United States. According to de Villiers, they amount to $500 per acre. He alleges that "70 percent of the farmers' profits in California's Central Valley -- which is supposed to be the richest farmland in the world -- came directly through taxpayer subsidization."
Yeah but those smelt fishes are doing fine now.
Isn’t that why they didn’t fill some of the reservoirs up as much as they could? it was hurting smelt???
Wow. Makes me feel better about living in the sticks and having my own personal water source. I bet that made you appreciate home (AL) alot more.
Apparently it is. There is a desalination plant being built in Carlsbad, CA. As usual, it is the environmental wackos slowing progress. In any case, it is wise to diversify your water sources when you live in a desert and import virtually all of your water. :-)
I don’t know, ever heard of the Pacific Ocean? :-)
Desalination would solve a lot of problems!
For some reason you didn’t get pinged on my historical trip back to the 1977 Drought.
We have lots of reservoirs and are building more, but that doesn’t provide water. We need desalination!
Interesting factoids. I try to spray it down after she pees, but I don’t see every time.
That’s a really great gub story. Presumably the firemen aren’t hosing down the sewers these days— what’s pushing the solids along, now?
Well, during that water shortage in Santa Barbara, our local branch was good for a bit of humor. Who could ever forget our dignified elderly lady mayor standing before the TV cameras and intoning the City's instructions for toilet usage: "If it's yellow, it's mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
BTW, remember the desal plant they built, used for about 2 months and then shut down, eventually selling most of the parts? Now the City's planning to spend $122K to find out how much it would cost to make it work again. My tax dollars at work.
“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”
They’ve been talking about desalinaiton for decades. They need to quit talking, and start building.
Female Dog Pee!
We have one too. We Love her but what do we do///
I’ve tried “Patch Perfect” to no avail... The Potty Rock is never used... What can be done.
T%his is as big a problem as Obama.
It was a vacationing Northern California reporter that broke this story and finally brought this to our attention. I remember well, the bricks in the toilet, only flushing for number two, dead landscaping, dirty cars, etc.
We moved into our house during the height of the 1977 drought.
The previous owners had done an excellent job of planting drough resistant plants, shrubs and plants. There was no yard, just a level of pea gravel by our back deck.
I was happy as my wife, a mid western gal, wanted a front yard the size of a soccer field and a grassy back yard the size of a football field. I happily sold my lawn mower and edgers. Our sons were pre teenagers and were more interested in hunting/fishing, sports, riding their bikes and girls and probably didn’t know nor care that we didn’t have a green grassy back yard.
So when our female pointer squatted and did her thing on the pea gravel, there was no problem.
Flash forward a couple of decades and the birth of our first grandchild. I allowed a small back yard with green grass to be tilled and sodded with an auto watering system.
Between the deer and racoons and grub worms, we have had it re sodded 3 times. Our yard guy used to come every 4 weeks, now he is here weekly.
Most of the rest of the acre is like it was when we bought it. Any plants my wife have planted or wanted planted are drip irrigated or hand watered by her.
I told if we go on water rationing, the yard gets covered with artificial turf. She aggreed. Also, her Rhodies and Azaleas will survive on a few minutes of drip 3 times a week instead of daily, or they will die.
Our son has told his wife, when strict water rationing hits, their front yard becomes pea gravel and their backyard becomes artificial turf and pea gravel. I put in most of her roses and other plants with a drip system, so they should survive.
Yeah— I battled coons too. The buggers loved to roll back the turf every night and look for grubs. Without getting into specifics, let’s just say I no longer have a raccoon problem. But, what a hassle!
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