Posted on 04/06/2015 8:08:33 AM PDT by rktman
ABC anchor Martha Raddatz pressured Brown on criticisms that the new requirements he placed on Californias agricultural industry, which uses a reported 80% of the states water, were soft. To put this into perspective, Raddatz reported that more water is being used for almond production than by the combined businesses and homes of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Theyre not watering their lawn or taking long showers, Brown said in response. Theyre providing most of the fruits and vegetables of America to a significant part of the world.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.com ...
If you are saying your drought is being caused by man made global warming it is a hoax, Jerry.
Just think, six thousand years ago there weren’t that many giant redwoods either.
California’s climate varies from Mediterranean to subarctic. Coastal areas from San Diego to Santa Barbara have a Mediterranean climate. California is one of only four such places on the entire planet.
Mountainous regions such as the Coast and Cascade Ranges are typical of such areas- snow in the winter and mild temperatures though most of the summer.
The northern Central Valley is also considered Mediterranean, while the Southern part is semi-desert. The Mojave Desert is like the Sahara- here you’ll find a true desert.
As for where does the water come from, here’s some news for you. Stop precipitation, and all rivers would run dry eventually.
“In CA and the US many dams have been built and all the good locations for dams already have dams.”
All the good locations in the US are gone?
Every single one...there are no places left?
Hard to believe. That’s a very broad statement.
And any google search with the words California and Dam comes up with at least a half dozen serious proposals for large scale dams in California, which have been stalled for reasons other than suitability/location.
Dumb question. Throughout the northwest, dams have been removed over the years for environmental or safety reasons. Are these former dam sites now deemed no longer a ‘good’ site for a dam?
In the valley west of Phoenix we have desert landscaping. When the greenies and libtards who caused Ca’s problems flee here for rescue, I’ll have one thing to say, Get off my rocks!
Who cares if Kalifornia is in a drought? The rest of Mexico is in one too!
Ok. I did that, and found this article:
Why doesn't California build big dams
First reason is lack of location. They say that there are already 1400 dams in CA.
Second isEnviro regs such as endangered species(Nixon) and CWA(Nixon) and California Environmental Quality Act signed by Reagan in 1968.
Third is financing. Because of Prop 13(Reagan), it is very hard to raise state money for dams. Plus, Prez Reagan changed the law and reduced the amount of federal money that could go to a state to build a dam.
Not so. If that’s the case then Greece and Italy are deserts too.
ALL good ideas by Reagan because they forced the State or entity to work within the FREE ENTERPRISE system and NOT count on the Federal Government to subsidize its needs.
But, there was a period of time from about 1900 going forward in which the federal govt spent a large sum of money on dam building which played a very big role in developing agriculture output, creating power for industrial output and residential power to include rural electrification, and loss prevention from flood control. No doubt dam building during the depression created a lot of jobs.
Another example is building the Interstate Highway system.
Nowadays, everybody in the GOP wants a govt like the govt in Somalia or Yemen.
To your first point, the article says ‘nearly’ all the good dam sites are used...not all.
To your second point - excessive environmental regulation is precisely the problem.
To your third point- Hurray!!! I would love to live in the great California weather, with the great views and beaches...but I can’t afford it. So I certainly don’t want my federal tax dollars going to fix all of California’s water problems. Other states seem to be able to work within the current funding parameters...so why is it an excuse for California?
Again, there are at least a half dozen serious, large scale dam projects planned in California. And the people need water. Why don’t they build big dams? A lack of will. And common sense among the political leadership - this is the same state (and federal government) that desperately wants to build an unnecessary rail system for $billions, instead of spending those same $billions to fix their water woes. And that’s my original point - civilizations used to be smart enough to build dams, while our modern culture shuns them...we are becoming an idiocracy.
Do you mind listing that half dozen large scaled dam projects in California?
I get precipitation. The state prefers the water get to the city people... cause that’s where the real estate guys make all the money.
It’s age old. Farms and food vs. hipsters and city dwellers who supply.... what? Thanks to our investment bankers- not much from the US all over.
It just seems like this was known for like more than 40 years, and the political reality is kicking the can down the road. Are there no desalination plants? Even the Florida Keys have that.
And, don’t discount the diversion of water to Las Vegas- so they can have fountains. This is water politics, a lot.
Find the state to be beautiful. The people (at least the coolo city types and So. Cal hollyweirds) not so much. No. Cal people are completely different as are the farmers we know there.
I don’t think they need more damns, California needs to build desalinization plants. Many countries with low rainfall solve their water problems by this. They have a ton of water, now they just need the plants to make it potable. I wonder if the enviro weenies are preventing a sensible solution like desalinization plants. Let the farmers in the north have the water from Hetchy, Hetchy and other places. The people in LA and So. Cal should be relying on their abundant resource right next to them. The Pacific Ocean....
Expand Los Vaqueros Reservoir
Temperance Flat Dam
Sites Reservoir
Ah Pah Dam
Auburn Dam
Raising Shasta dam
Ah Pah and Auburn were never viable projects way back when and are not today, except as a joke. They are in the same category with building a dam in the Grand Canyon.
20 years ago I read the book Cadillac Desert that covered those type projects. If you have never read that book, you should.
As for Los Vaqueros, there is no enviro opposition to that project, its a funding problem. I noticed that House members George Miller and Jim Costa were trying to get Congress to fund it. And mentioning George Miller, Cadillac Desert contained the story of how the Miller family came to have their ag empire. Very interesting story.
The Temperance Flat dam is going forward. The voters approved the money last Nov. It took a long time to get the money because previously they scoffed at it but as the problem became worse, minds changed.
Sites Reservoir got money in the same bond issue as Temperance Flat. Enviros won't stop that because there is no river dam involved. Its only an off stream storage area. Other monies will be needed.
Raising the Shasta Dam also got some money from the same bond issue, but they will need a lot more from Congress. There is some enviro opposition and tribal opposition, but if Congress appropriates the money, it will go.
But Shasta is a lot of money for not much more capacity. None of these are large capacity.
Our daughter lives in San Jose, so it was a day trip to San Francisco. She will be married in Santa Cruz in a few weeks. We will be coming out to celebrate with her. Beautiful area, but expensive. We always hoped that she would move back east, but he is from Fresno, so it’s doubtful.
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