California drought: before/after

[Sonikku]

It's extremely moist where I am.

 

[bradley]

It's extremely moist where I am.

Hmm.... I'm going to guess it's not Joan River's vagina.

 

[CrystalBay]

Wow

Hey Magyar send water !

 

[uclaLabrat]

We're fucked. It's not the earthquakes that's gonna kill us, it's the fucking drought. I'm moving to Canada or Washington or something.

where the hell you going to find good pho or thai in washington, huh? And canada? Not outside toronto, and who can afford to live there, not to mention the winters?

 

[notposting]

Things were worse in the 70s, right?

87-92 was last major drought in CA I believe.

 

[rockyct]

Wow that's crazy, what exactly happened? Even if people are using more water doesn't the waste just go back into the ecosystem anyway after it's been treated? It's almost like there were more natural dams at one point and they all been removed. Or is it because of global warming and it's just evaporating all?

It basically hasn't rained much in two years. In 2011 we were thrilled because every dam was basically at full capacity. Big Bear Lake even opened the dam gates. Overall there's probably be a sharp decrease in use as the aq in Central Valley has been squeezed even during the water excess years and that's where most of our water is used.

Waste water in San Diego actually gets recycled as landscaping water. There's a separate water system and basically any public or commercial landscaping uses the water. It technically is safe enough to drink but we don't have the stomach to actually use it as tap water. Orange County actually pumps the treated waste water into the aquifers where it gets naturally filtered and then pumped out for tap water.

 

[bradly1101]

It's just depressing. Whomever made that comparison to humans being a virus on this planet seems so apt. We multiply, consume, destroy, and ultimately wipe out most/all life on our host.

I've heard one scientist refer to humans as the Asian carp of simian species.

 

[DesiPower]

oh fuck, shit's getting real...

 

[NoTine42]

The drought is focused on CA. Basically there have been no El Ninos since 2010. Without that their winter does not give them the snowpack they need.

This drier condition is expected to persist for the next 25-30 years, with more La Ninas and fewer El Ninos.

What's amusing on that map, despite both being in severe drought, northern AZ looked a lot more green and lush than most of CA when I drove through there 2 weeks ago...I think AZ has more horticulture species designed for drought.

 

[Red Squirrel]

So if I was to complain about all the freaking rain we've been getting, I guess this is not the thread to do it in? I just need like 3 days of no rain and above freezing temps so the wood I want to paint can dry!

I guess it's my fault for waiting last minute to do an outside project that needs good conditions.

 

[drebo]

I haven't watered my front or back lawns all summer. I'm currently planning to xeriscape my front yard. I'm doing my part.

They can pry my pool and my showers and my toilet water from my cold, shriveled, dried up dead hands.

 

[Printer Bandit]

who cares about a drought?

turn on tap --> water still comes out
turn on shower --> water still comes out
flush toilet --> water still there to flush

 

[Printer Bandit]

 

[BoomerD]

I drove by Lake Shasta about 3 weeks ago. I've seen it low before...but never like that.
Apparently it's still not as low as it was in the mid-70's...but it's getting there.

 

[rockyct]

In general, I think the effects here won't be felt much by the people directly, but more indirectly in the form of more expensive food. We'll stop washing our car and we'll let our lawns die, but farmers are almost being cutoff from all water. That's going to drive up food costs.

 

[Ns1]

Farmers are raping the groundwater supply. Who knows what's gonna happen.

 

[glenn1]

You have it exactly opposite, what you're calling a "drought" is actually normal for California, and the other pictures are a periodic extremely wet season.

 

[Mark R]

Isn't it illegal to allow your lawn to dry-out over Summer in CA?

That might have something to do with the water shortage.

 

[Brainonska511]

Isn't it illegal to allow your lawn to dry-out over Summer in CA?

That might have something to do with the water shortage.

Probably depends on local ordinances. They should allow for going with xeriscape landscaping (but some places still have the insane notion that everywhere needs grass, even if it isn't suitable for the area).

 

[olds]

Under the bridge in the first image.

 

[BUTCH1]

Your post just reminded me of Lake Peigneur's Salt Mine drilling accident
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXnxGIDhOA

Except for water reservoirs, I agree about man-made lakes being a bad idea and California has a huge number. Apparently Lake Shasta and Oroville are the biggest man-made lakes in the state.

Wish I could find a map listing all of the naturally occurring and made-made lakes in the US.

I love that edition of "Modern Marvels", engineering disasters. Must have been a tough one for the drilling crew when they had to report back to their boss what happened LOL..

 

[drebo]

Isn't it illegal to allow your lawn to dry-out over Summer in CA?

That might have something to do with the water shortage.

No, I don't think so. What's more likely is that some people have stupid HOAs that don't let them have anything other than a lush, green lawn.

 

[Jumpem]

On the border of very moist and extremely moist here. I'm not sure we have ever had a drought.

 

[Sattern]

The weather always changes and balances itself out.

I wouldn't be surprised in a couple centuries there will no longer be such thing as Winter.

 

[Markbnj]

Wow that's crazy, what exactly happened? Even if people are using more water doesn't the waste just go back into the ecosystem anyway after it's been treated? It's almost like there were more natural dams at one point and they all been removed. Or is it because of global warming and it's just evaporating all?

There is a more or less consistent amount of water that makes up a certain part of the planet's mass, but the vast majority of it is not in a form that is fit for consumption. So the issue is not whether water is disappearing. It's not. But when we use fresh water and then treat it and release it into streams it returns to the ocean, not the aquifer we pumped it from. Some of those aquifers take thousands of years to recharge from various natural flows. Others are fairly quick to recharge from rain and runoff, but California has little of either.