California drought
Mar 10, 2014, 3:02 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
When you have lived in California as long as I have, or at least read the long term statistics, you realize than California's weather, especially rainfall amounts, are highly variable. Unlike many other places, where a simple bell-shaped curve results when you plot rainfall amounts per year, in California, the peak is much lower and the extremes are much higher. That is, the standard deviation in rainfall amounts is very high - there are many more dry years and many more very wet years than other places in the country.
I think they HAVE to put it all over the news because the farmers are the ones who suffered from the drought. To the average people, it doesn't really matter. Water will keep coming in. If it is get really serious, you may get a few days without water in a week, but nothing major. They will tell you not to wash your car on your driveway or not watering your lawn during the sunlight hours. But that's it.
Let's hope that JerryFF's El Nino continues to develop! ^
Mar 11, 2014, 1:53 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
One El Nino year will not come anywhere close to making up for 3 years of seriously substandard snowpack in the Sierra. I went up with a survey crew over a month ago to a couple of spots that normally have 10s of feet of pack in early March that were bare dirt at the test sites. That is very, very bad. There has been a little snow in recent weeks at higher elevations but nothing that will make up for that. What we have seen in the mountains so far will melt and run off before summer and the reservoirs will shrink even lower. This is beyond the impact on ag, which is disastrous to both farmers and the economy of entire communities and the area in general. Those reservoirs also supply towns and cities with domestic water. Several are looking at running out and the aquifers are shrinking so pumping is problematic at best.
We need several El Nino years in a row to get back to normal.
We need several El Nino years in a row to get back to normal.
Mar 29, 2014, 6:59 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,439
There really is no drought in California as long as they allow the following three things:
1. Flood irrigation, where 90% of the water evaporates.
2. Open aqueducts to move water, again, allowing a disproportionate amount of the water to simply evaporate.
3. Fracking, which uses billions of gallons of drinking water to pollute our ground water.
When those three issues are solved we have more than enough water for everything we need.
1. Flood irrigation, where 90% of the water evaporates.
2. Open aqueducts to move water, again, allowing a disproportionate amount of the water to simply evaporate.
3. Fracking, which uses billions of gallons of drinking water to pollute our ground water.
When those three issues are solved we have more than enough water for everything we need.
Apr 5, 2014, 12:44 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
Yet another impact, although admittedly of a seeming "first world problem" nature, particularly when compared to the very real suffering in other parts of the country from severe weather damage and impacts. The annual High Sierra Sailing Regatta has been cancelled for the first time ever due to low water and dangerous conditions on the lake. Huntington Lake is around 34% full, which is scary low. Before anyone sneers at a lost sailing race, several lakeside area business have been severely impacted by this and other losses of business due to low water. A number of jobs have been lost and some businesses closed.
The hits just keep on coming.
The hits just keep on coming.