I want to talk about the drought in California. No, it’s not over. But there is some good news. (Lots of data here.)
I put the chart below together to illustrate an important fact. Water has actually been returning to CA. Comparing the water picture in California at the end of the first quarters of 2014, 2015, and 2016, it’s clear that 2016 is the best of the lot. It rained a little in California this winter.
Not so much in Southern California, but lots more in Central and Northern California. The dire conditions of a year ago have been mitigated, at least a little.
In Southern California, we get our water basically from 2 sources. The Colorado River, and the reservoirs and watersheds of Northern and Central California. Very little of our water comes from local sources. There have been political decisions and feuds over the years that have resulted in our current situation, which is basically that there are far more people in Southern California than the local water supply can support. So what can we do? No, we’re not going to die quietly.
Well, one thing we can do is be grateful and happy when our water situation improves. That’s what this is about. It’s not perfect, it’s not even acceptable, but it’s better.
Looking at the water in the 12 largest reservoirs in California, it is clear that the situation has improved over the past few months, and we are in much better shape than we were a year ago, or two years ago. Shasta Reservoir and Lake Oroville, the 2 largest reservoirs, are actually above normal. And that’s good.
Looking at the snowpack, we are in even better shape. Very close to normal in Northern, Central and Southern California. And that’s where a lot of our water will come from over the summer months, so that’s good too.
Groundwater in California remains a concern. We are drawing water out of the ground far faster that it is being replenished, and the water table is still falling. And that’s still a big problem.
Perhaps I state the obvious, but the total amount of water on Planet Earth has not changed very much in the past 2 billion years. What has changed is the number of people it must support (too many) and the quality of the water in many places (too many, too toxic). What has changed also is the climate patterns that extract water from places with water and redeposit it elsewhere. Humans settle and colonize and reproduce based on immediate needs and short-term expectations. Politicians make decisions that pander to those who support and elect them. So we live today with decisions our forebears made centuries ago. Long-term trends make fools of us all. And life goes on.
Cheers.