Poll: More Californians want mandatory water rationing
By Christopher Cadelago, Sacramento Bee
Amid stubborn drought conditions, more Californians are warming to the prospect of government-imposed mandatory water rationing, but a majority still favor the state’s current approach of urging residents to voluntarily curtail their water use.
Support for rationing swelled to more than a third of voters in the latest statewide Field Poll, a rise of 7 percentage points since last spring. Support is greatest in the Bay Area and other parts of Northern California.
Meantime, an increasing number of voters think that the state is experiencing a severe water shortage. Ninety-four percent describe the situation as “serious,” with nearly seven in 10 characterizing it as “extremely serious.” To put that in perspective, when the state was in another long-term water shortage in 1977, far fewer voters (51 percent) described their feelings at the time as “extremely serious.”
“You can see that as the seriousness of the situation seems to be expanding in the public’s view, it’s willing to start making more trade-offs in certain areas than it was willing to do before,” said Mark DiCamillo, the director of the poll. “As the shortage continues, we’ll see how far voters are willing to go.”
Start with the rice growers and golf courses.
tahoebluewire, I have to agree. Make the biggest water wasters cut back on usage and then work your way down the line. All the empty vacation homes with large lawns where their sprinkler systems are on a timer and then they come here once a year.
I wish more people would get into the “Turf Buy Back Program” offered by STPUD. You get $1.50 a square ft. to tear up your water wasting lawn and put in native plants that use much less water.
We are all going to have to conserve water this year!
Down the hill from us here, it could turn into another “dustbowl” and the whole state will be under a high alert for wildfires.
I hope the City of South Lake Tahoe will lead the charge by removing some of the turf along the road ways around town and plant something else. Lead by example!!! Old Long Skiis
Tear up my lawn to satisfy STPUD? Didn’t they just raise our rates AND self impose a raise for themselves? I barf at them and any self serving ideas they might want to BS us with.
So how does snowmaking explain its way through this dilemma?
Tearing up your lawn is not to satisfy STPUD. It is to conserve water while we are in a drought. California is a state that consumes A LOT of water.
So what I’m saying is, let’s all do our part to conserve what little we have at present, and hope we get some precipitation to fill the lakes, streams and resevoirs.
If we don’t get a late season snow or some rain, the stuff will hit the fan. Higher food prices, higher fire danger and a faltering economy locally as well as state wide.
So yes, conserve water and don’t waste it on a dead and yellow lawn as you watch the well water run down the the street puddeling up in front of your neighbor’s house. Re use what water you can and try not to be wasteful.
I know, I know, all old hippy, treehugger ideas. OLS
How does conserving water in Tahoe help California and its drought problems?
We should conserve, especially when the town fills up with tourists, so the operational costs at STPUD are minimized but that will do nothing to help Calif.
Rob5 has it correct. Any water saved at Lake Tahoe does not help anywhere else in the State.
Folsom dam supposedly was at about 110% of operations recently , and a few others apparently are around 60%-80% of operation. 4 years ago Heavenly and Squaw reported the highest snow level ever in their history. Last year the city of SLT according to Tahoe Daily Tribune got around 2/3 of normal precipitation. People need to distinguish between the serious drought south of Sacramento and the relative abundance north of Sacramento.
Years back, supposedly private households used about 10% of all the water delivered in California. If every private household cut back 90% of water usage, the state will have about 1% more water. Stop believing most of the media. The drought alarmists need to focus on south of Sacramento and leave us alone.
BUT,we should not be wasting water.
So according to some, we don’t need to conserve water. Lawns are good, they say! Water them dead patches of grass till the water runs down the street. The reservoirs are full they say.
In reality that are very low. The lakes are low, the streams almost dried up from lack of snow pack!
So as to all those naysayers who are convincned that we are NOT in a drought and continue to refuse to conserve water in Tahoe? We all, will eventually pay the price for the lack of water!!! In a big way!!! OLS
Snowmaking pumps water from the Tahoe aquifers up onto the mountain, turns it into snow, the public uses it for recreation and it melts back into the aquifer. Is there a problem with this that I am missing?
80% of the available water is used by Agriculture. That is where the restrictions should be focused.
Folsom Lake has capacity of 1,010,000 Acre Feet and is currently at 562,000 AF, so just over half full.
Jim S. That 80% is based on developed water supply, not available water supply. It is 52% of total water supply on a dry year and 29% for a wet year. I don’t know about you, but I like to eat and would prefer farmers have enough water to grow our food. More restrictions should be with excessive landscape watering, water features, swimming pools, etc.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=883
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryDaily?FOL
http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/workgroups/lcfssustain/hanson.pdf
A recent study said that California exports 300 billion gallons of water each year to China, water that was used to raise the agricultural products sold to China. Perhaps when water is scarce we shouldn’t send it overseas.
Please elaborate on your comment. You seem to imply that the State is doing it, and that it is actual water.
Are you sure it isn’t a private company exporting alfalfa?
A recent study from Alex Jones said that the Area 51 ‘Grays’ are stealing all our water to create the universe’s largest swimming pool on Mars. Perhaps all City Residents should immediately move to Nevada.
Dumbfounded, would this not be the case of all outdoor uses like watering the lawn. Wouldn’t this water also go back into the aqua filter to be reused?
reloman, Not really, you would get more evaporation, and I don’t know the consumptive use figure. For snowmaking the consumptive use is counted at 15% of the total use.
‘Wouldn’t this water also go back into the *aqua filter* to be reused?’
*facepalm*
So some will say we don’t need to conserve water here in Tahoe. If you haven’t noticed, this is one of the driest winters on record. The whole state needs to watch their use of water because there isn’t much to go around.
Water is not an inexaustible resource. Streams do dry up, lakes do drop in level, reservoirs do shrink in capacity, wells do go dry, and the smallest snow pack I’ve ever seen.
Farmers can’t plant without water. Higher food prices, higher uneployment, and if your lucky enough to have a job there is the possibillty having your hours cut due to lack of business.
But for some? Well they don’t care! Wait until this summer and we will see how things play out. CONSERVE!!! OLS
yet the DUKE of put downs strikes again. I have yet to see you post one thing that is not a put down, nothing to inform without try to belittle someone. must be nice to live in a life of negativity. It would be nice to see something you post that is positive or uplifting
relo, ET AL: what response do you expect, as you continue to serve up the low-hanging fruit that is the grist of this blog?
Welcome to Costco, I love you.
by low hanging fruit you mean just plain meanness from some from the far right and far left your right. This forum has become a bit of a joke by a majority of the locals because of the meanness.
Reloman_Yes, this comment area can get mean and sounds like a bunch of haters a lot of the time. Have you noticed this is the norm in society lately?
I came home from doing volunteer work recently and was telling my family about the “haters” that never stop their negativity and superiority even when serving others. I was turned-on to Chapelle’s Hater’s Ball on You-Tube. Yes, Oscars for Haters!! What a crack-up that was- good to laugh at our human folly.
I see, I think hater have always been around, they are just more vocal now cause they can hide behind blogs, and we are a little less polite.
We definitely need to be very concerned how we use our water. Just wish these alarmist differentiate from the dire situation in southern Cal to our relative abundance of water in no Cal.
According to the link below,Folsom dam is above the average water storage for the year.
https://m.facebook.com/FolsomLakeDrought/photos/a.583759791711185.1073741828.583647851722379/782784265142069/?type=1&source=46
If a homeowner does the turf by back with STPUD and then sells their home, can the new homeowners put in turf?
Remember all the chaos the 55 mph speed limit around 1979 caused in the west. I had a acompletely stock motor vehicle that got about 40 mpg + going the 80 mph that federal roads were designed for, why penalize efficient people for others misery.
If somewhere around south of Sacramento wants water rationing, let em do it, don’t imposed draconian measures on the north that might make their lives worse.
“the streams almost dried up from lack of snow pack!” Upper Truckee River almost looked like it was going to overflow it’s banks during February of 2015. Climate change is a very serious situation.
The snow pack during this mediumish el nino season is at a higher elevation, hence, we got more rain in February than a historic normal precipitation season. More rain and less snow pack from warmer storms seemingly isn’t on the front page of California’s water issues. This most likely without proper attention can result in dire water runoff equations from the summer snowpack(or lack of a bigger summer snowpack).
I’m guessing these el ninos pop up around 1/4-1/3 of the winters here since the 81/82 precipitation season.
Okay, Ive been schooled here on LTN by several experts. The Truckee river is almost running over its banks , the reservoirs are at maximum capacity, and the lake is in great shape as far as its level. The snow pack is great! Waist deep powder I’m told. At least by the Ski resorts, and they never lie.
So yeah folks, don’t conserve water and when it is declared an extreme high fire danger this year, just ignore what they say and build a bonfire out in the woods. What could possibly go wrong? Angora?
Water for agriculture and livestock? The heck with them farmers and ranchers. Let the fields dry up and the cattle die.
You see I believed what I observed first hand but the genuises here corrected me. There is no drought and no need to conserve water as there is an endless supply.
I hope you get my sarcasim. Open your eyes. This is our fourth year of drought. OLS
OLS,
It is great to see your comments here. BUT, the southern part of the state is in a drought, not the north. The prior sentence is a fact supported by the link above showing Folsom reservoir at above seasonal historic levels. Lake Tahoe water level is regulated by the government, did they let out to much water to the desert?
And yes, the lot I live on probably has cut back water usage to the tune of around 50%-90%.
OLS
I have read all your comments and understand your concerns. If you were to visit Sacramento or maybe Palm Springs or surrounding areas in the southern part of the state you would see waisted water everywhere. With little or no water restrictions, Fountains and lawns as well as water running down the streets.
We have had water restrictions in our area for several years now. Odd and even water days started with our water wells being contaminated several years ago
I have purchased a low water Washer and installed water efficient shower heads and dual flush toilets. My cold water at the start of a shower goes to houseplants as well as run off from my roof goes to 30 gallon drum to water my shrubs in my yard. However until equal restrictions are mandated throughout the ENTIRE state. I will most likely be watering my lawn this summer.
In closing the lake level has been lower in past years than it is now. However we all still need to conserve water. That also means the folks our mountains feed with water downstream.
FYR
I hope Cal Trans finishes the sidewalks all the way to the “Y” along with lots more turf!!!
What a load of Cr^%$@.
sunriser, i have heard that cal trans is starting on the trout creek to Y this season GREAT!!, but i also heard that they are balking on installing lighting like they have everywhere else, bummer.
Last time I checked Shasta, Oroville and Folsom are all in Northern California. Just a quick check ALL these reservoirs are at severe drought levels. This is a statewide problem, not a So. Cal problem. It’s true Folsom has more water than last year, but for how long? The whole state, not just So. Cal is at 17% or normal for rain fall this year. Sounds like another year of drought to me.
Bigfishy1, Yes we are in a drought here on the west coast. From our beautiful snow covered mountains with all that water that flows into the lakes and streams helps to fill the reservoirs at the lower elavations, it all adds up.
Please conserve water, as every drop counts! OLS
https://m.facebook.com/FolsomLakeDrought/photos/a.583759791711185.1073741828.583647851722379/786639768089852/?type=1&source=46
The above link shows Folsom dam at normal levels for the year.
http://californiadroughtadvisor.org/reservoirs/
Look at the difference in the data approximately north of Sacramento, vs the data approximately south of Sacramento.
Perry R. Obray, you provide only part of the story. California lives or dies on its snow pack which is a fraction of normal. No Nor Cal is in a serious drought.
Rick
Rick you are right. The snow pack is a huge concern. The irony here is these articles that bunch everything into California as a catastrophe isn’t true(only a part of the story that most media refuse to admit). Folsom currently is above the historic water level and in the northern area of the state that hasn’t seen the devastation more south.
Perry quit being stupid. Drought is determined by the amount of rain that falls in a year period. Its not that hard.
California is in a exceptional and historic drought based on the actual definition of drought, not whatever you are trying to concoct.
My POINT is, the media doesn’t separate California into the completely different climate zones, with completely different issues. This pisses people off.
Maybe the real agenda is government workers are trying to get consumers to use less water so there is less resources spent to deliver the water. While consumers should not be wasting water, the myth that they are going to save the state by having a miserable life using next to zero water has no factual basis, at least in No. Cal.
According to Bureau of Reclamations, Folsom Dam has a capacity of 976k Acre Feet of Water. At the end of February 2015, it was at 564k Acre Feet; 58% capacity. (The highest capacity from records going back 20 years seems to be 962k feet in 2003.)
Looking quickly at Shasta, it is at 59% capacity and is normally at 74% at the end of February.
Don Pedro is at 44% capacity and is normally at 60% now.
Perris Lake is at 38% capacity and is normally at 45% now.
It looks like the drought is Statewide. I also do not see the point of splitting California in two, since it is one State.
I am assuming that the people posting here are actually from Tahoe. After reading an abundance of posts here spanning over a month, I unburied my atlas and measured California. In an abundance of fairness to the naysayers of a drought I split California into southern middle and northern sections. Southern ends around San Miguel, inland from the coast. Put central at about Markleevile or a tad north. We are in the north. Where has been the rain or snow? Anybody see much of a snowpack up there? What have your heating bills been like? Burn much wood this winter? 2015, the winter that wasn’t.
Guess who will water his lawn whenever he feels like it? This guy. Northern cal! Conserve your water so LA and the rest of Mexico north can have swimming pools, fountains and golf courses!
Um……. NO.
Guess Mr. Mustache did not read my post, nor does he live up here. No water from Tahoe goes to California except to Truckee. Can we have a discussion on the facts? The Truckee goes into the Great Basin. While it may support some agriculture and cities on the way eventually it dies out in the Great Basin, else we would have a great inland sea which we do not. I am tired of this. Judge for yourself whether you want to believe this junk. What falls on the west slope goes to California and as it looks that is going to be quite inadequate.
26 in Tahoe, This will be my fifty third winter of livin’ on So. Shore full time. Never seen a lighter winter like this as long as I can remember as far as to the lack of snowfall. Very sad having this lttle amount of snowpack in March. Scary summer ahead!
Pack your pantry with canned and dried foods and have some 5 gallon jugs of water at the ready. If the food prices soar and water becomes scarce, you will be glad you were prepared.
This drought will stress everyone economicaly with high food prices, low employment numbers, reduced hours if you have a job, and with the high fire danger, fire hazard everywhere thru the state.
Good luck, we are gonna need it, OLS
@26 I started reading your post but it was stupid. So I stopped. I live here and it looks like my lawn needs watering. :)
Mr. Mustache It is March and your lawn looks like it needs watering. Nuff said.
Practically no groundwater or lake water from Tahoe goes to other parts of California. True, they do use our runoff, but no water from the basin goes anywhere else. So if you’re going to tell me that I have to replace my lawn with sagebrush so my house burns down in a wildfire, you’re out of your mind. We here in the basin have water, and no one else is taking it (yet) so I don’t really see the problem with using it. And I’m on my own well anyhow, so no one is going to tell me how much water I can use.
I’m not saying that the drought isn’t a serious problem, nor am I advocating wasting water, but WE have plenty of water that everyone else can’t take, so we don’t need severe restrictions.
Some folks on this blog, however, seem to think that we should go into draconian rationing and plant landscapes that are a fire hazard just to save more water that we don’t need. Go figure…
greengrass
Old Long Skis, yeah coming up on 28 in Tahoe and this winter has been scary. A lot of ski resort workers that never got employed, and now heavenly last man standing on south shore, plus Kirkwood. Donner Resorts dropping like flies. No Bueno. Worst since I’ve been up here.
heres an idea, pay the alfalpha farmers not to plant their crop(alot of that is shipped to asia). it uses 20% of the state water, which is as much as all non agriculture use combined. Cut the almond water use in half that would save an additional 7.5%. Just those two things would do a heck of alot more than worrying about pools and lawns, and golf courses by far.
@dumbfounded
‘ and it melts back into the aquifer’
Most if not all of that snow (aquifer water) is LOST due to evaporation resulting in a net depletion of the aquifer. Quite irresponsible in a drought.
@26 yes. So I’ll water it. You’re not getting it are you?
Is there somewhere on line we can see current and past aquifer levels in the STPUD area?
I would be surprised if there was much fluctuation. If this had been happening STPUD would have been screaming bloody murder.
I was on a private well during the past droughts and never had a problem. The pump was an old Berkeley jet. It sucked water instead of pushing so the well was a little less than forty feet deep.
To those that think these drought years have had no impact on water resources right here in South Lake Tahoe seem to be either ignorant, or in denial to the fact that Lukins Water Company had to shut down some of their wells due to low water levels with too high a concentration of contaminants, which at higher water levels those contaminants fell into the acceptable concentration level. And they are drawing water from STPUD for many of their customers, and must drill much deeper wells to remedy the situation.
My well was less than forty feet deep and never had a problem until it froze-up.
Contamination is a side issue. I’m talking about underground water levels and I’m not ignorant! Lukuin’s water co is a joke and is still using surplus WWII pipes.
I won’t bore you with the entire lawsuit but bottom line is the person (Ali Amiri and does 1-50, all relatives) is being sued by the state for polluting our water all over the state at gas stations he owned. The ones in Tahoe: Tvetens, Swiss Mart, American Oil and the list goes on and on….So if you want to blame one person for all the polluted water problems here he would be a good start but there are many others including ourselves for allowing this to happen. The fines for him just in SLT are way north of $84,455,000.
Superior Court of California case 34-2014-00164107
Thanks Kenny. All true, but no one ever talks about this. I was at a STPUD meeting almost 20 years ago when this guy told them–Sue me, I will own nothing. It’ll be in another family members name. It was a flying middle finger to the STPUD board, Lukins, Lahanton, the State, the City and County. Too bad they don’t add the theft of sales tax to the case.