Calif. water crisis not on presidential candidates’ radar
By Carolyn Lochhead, San Francisco Chronicle
WASHINGTON – The 20th century dams and canals that gave birth to modern California – to San Francisco, to Los Angeles, to the San Joaquin Valley farms that feed the nation – are near the end of their engineered lives. The rivers and aquifers they tap are, simply, tapped out.
The state’s record drought, only dented by last winter’s rains, comes amid a 16-year dry spell in the Colorado River basin, which provides 16 percent of California’s water. The basin’s giant reservoirs are dwindling and may never fill again, even as the nation’s population continues to shift relentlessly into the arid West.
So far, the three people running for president have hardly noticed these problems as they barnstorm the state heading into the June 7 primary.
Orange County Register article is full of half truths and glaring omissions such as too many dog gone people.
In 1950 CA had 10 million people and today right around 40 million. Any wonder there is a water squeeze. We have met the enemy and it is us.
Long term cyclic water diminishment has occurred and will continue to occur so let’s get CA to 80 million people so we can really suffer when cyclic low precipitation occurs.
Do not forget the large trees at the bottom of Fallen Leaf Lake. They are the equivalent of handwriting on the wall but our blind leaders can’t see it. So future generations prepare for less, a lot less,
A few years back science magazines were touting chemical blankets to prevent evaporation from reservoirs and lakes. For instance Lake Tahoe looses over three hundred million gallons of water a day through evaporation. But the chemicals didn’t work for many reasons to prevent evaporation. BTW, 300 million gallons is enough to supply the Keys with over a years supply of water.