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It's in the middle of the desert. Looking at it on a map, it's something like 100km from the coast, and ~50km from any major lakes. That means it's even more de

It's in the middle of the desert. Looking at it on a map, it's something like 100km from the coast, and ~50km from any major lakes. That means it's even more dependent on bringing in water from elsewhere than LA is. At least LA could theoretically build a bunch of desalinization plants along the coast if they don't find another solution to their water shortages vs. their increasing population. California and the rest of the Southwest should be abandoning places like California City, IMO, not building them up.

the_watcher 7y ago
I grew up in the inland Southern California desert (Palm Springs area). Ironically, it's is more able to water itself than LA because of an aquifer that gets replenished by snowmelt annually (also, last I checked, they make the golf courses buy water rather than tapping the aquifer). There are more sources of water than just proximity to a visible body of it.
aazaa 7y ago
> California and the rest of the Southwest should be abandoning places like California City, IMO, not building them up. Maybe, but history has repeatedly followed a different path. Southwestern desert cities find a way to get water. How that happens is another matter, but the water eventually comes. Also, I'm not completely sure about the claim that places like California City should be abandoned. Living in the desert means that you're not, for example, living in a forest. Clearing forests for urban development reduces CO2 capacity and increases reflectivity, both of which can contribute to global warming. Also, desert urban areas are ideally position to benefit from advances in solar energy technology. They can use that source almost every day of the year. Cities can be located very close to the source. Inexpensive land means that large-scale facilities can be built nearby.
jillesvangurp 7y ago
LA doesn't have water problem but a governance problem that is causing them to not address their water supply issues by e.g. making obvious investments to produce all the water they could ever need using a combination of desalination, recycling, and less waste. Desalination plants have been in use across the world for decades and would be an obvious solution for LA as well. Cost for desalinated water is in the order of a couple of dollars for a thousand gallons.

the_watcher 7y ago

I grew up in the inland Southern California desert (Palm Springs area). Ironically, it's is more able to water itself than LA because of an aquifer that gets replenished by snowmelt annually (also, last I checked, they make the golf courses buy water rather than tapping the aquifer). There are more sources of water than just proximity to a visible body of it.

aazaa 7y ago

> California and the rest of the Southwest should be abandoning places like California City, IMO, not building them up. Maybe, but history has repeatedly followed a different path. Southwestern desert cities find a way to get water. How that happens is another matter, but the water eventually comes. Also, I'm not completely sure about the claim that places like California City should be abandoned. Living in the desert means that you're not, for example, living in a forest. Clearing forests for urban development reduces CO2 capacity and increases reflectivity, both of which can contribute to global warming. Also, desert urban areas are ideally position to benefit from advances in solar energy technology. They can use that source almost every day of the year. Cities can be located very close to the source. Inexpensive land means that large-scale facilities can be built nearby.

jillesvangurp 7y ago

LA doesn't have water problem but a governance problem that is causing them to not address their water supply issues by e.g. making obvious investments to produce all the water they could ever need using a combination of desalination, recycling, and less waste. Desalination plants have been in use across the world for decades and would be an obvious solution for LA as well. Cost for desalinated water is in the order of a couple of dollars for a thousand gallons.