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This is a really poor illustration, because it only includes Lake Oroville, which is a reservoir. Reservoirs exist to be tapped like this and drained down. Even

This is a really poor illustration, because it only includes Lake Oroville, which is a reservoir. Reservoirs exist to be tapped like this and drained down. Even a small drought would see a significant change in the water level for a reservoir.

iskander 12y ago
I just drove from Portland to San Francisco, and many of the bridges along Highway 101 looked similar to these photos. Also, in the small towns I stopped in, the drought was a common topic of conversation. Locals said they had never seen the rivers so low.
- whyenot 12y ago
  California has a mediterranean climate. It is normal for most of the state to receive no significant rainfall May-October and for streams and rivers, especially in the coastal range, to run dry by late summer.
  - taybin 12y ago
    Oh, you're right. They must not be having a drought then.
  - debt 12y ago
    Are you native Californian perchance? Everyone I meet from here seems to not mind the drought too much(although it seems very serious this time, boy cried wolf-type situation).
    - whyenot 12y ago
      I'm not a farmer with junior water rights, so no I'm not concerned. Even in dry years as we are experiencing now, California has more than enough water for domestic use. Some communities, especially those dependent on small local reservoirs, may run into trouble if the drought continues for several years, but California has dealt with this successfully in the past, most recently in the 1976-1977 drought[1]. The people who really need to worry are farmers, especially those without senior water rights. Many farmers in the state have moved from producing row crops, where fields can be left fallow in dry years, to orchard crops like almonds which still need irrigation during a drought. I don't have a lot of sympathy for almond farmers in Bakersfield. Here's a thought: maybe an area of the state with average rainfall of 6" a year isn't a good place for an almond orchard. The drought might actually be a good thing if it forces some of those farmers to move back to row crops. It may also finally force California to regulate groundwater pumping. Unrestricted pumping leads to subsidence[2] and kills off native vegetation by lowering the permanent water table below where the roots of valley oak and other drought adapted plants can reach. Governor Brown has also been fanning the flames a little to sell the public on his delta tunnel plan. He used a similar tactic during the 1976-1977 drought to try and sell the peripheral canal. 1. see for example this CDWR documentary on the 1976-1977 drought https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZXeEktMYLM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZXeEktMYLM 2. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140325-california-drought-subsidence-groundwater/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140325-calif...
debt 12y ago
One reservoir or not, meant to be tapped or not, Lake Oroville is at it's lowest point ever. Also that dam isn't generating as much power which is causing brownouts; the drought is causing brownouts: "The dam at Lake Oroville is not generating enough power; only 510 megawatts. That’s down from 820 megawatts. The power shortage is causing rolling brownouts in parts of in eastern Butte County on Kelly Ridge and Forbestown Roads. “We are dropping a foot a day in a 24 hour period,” said Frazier." http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/lake-oroville-water-level-falling-rapidly/26854392 http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/lake-oroville-water-level-f...
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  Can hydro power be imported from Oregon?
  - dredmorbius 12y ago
    It can be and is. Power purchases from the Columbia River / Bonneville Power Administration are a significant contribution to California's grid.
- jlward4th 12y ago
  Without all of the relevant data it may be hard to draw conclusions from these photos and news stories. As an example... This year the Blue Mesa Reservoir (Colorado) would have filled up but in order to keep a downstream endangered fish species around, much more water than normal was let out. Having not known that I could have made some wrong assumptions about the state of water in our area.
  - debt 12y ago
    Date and feet: 08/01/2014 699.06' ...... 08/26/2014 680.53' Lake Oroville has fallen 19 feet since the 1st of August 2014 according the CA Department of Water Sources. http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryDaily?ORO http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryDaily?ORO
    - 12y ago

iskander 12y ago

I just drove from Portland to San Francisco, and many of the bridges along Highway 101 looked similar to these photos. Also, in the small towns I stopped in, the drought was a common topic of conversation. Locals said they had never seen the rivers so low.

whyenot 12y ago
California has a mediterranean climate. It is normal for most of the state to receive no significant rainfall May-October and for streams and rivers, especially in the coastal range, to run dry by late summer.
- taybin 12y ago
  Oh, you're right. They must not be having a drought then.
- debt 12y ago
  Are you native Californian perchance? Everyone I meet from here seems to not mind the drought too much(although it seems very serious this time, boy cried wolf-type situation).
  - whyenot 12y ago
    I'm not a farmer with junior water rights, so no I'm not concerned. Even in dry years as we are experiencing now, California has more than enough water for domestic use. Some communities, especially those dependent on small local reservoirs, may run into trouble if the drought continues for several years, but California has dealt with this successfully in the past, most recently in the 1976-1977 drought[1]. The people who really need to worry are farmers, especially those without senior water rights. Many farmers in the state have moved from producing row crops, where fields can be left fallow in dry years, to orchard crops like almonds which still need irrigation during a drought. I don't have a lot of sympathy for almond farmers in Bakersfield. Here's a thought: maybe an area of the state with average rainfall of 6" a year isn't a good place for an almond orchard. The drought might actually be a good thing if it forces some of those farmers to move back to row crops. It may also finally force California to regulate groundwater pumping. Unrestricted pumping leads to subsidence[2] and kills off native vegetation by lowering the permanent water table below where the roots of valley oak and other drought adapted plants can reach. Governor Brown has also been fanning the flames a little to sell the public on his delta tunnel plan. He used a similar tactic during the 1976-1977 drought to try and sell the peripheral canal. 1. see for example this CDWR documentary on the 1976-1977 drought https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZXeEktMYLM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZXeEktMYLM 2. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140325-california-drought-subsidence-groundwater/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140325-calif...

debt 12y ago

One reservoir or not, meant to be tapped or not, Lake Oroville is at it's lowest point ever. Also that dam isn't generating as much power which is causing brownouts; the drought is causing brownouts: "The dam at Lake Oroville is not generating enough power; only 510 megawatts. That’s down from 820 megawatts. The power shortage is causing rolling brownouts in parts of in eastern Butte County on Kelly Ridge and Forbestown Roads. “We are dropping a foot a day in a 24 hour period,” said Frazier." http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/lake-oroville-water-level-falling-rapidly/26854392 http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/lake-oroville-water-level-f...

toomuchtodo 12y ago
Can hydro power be imported from Oregon?
- dredmorbius 12y ago
  It can be and is. Power purchases from the Columbia River / Bonneville Power Administration are a significant contribution to California's grid.
jlward4th 12y ago
Without all of the relevant data it may be hard to draw conclusions from these photos and news stories. As an example... This year the Blue Mesa Reservoir (Colorado) would have filled up but in order to keep a downstream endangered fish species around, much more water than normal was let out. Having not known that I could have made some wrong assumptions about the state of water in our area.
- debt 12y ago
  Date and feet: 08/01/2014 699.06' ...... 08/26/2014 680.53' Lake Oroville has fallen 19 feet since the 1st of August 2014 according the CA Department of Water Sources. http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryDaily?ORO http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryDaily?ORO
  - 12y ago