4 ms·

What has happened before will happen again. California had similar issues with mild winters and the reduced water associated with them back in the 1930s. [1][2]

What has happened before will happen again. California had similar issues with mild winters and the reduced water associated with them back in the 1930s. [1][2] The difference now of course is that there are a great many more people there and a great many more farms. The Bureau of Reclamation is pretty much at fault for the lack of water available for human consumption because of mismanagement and prices below the cost which encouraged over development of farming. The current drought can likely be traced to changes in the Pacific Ocean dating to 1976 [3]. As in, we have more than time enough to see something was changing. What can be done? Rationing won't solve it all. The states need to have more control over the water that the Bureau of Reclamation currently controls. They are in a far better position to understand their needs and cooperate amongst each other instead of using the weight of Washington politics to force a way. First and foremost priorities have to be set and reasonable prices for the cost of water need to be assigned. Yes this will likely mean a reduction in farming but it is artificially propped up now by unrealistically low water prices. People also need to understand conservation and large lawns should either be restricted or the water use for such maintenance needs to be surcharged. The key is better use of resources and not redirecting the problem which is more mismanagement than natural causes. note, I haven't read much on site #2, but they consolidated nicely some NOAA charts which make it easier to view. [1] http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/061/mwr-061-09-0251.pdf http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/061/mwr-061-09-0251.pdf [2] http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/01/california-drought-update-not-even-close-to-worst-drought-ever.html?doing_wp_cron=1426269408.9994280338287353515625 http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2015/01/california-dro... [3] http://icecap.us/images/uploads/More_on_The_Great_Pacific_Climate_Shift_and_the_Relationship_of_Oceans_on_Global_Temperatures.pdf http://icecap.us/images/uploads/More_on_The_Great_Pacific_Cl...

malandrew 12y ago
The way I see it water consumption for household and business uses that are not farms should be on a per person basis, going up exponentially at each strata of consumption. This would not be unlike how the desirable island of Fernando de Naronha controls limits tourism, while still keeping it accessible. IIRC, every day you are on the island you pay a fee, but each day you stay the fee increases until it gets so expensive that even the rich feel it. The island is limited to 420 tourists at a time. http://www.ilhadenoronha.com.br/ailha/taxadepreservacao_em_noronha.php http://www.ilhadenoronha.com.br/ailha/taxadepreservacao_em_n... Likewise, for water a person might pay a nominal rate per gallon for the first 40 gallons in a day, then the price doubles for the next 40, then doubles for the next 40, etc, etc. until it's literally unaffordable by even the rich. This would also have the nice side effect of limiting yard size, which would curb urban sprawl.
pyrocat 12y ago
The other difference is the ground water reservoirs are significantly more drained now than in the 1930s.

malandrew 12y ago

The way I see it water consumption for household and business uses that are not farms should be on a per person basis, going up exponentially at each strata of consumption. This would not be unlike how the desirable island of Fernando de Naronha controls limits tourism, while still keeping it accessible. IIRC, every day you are on the island you pay a fee, but each day you stay the fee increases until it gets so expensive that even the rich feel it. The island is limited to 420 tourists at a time. http://www.ilhadenoronha.com.br/ailha/taxadepreservacao_em_noronha.php http://www.ilhadenoronha.com.br/ailha/taxadepreservacao_em_n... Likewise, for water a person might pay a nominal rate per gallon for the first 40 gallons in a day, then the price doubles for the next 40, then doubles for the next 40, etc, etc. until it's literally unaffordable by even the rich. This would also have the nice side effect of limiting yard size, which would curb urban sprawl.

pyrocat 12y ago

The other difference is the ground water reservoirs are significantly more drained now than in the 1930s.