5 ms·

If the numbers in this article are correct, more water goes to environmental purposes (ie. Protecting the Delta Smelt) than for Agricukture. http://www.national

If the numbers in this article are correct, more water goes to environmental purposes (ie. Protecting the Delta Smelt) than for Agricukture. http://www.nationalreview.com/article/416918/no-farmers-dont-use-80-percent-californias-water-devin-nunes http://www.nationalreview.com/article/416918/no-farmers-dont... I don't know if the numbers are correct, but this use of water was not included in the water you chart in he article.

Retric 11y ago
Don't worry its numbers are not correct. The most obvious example is they ignore Agricultures use of both rainwater and ground water. But, also environmental diversion often counts water several times as the same water passes several dams. Not that 80% is actually 100% true either, but it's much closer to the truth than 40%. PS: "During a normal year, 30% of the state’s water supply comes from groundwater (underground water). In times of intense drought, groundwater consumption can rise to 60% or more." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_in_California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_in_California
anigbrowl 11y ago
Doesn't it strike you as strange that he doesn't provide any source for this 50% claim, after providing 4 links in the previous paragraphs to what he claims are untruthful media narratives about agriculture's overuse of water. All those links make it look like a really well-sourced article, and yet he expects you to accept his major factual claim on nothing more than his say-so, because he holds political office.
swombat 11y ago
If you're interested, this post by Scott Alexander does a fairly thorough analysis of where the water is going: http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/05/11/california-water-you-doing/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/05/11/california-water-you-do... TL;DR: No, more water does not go for environmental purposes than agriculture. California uses about as much water for growing just Alfala (used as food for cows, among other things) as it does for the whole Delta.

Retric 11y ago

Don't worry its numbers are not correct. The most obvious example is they ignore Agricultures use of both rainwater and ground water. But, also environmental diversion often counts water several times as the same water passes several dams. Not that 80% is actually 100% true either, but it's much closer to the truth than 40%. PS: "During a normal year, 30% of the state’s water supply comes from groundwater (underground water). In times of intense drought, groundwater consumption can rise to 60% or more." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_in_California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_in_California

anigbrowl 11y ago

Doesn't it strike you as strange that he doesn't provide any source for this 50% claim, after providing 4 links in the previous paragraphs to what he claims are untruthful media narratives about agriculture's overuse of water. All those links make it look like a really well-sourced article, and yet he expects you to accept his major factual claim on nothing more than his say-so, because he holds political office.

swombat 11y ago

If you're interested, this post by Scott Alexander does a fairly thorough analysis of where the water is going: http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/05/11/california-water-you-doing/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2015/05/11/california-water-you-do... TL;DR: No, more water does not go for environmental purposes than agriculture. California uses about as much water for growing just Alfala (used as food for cows, among other things) as it does for the whole Delta.