What Should California Do About The Increasing Water Shortage?

Question

The Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers meet at the Delta and a big canal sends much of the water there to Los Angeles, about 400 miles to the South..

The smelt, salmon and other fish are dying and may become extinct. The current suspect poison is city sewage with Ammonia, a by product of water purification.

The Peripheral Canal was proposed to by-pass the Delta, let the fish rot and send more water south. It was voted down a few years ago but, this plan is currently being promoted.

One alternative is Desalinization another is water recycling, already being used, after mixing it with aquifer water near Los Angeles with plans to increase its volume.

Bringing Columbia River water was considered but ruled out long ago.

Global Warming produces earlier snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada every year. This provides faster water flow in Summer months. There are old plans to enlarge Shasta and Vagueros Dams to double capacity but has not been done.

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

We need to diversify the location of our population, thus not depleting resources in a single area.

Populous areas have some of the highest energy and resource costs, and it sould be that way. It will indirectly disperse population and hopefully start taking care of itself.

We don't like $4 gas, but it was the only thing that was successful in pushing the masses towards conservation.

Answer 2

this is a fail safe plan ready?

Stop worrying about the fish and build some hydro-electric dams and build some power plants of either the coal/burning variety or nuclear.

How about kicking the 10 million illigals out?

How about moving from the desert back to where power can be generated and not fought against by the sierra club?

Vote Republican. Red states do not have power problems and lower taxes ever notice that?

Answer 3

drink less water, drink more beer, hope that help's

Answer 4

Yes, find ways to discourage more people from moving here from other countries or states. California is already grossly over populated and we do not NEED more people here. We can do thing by strictly limiting the number of new construction building permits issued for residential developments.

Answer 5

Water shortages are becoming more and more of a reality, unfortunately. I remember hearing about the water desalinization option last year when Georgia and Tennessee were experiencing a drought. Maybe, it's worth looking into. On a more personal level, I think that if people were determined enough to conserve water, they could "harvest dew". There are a number of websites that offer information about "dew harvesting". Clearly, we are living in a time that calls for more self sufficiency and resourcefulness.

Answer 6

CA has been going in and out of drought cycles for as far back as I can remember. The problem is political. Areas closer to the source of the water are often the 1st put on drought alert and are encouraged or forced to conserve. While other areas with more politcal power seem unaware of a shortage.

I lived in El Dorado County in the late 70's we were severly rationed, to the point where it was illegal to water lawns, wash cars or have public fountains or school showers turned on. We were metered and if you went over your limit your water was shut off. I've spoken with people who lived in other areas of CA at the same time and many didn't know ther was a drought.

We have already been in stage 1 conservation in Placer County for a year. Our cities allotment was cut by 25% this year. We have several programs to help people conserve water. Including paying people to replace lawns with drought tolerent landscape. We use treated sewage to water all our parks and open spaces.

The fact is unless each home reduces the average amount of water we use we should reduce or stop building. The clean water system is finite and it is dangerously close to being unsustainable for the current homes and businesses if it isn't managed better.