"California will run out of water in a year..........." (Palm Springs: for sale, city hall)

[Guitarmaan]

California will run out of water in a year and should begin rationing its use immediately, NASA scientist says
The state only has one year of supply left in its reservoirs due to persistent drought and is also running out of backup groundwater, Jay Famiglietti, senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, wrote.

California will run out of water reserves in a year and should begin rationing the precious resource immediately, NASA scientist says | Daily Mail Online

I'm interested in the drought situation in California and your opinions on where it's all heading. No doubt this article is as much about grabbing attention as real truth. But even so, it's obviously an issue.

Does anyone know just how much of the plant life/vegetation in Southern California is mostly supported by artificial means? I know most plants were introduced rather than naturally arrived there, because the natural state of the South is semi-arid. Does this mean without water being directed in from elsewhere the land would be fairly desert-like in appearance? Just curious.

Where do you lay any blame for high water usage, is it high population, sheer waste or what else?

thanks

[SandyCo]

I don't know the answers to your questions, but I do know that agriculture uses 80% of the water in California. This needs to be drastically cut back.

For natural landscapes, just look at our local mountains and deserts. No green lawns, right? Joshua trees in the desert, chaparral in our local mountains.

I'm not sure there is such high water usage unless you're talking about golf courses, hotel pools in Palm Springs, etc. Water saving toilets, etc. have made a difference. Now if only new construction would ease up... I realize there is a severe housing shortage in L.A. County, but how many people can be supported in this region? I believe we're already a few million over whatever that number is.

We're going to be in real trouble, possibly in less time than a year (that timeline is only an estimate).

[coltoncity]

The green lawns drive me crazy. I can see the houses for sale and some have nice new lawns and to me that is a draw back. We need hard scape yards and should have started desal plant for agriculture YEARS ago. Its a big reason why I am nervous about buying again instead of renting. There was already one small CA town where they were delivering free bottled water to elderly since they didnt have any more water to come out of the pipes. And still no one is freaking out about it. It is a real concern for me. I dont want to be a old woman fighting with young people over water. :/

[CALGUY]

I said in another thread a while back, that sooner or later, the federal government is going to have to build a line similar to the Alaskan pipe line, to bring much needed water to the southwest.
Alaska, the mid west, and the northeast have more water than they can possibly use.
This line (just like the oil pipe line) will create jobs for American workers, and could possibly solve the water crisis in the southwest for many years to come.
I do believe it will be built some day, but don't expect it in my lifetime.

Bob.

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by coltoncity

The green lawns drive me crazy.

Well most of us like green lawns, because they keep the city cooler. If everybody in L.A. got rid of their green lawn, temps would be 10 degrees higher every damn day. No thanks!

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by CALGUY

I said in another thread a while back, that sooner or later, the federal government is going to have to build a line similar to the Alaskan pipe line, to bring much needed water to the southwest.

They should have addressed this issue decades ago, when L.A.'s water requisites began to exceed what Mullholand's aqueducts were intended to provide. But alas, our politicians let L.A. and the surrounding area become over-developed, and failed to require develpers to pay for L.A.'s increased water needs, probably because they were too busy getting their pockets lined, which is typically the case for corrupt scumbags, from our governors, to County Supervisors, right on down to city hall et al.

[tcmtcm]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

I don't know the answers to your questions, but I do know that agriculture uses 80% of the water in California. This needs to be drastically cut back.


We're going to be in real trouble, possibly in less time than a year (that timeline is only an estimate).

Did you just say that? Are you saying we need to grow less food in CA?

[SandyCo]

Tctm, as a temporary solution until we get a reliable source of water - yes. I'd start with crops that use the most waster, especially ones we export most of, like almonds. It's more important for people to be able to flush their toilets and take showers, let alone have drinking water.

What's the alternative? Business as usual until the taps run dry? Sao Paulo, Brazil is going through that right now; 20 million people are running out of water. I don't want us to be in the same situation a year from now - or even sooner.

[Mr_Geek]

Originally Posted by tcmtcm

Did you just say that? Are you saying we need to grow less food in CA?

Yes. We would survive without almonds.

[Leapbaby]

Just as I was contemplating moving back home to L.A. Eeeks