...percent of the state of California was in extreme drought. As California entered its fourth year of record-breaking drought, it was met with extremely parched landscapes. CBS News reports reveal that, “According to an aerial survey conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in April, about 12 million trees have died in California forestlands in the past year because of extreme drought.” Dead trees along with plant life in severe condition are seen throughout the Los Padres National Forest. These dead trees add another element to the hazards of the drought by threatening the dry landscape with the possibility of intense wildfires. On January 17, Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the state of California. This...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
... RES/351 June 21, 2015 Larry Oslund California Drought Excessive and unnecessary daily water usage is not improving the California drought. There are many options available to individuals and businesses to help conserve water. In this research paper we will discuss the techniques, eco-friendly appliances and drought tolerant landscaping ideas to help conserve. We will also go into greater detail on rebate incentives to persuade individuals to preserve water consumption. As an employee of the municipal water district I will be discussing the different techniques individuals and companies can take to help conserve water. Individuals can change many things in their daily routines such as, turning the water off while brushing teeth and hands as well as not letting the water run longer then needed. Individuals who use their dishwasher can wait till the dishwasher is full and wash only certain days a week. They can do the same when washing laundry as well and use the cold cycle rather than hot water whenever possible. I am going to focus on these three beneficial techniques, not flushing every time we use the bathroom, recycling and reusing water, and only using appliances when they are full. The point of view that I am going to take is from an employee at a municipal water district teaching homeowners to save water during this drought. I will be sharing my thoughts on appliances that are energy/water saving. I will go into detail on the household appliances...
Words: 2775 - Pages: 12
...California’s Water Problem Introduction: Water Sources in California In her book entitled Managing Water: Avoiding Crisis in California, the ecologist and historian Dorothy Green describes the complicated and intricate California water system (University of California Press, October 9, 2007). Green’s description and analysis becomes more important to the people of California with every week that passes/ This is because California is now in the fourth year of drought in which no rain, snow, or hail has fallen (“California Drought”, CA.gov. Online at: http://ca.gov/drought/). In her work on the topic, Dorothy Green describes very carefully the system by which the rain, snow, and hail that fall in northern California move downwards in a flow of water that serves the entire state thanks to the power of gravity. The river systems of California include Colorado River and the Sacramento River. These great river systems move the water southwards, (to Los Angeles) and westwards (to San Francisco), respectively. In addition to these well known rivers to the system of rivers in California includes more than thirty rivers including the Klamath, the American, the Tolumne, the Merced, the Yuba, the Kern, the Russian, the Tule, and right here in Los Angeles the Los Angeles River which runs right through the industrial section of downtown Los Angeles in a cement channel : In addition to the river systems of California, Green describes a network of dam release channels, canals...
Words: 1507 - Pages: 7
...Recently, California is facing one of the most severe droughts on record. Many governors, large companies managers, and citizens start spending and investing a lot of money on draining groundwaters every year when there is a drought. This does not solve the problem of drought, but causing groundwater being withdrawn faster than it can replenish. Water conservation and water management are keys to address these issues. By enforcing laws and regulations, there will be a great improvement in water conservation and will help sustaining water resources. Severe drought has brought several disaster to all residents in California by drying out soils, reducing stream flows, decreasing tree growth and biomass, and reducing crop yields. Mohamed El-Ashry of the World Resources Institute estimates that 65% to 75% of the water throughout the world is wasted through evaporation, leaks and others. Therefore, water tracking is needed to reduce these leaks and would at least save 15% of these water from being wasted. According to water resource expert Sandra Postel, “By heavily subsidizing water, governments give out the false message that it is abundant and can afford to be wasted – even as rivers are drying up, aquifers and are being depleted, fisheries are...
Words: 453 - Pages: 2
...The Vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is in the porpoise endemic to the northern parts of the Gulf of California. The Vaquita is currently the most endangered cetacean after the functional extinction of the Baiji (Lipotes vixilifer). As of May 2016, their population size is believed to be at 60 individuals and they are believed to go extinct within the next 5 years unless conservation efforts are taken. We will be looking at some of their primary threats, the ecological consequences of them going extinct, and what the current recovery efforts look like. When it comes to distribution the Vaquita is not only restricted to the northern area of the Gulf of California, it specifically lives in shallow, murky lagoons along shorelines. They dislike...
Words: 1099 - Pages: 5
...effects on air, water, and land, will have an impact on the final decision where Big Rapids will be located. Regardless of the chosen site, the laws instituted by the EPA must be followed. The following states environmental regulations will be discussed: Arizona, Texas, and Tennessee. Environmental regulations for the state of Arizona are enforced by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Arizona’s environmental regulations primarily focus on air, water, and waste. The Grand Canyon National Park is protected by the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts – these provide for monitoring of hazardous air and water pollutants because of its historical significance. According to the Glen Canyon Institute (2010, para. 6), Congress passed the Grand Canyon Protection Act to protect the Canyon and mitigate damages associated with building new structures within it. Big Ben National Park, located on the Rio Grande River in Texas, is another potential site for Big Rapids. The Texas Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for the regulation of air and water pollution as well as waste reduction. The Rio Grande River is primarily used for irrigation and serves as the habitat for many species of wildlife. The E ... Merced River – California --- Yosemite Environmental regulations for the state of California are enforced by the California Environmental Protection Agency. The Cal/EPA enforces the state’s environmental protection laws that ensure clean air, clean water, clean soil,...
Words: 503 - Pages: 3
...CONSULTING | Water Crisis: Extracting Surplus from a Deficit To: Dr. Lee Cerling, Director of Research and Communications From: Jordan Pinkus Date: [ 9/29/2010 ] Re: PAC-10 Overview of Water Crisis: Key Opportunities How to Use This Memo Template Global shortages of potable water have signaled an emerging crisis. The shortages impact developed and developing nations, though the evidence is harshest in the developing world. Despite available drinking water and seemingly abundant domestic water supplies, the United States faces increasing and accelerating shortages. However, in this era of crises (global warming, the energy crisis, the financial crisis), a crisis means business opportunity. 1,4 The average resident of the United States uses 616 gallons per day. Comparatively, this ranks United States second to Canada for per capita consumption. However, the United States population is approximately 10 times that of Canada and therefore total domestic consumption exceeds Canadian several times over, ranking first globally. The scale of water demands strains the hydrologic cycle, which governs the replenishment of fresh water, thereby jeopardizing long-term water resources. 3 Meeting the United States’ water demands traditionally required engineering solutions to a consistent question: Where can we get more water? However, continued strain on resources reveals the need for more than the quick fixes engineers have always turned to. 1 Water-conservation solutions now...
Words: 4814 - Pages: 20
...All California residents are familiar with the statewide drought that began in 2012. Effects of it can be seen in day-to-day life in decreased rainfall, billboards and laws encouraging conservation, front lawns being replaced with drought resistant landscapes and little reason to take a ski trip during the winter months due to lack of snowfall. Water recharge has decreased due to the decline in precipitation in the past two and a half years, leaving California with a huge need to properly manage its water. According to Nature, consequences of the long-term drought are increased seasonal wild fires and destruction to ecosystems throughout California. Southern California felt the negative effects of dry vegetation during the series of fires...
Words: 1057 - Pages: 5
...AGRICULTURAL WATER USE California's unique geography and Mediterranean climate have allowed the State to become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. The Sierra Nevada Mountain range that lines the eastern edge of the State capture and store winter precipitation that can be then used for summer irrigation in the Central Valley. This water, combined with the Mediterranean climate permits the growing of a great number of crops. California produces over 250 different crops and leads the nation in production of 75 commodities. California is the sole producer of 12 different commodities including almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, raisins, kiwifruit, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes and walnuts. Most of this production would not be possible without irrigation. In average year California agriculture irrigates 9.6 million acres using roughly 34 million acre-feet of water of the 43 million acre-feet diverted from surface waters or pumped from groundwater. California's population growth and greater awareness of environmental water requirements has increased the pressure on California agriculture to use water more efficiently and to make more water available for urban and environmental uses. Decreasing agricultural water use is difficult for several reasons. California agricultural water use when considered on a broad regional scale, for the most part, is very efficient. Individual fields and farms in some regions may have low efficiencies, but water that is...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...Water Crisis Impact in California Monica Mois Essentials of College Writing/COMM/215 October 6, 2014 Carolyn Geiser Water Crisis Impact in California Due to the lack of rain in the past few years, and particularly in the last few months, California faces severe drought. This is the worst drought in more than one hundred years. The impact of California drought affects community, agriculture, organic ranchers, and dairy farmers. Because of these facts, the United States must rethink the way it uses water. Californians alone are asked to reduce their water usage by twenty percent to prevent water waste. Communities, Agriculture, Organic Ranchers and Dairy Farmers Many communities in California struggle with shortage of drinking water. One example is “the small community of Cameron Creek Colony in Tulare County is struggling due to severe drought. About ten percent of its residents have no access to water because their wells have run dry. Others have only intermittent access” (USDA, 2014). In other communities, residents are urged to avoid wasting water. The Waterboards.ca.gov (2014) website has a list of emergency water conservation regulations stating that every citizen is prohibited to use potable water to wash sidewalks and driveway, to use hoses with no shut off nozzles to wash their cars, water the lawn more than two times a week, and reduce the amount of watering time for each station using an automatic sprinkler system. Residents could face...
Words: 1008 - Pages: 5
...1950s. The advent of inexpensive motorized lawn mowers and fertilizing chemicals made lawns a reality for the middle class. America has over 50,000 square miles of grass in cultivation. Now in 2014, California is facing a drought like none seen before in modern times. Crops are withering, lakes are running dry, fires are catching everywhere and yet, around every corner, I see manicured lawns. Vast expanses of nothing but healthy, beautiful, allergy inducing grass. It’s irresponsible, and harmful to our environment and economy. The 2013-14 rainfall season is on track to be the driest in 434 years, according to Lynn Ingram, a paleo-climatologist at UC Berkley. The concern generated by this drought brought together a group of emergency planners and water managers for an event known as the “California Drought Outlook Forum” on February, 20 2014 in Sacramento, California. They determined that the water outlook for the state was similar to the droughts in the 1970s. However, our water obligations have increased greatly in the following decades. Marty Hoering of the NOAA states, “The stress created by the current failed rains is more severe than for similar rainfall deficits 40 years earlier.” The central focus for this concern is the substantial agricultural business that California sustains, from avocados to almonds to pistachios, a number of crops are grown in California’s fertile central valleys. A recent report estimated that indirect and direct losses to agriculture would amount...
Words: 1046 - Pages: 5
...sources of water due to its expanding population and not having enough of its own water resources. The county itself relies on three major aqueducts such as the Los Angeles Owens Valley Aqueduct (1913), the Colorado River Aqueduct (1940), and the California Aqueduct (1972) that supplies the county with gallons of water each day (Bilodeau, W. L., et al. 46). Although the county has long relied on imported sources from many areas, utilizing the imports of water from non-localized sources has caused numerous of controversial issues since the establishment of the aqueduct systems in Los Angeles. Because of the controversy, county officials are actively using storm water capture and...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
... The ports of California were not only used for cargo ships, they were and still have strong military presence. In 1914, the Navy formed its Pacific Fleet in San Diego. By the 1920s, San Diego had become home to major the naval and military bases. The army took home to a series of forts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Los Angeles had become a port for military ship repair. The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 shook up the United States, but it was the following year that California’s fear grew. On February 23, 1942, the Japanese navy submarine fired shots at oil tanks located in Elwood off the coast of Santa Barbara. In addition, two cargo ships were sunk. California had already been experiencing conflict with Japanese immigrants....
Words: 932 - Pages: 4
...hence makes water conservation a very complex issue. Although there is no problem-free solution, the desalination plant is an effective and reliable process which can provide purified water in a sustainable, economical and environmental way. ("12 Biggest Pros And Cons Of Desalination")(California Academy of Sciences) The desalination plant uses sea water to create drinkable water for everyone to access. The process of the desalination plan can be approached in two ways. The first is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis is when the sea water is forced to go through a filter so that it can separate the salt from the water. Additionally,...
Words: 857 - Pages: 4
...It is clear to everyone, Water is main source of survival for all mankind. Nevertheless people seem to imagine that our water supply is endless. So why worry? But problems of severe drought have affected many states in America. California is also one of the states that have been severely affected and the government has declared drought emergency state-wide. Many urban areas in the bay area have started taking action against drought emergency. The government in many district in Contra Costa county has requested the public to conserve water and introduced the preliminary water use reduction target that are to be followed by all the residents and customers. As a result of the drought emergency small suburban city like El Cerrito has done a lot to help conserve water that could be implemented by many other district in Contra Costa County. The different projects El Cerrito has implemented to conserve water during drought could be also used by urban cities so that they do not have to implement extreme actions later on and also will be of great help during worsening drought conditions. In order to prevent serious damage due to shortage of water El Cerrito city started The Energy and Water Efficiency Program (EWEP) in 2008 so that it could fund projects that have innovative approaches for energy and water conservation (Innovative). Just by starting such program El Cerrito city was able to fund 1 water efficiency project due to which 1.5 million gallons water was saved which is a remarkable...
Words: 1244 - Pages: 5
