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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Apr 15, 2015 - 07:18pm PT
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That guy hiking with skis over his shoulders has nice buns...! rj
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Apr 15, 2015 - 07:34pm PT
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One thing that was missed in the discussion about how much water is used to produce various foods: Actually, the water is NOT used. Unlike gasoline, which is gone once you've used it, the water is NOT gone.
In the case of most groundwater aquifers, the water IS gone.
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Apr 15, 2015 - 08:52pm PT
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Given the traditional course of local Governments of being mostly ineffectual in dealing with a crisis and the American Golden Rule whereby those with the gold maketh the rules - I think what will happen is that those well-funded entities who can afford the cost of water will continue to use it while those who cannot afford this luxury will cease to be.
This scenario is already beginning to play itself out in the Wine Country down here in the Santa Ynez and Santa Rita Hills appellations of Northern Santa Barbara County.
The big money Corporate vineyards and the bigger money private ones are dropping wells deeper and deeper on literally a daily basis. The local well outfit is recognizable by their trademark red rigs - you see them all over the properties of the Billionaire owners.
For years, the "normal' well depth averaged 400 feet in the Valley. The current wave of wells are running 800-1000 feet with some outfits going down to as much as 1500 in depth!
Already, downstream aquifer users with the traditional 400 footers are sucking air in over half their Ag wells - does not bode well for them in the coming months.
Same scenario is playing out just north of here in the Paso Robles/Edna Valley areas - not only are the "mom-and-pop" vineyards literally having the water sucked out from under their feet - but private home wells have gone dry out on the eastern Highway 46 corridor.
Again, well-funded vineyards with millions to invest are out-spending the lesser growers in the race for that last drop.
Water has become a tangible asset and apparently no longer a "right". As with any asset of limited supply - the goods goes to those who can pay the price and damn to the rest.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Apr 15, 2015 - 09:03pm PT
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Nestle is buying up water rights left and right just like LADWP did way back...Soon we'll be drinking our neighbors urine or if you live near irwindale , Miller Light...
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Apr 15, 2015 - 09:33pm PT
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As of April 15th 2015 it is really bad . . . from the West coast to the mountain ranges of Colorado, no one is spared. We will see what happens with the monsoonal patterns of summer and fall . . . the real deal will be the winter of 2015-16 and beyond.
Water wars in the West have been a constant element.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Apr 16, 2015 - 05:46am PT
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"Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over" - Mark Twain, a man who knew the West.
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STEEVEE
Social climber
HUMBOLDT, CA
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Apr 16, 2015 - 09:29am PT
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...I get my water from my dealer
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Apr 16, 2015 - 03:29pm PT
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Does anyone have a chart that shows water consumption per calorie of food generated, for different types of foods?
I'd like to see how bad almonds really are vs. alternatives, including grass rangeland for dairy cows to get cow milk (vs. almond milk).
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Apr 16, 2015 - 04:11pm PT
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Well, I'd bet almonds are better than cattle and pigs. Might be closer with chickens.
But I'd imagine that purely as a protein source soy probably uses way less water.
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Splater
climber
Grey Matter
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Apr 16, 2015 - 04:58pm PT
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"Does anyone have a chart that shows water consumption per calorie of food generated, for different types of foods? I'd like to see how bad almonds really are vs. alternatives, including grass rangeland for dairy cows to get cow milk (vs. almond milk). "
that was already posted on April 5
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Apr 17, 2015 - 08:02pm PT
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The farmers keep coming up.
I had not really read anything that correctly addressed what sacrifice they had made, but finally did. They took a 40% mandatory cut in State and Federal water project water this last year. We civilians are being asked to make a 25% cut, and for the most part it is voluntary.
This is important, because of the sense of justice and equity that is involved. Why should the little people be asked to save water, when the big boys are ignored?
They weren't. They already took the hit.
However, this has not been sold very well.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 17, 2015 - 08:25pm PT
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And remind me again why the politicos waited until now to sort of do something. Oh, right,
wouldn't want to make the little people, who vote Democratic, stop watering their lawns.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
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Apr 18, 2015 - 06:50pm PT
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Can't, for the life of me, figure out why poor people aren't drinking their own urine. Hell, 'The' did it onboard ship. Maybe all these poor folks should move to the midwest and start voting Republican.
Lefty he can't sing the blues
All night long like he used to
The dust that Pancho bit down south
Ended up in Lefty's mouth
The day they laid poor Pancho low
Lefty split for Ohio
Where he got the bread to go
There ain't nobody knows
Although the 1930s drought is often referred to as if it were one episode, there were at least 4 distinct drought events: 1930–31, 1934, 1936, and 1939–40 (Riebsame et al., 1991). These events occurred in such rapid succession that affected regions were not able to recover adequately before another drought began.
Riebsame, W.E.; S.A. Changnon, Jr.; and T.R. Carl. 1991. Drought and Natural Resources Management in the United States: Impacts and Implications of the 1987–89 Drought. Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado.
http://drought.unl.edu/Planning/Monitoring/HistoricalPDSIMaps.aspx
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Bob Harrington
climber
Bishop, California
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Apr 19, 2015 - 08:45am PT
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Ken M., regarding cutback to agriculture, there's more to the story. Statewide, about 0.5 million acres were fallowed last year out of 9.5 million acres, or about 5%. How can the farmers sustain a 40% cutback in water and still maintain 95% of the irrigated acreage? Part of the answer is probably that the fallowed crops were the higher water users, but the primary reason is that the deficit is being made up with groundwater. It's misleading to compare the cutbacks in state and federal water deliveries to ag contractors to the mandated cutbacks for urban water suppliers, because the ag contractors can and do pump groundwater to supplement their surface water contracts. The mandate for urban water suppliers includes both surface water and groundwater.
Nonetheless, I agree that the urban areas and environmental groups that are complaining that Brown's executive order gives ag a free pass are not recognizing that ag already took a hit on their contracts (for several years now). Lotta BS finger pointing going on, from all parties.
Here are some facts re the effect of the drought on ag:
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10978
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Banquo
climber
Amerricka
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Apr 19, 2015 - 08:11pm PT
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San Joaquin River flow:
The average flow for April 19 over the past 4 (drought ridden) years was 188, flow today is 44 (23%). In September 2011 (late summer) the flow was ~75.
Measurements from USGS station 11224000 near Devils Postpile, units ft^3/sec.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 19, 2015 - 10:06pm PT
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I took a trip with Gene Malone to Fresno today. Coming home on Santa Fe Drive, there are several new almond and pistachio orchards out there that were not there two years ago.
And this was posted on Rod McKenzie's FaceBook page.
Downer. Big downer.
Snow survey, 2015.
http://sustainableplay.com/winter-of-his-disbelief/
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SuperTopo on the Web
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It's so bad we're told we need to save our urine so we can brush our teeth.
Let us know!