DROUGHT IN CALIFORNIAABIGAIL NICKRANT

Source: California droughts test history of endless

growth

From: New York Times, April 4, 2015

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

• Manifest Destiny:

• Westward Expansion

• 1848: California Becomes a State

• Gold Rush - mining

• Dam funding

• 1906: Mulholland & Eaton bring

water to L.A. through the Owens

Valley Water Project and LA

aqueduct

• Second “gold rush” climate and jobs

• State Water Project Initiated

“The American West was won by water management. What

happens when there is no water left to manage?”

Source: California Dept of Water

Resources

From: History of the California Water

Project, DWR, 2015

Source: Metropolitan Water District: Historical Background

From: Water and Power Associates, 2014

THE COLORADO RIVER

Bending state borders to incorporate the

Colorado

• The “Wet” 20th Century

• Water management built off of flood

conditions throughout the west

• The flood is over

Source: Discover Magazine

From: Top 100 Stories of

2013: #67, Colorado River in

Drought’s Grip, T. Yulsman,

2014

2000

2013

Source: Colorado River Watershed

From: Roaring Fork Conservancy, 2015

COLORADO RIVER TODAY

Source: Saving the Colorado River

Delta one habitat at a time

From: National Geographic, 2014

CALIFORNIA AND WATER USAGE

TODAY1900: 2 MILLION

1950: 10 MILLION

2015: 38 MILLION

2050: 50 MILLION

(PROJECTED)

Source: Regional per Capita Water Use in California

From: The Southern California Water Villain, PPIC, 2015

WATER SOURCES IN CALIFORNIA

LAND USAGE WATER SOURCES PRECIPITATION

Source: A tale of two California water suppliers: The State Water Project

vs. The Colorado River

From: The Los Angeles News Group, 2014

Source: Turning off the Tap

From: California Dept of Water Resources

Source: Ground Water Atlas of the United States: CA/NV

From: USGS, 2015

DROUGHT CONDITIONS THROUGH THE YEARS

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor Map Archive

From: United States Drought Monitor, April 7, 2015

THE SCIENCE OF DROUGHT• Climate throughout the state varies tremendously

• Entire state considered in drought

• Extreme drought every 20-50 years

• Severity of drought caused by the “Ridiculously

Resilient Ridge”

Source: The California Drought: who gets the water and who is hung out to dry?

From: earthjustice.org, 2014

Source: California drought isn’t getting any better

From: Pioneer Review, 2014

WATER IN CALIFORNIATHE AVERAGE AMERICAN USES 98 GWPD

THE AVERAGE CALIFORNIAN USES 196 GWPD

STOCKTON DECREASED WATER USAGE TO 56 GWPD

SAN DIEGO INCREASED DEMAND 8.3% IN 2 YRS

WATER MOVED THROUGHOUT THE STATE

CONSTANTLY, NOT THIS YEAR

STATE WATER PROJECT (SWP) ONLY DELIVERING 5%

REQUESTED WATER TO FARMS

AVERAGE OF 17% INCREASE IN SWP WATER

ALLOCATION FOR COUNTIES/CITIES

Source: California’s hot, dry winters tied to climate change

From: California Dept of Water Resources, 2014

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WATER SHORTAGE IN CALIFORNIA

• 80% OF CALIFORNIAN WATER USAGE GOES TO

AGRICULTURE

• 54% TO IRRIGATION

• CALIFORNIA IS THE WORLD’S 7TH LARGEST ECONOMY

• 428,000 ACRES EXPECTED TO LAY FALLOW THIS YEAR

Source: California is tapping water that rained 20,000 years ago to deal with epic drought

From: Inhabitat, 2015

Source: California Drought: Farmer loses 1,000 acres of almond trees to California drought

From: NBC News Online, 2015

Source: A trip to the almonds in California

From: Mother Earth News, 2012

WHY THE CALIFORNIA DROUGHT AFFECTS

EVERYONE• THREE-YEAR STRETCH OF DROUGHT THUS

FAR

• 80% OF CALIFORNIA IN

EXTREME/EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT

• 80% CALIFORNIAN WATER USED BY

CALIFORNIA FARMS

• $810 MILLION IN LOSSES IN CENTRAL

VALLEY ALONE

• $453 MILLION SPENT TO PUMP GROUND

WATER

• 17,000 AGRICULTURAL JOBS LOST

• 428,000 ACRES LAY FALLOW

• GROUNDWATER DRILLING = SINKING

GROUND

• SKYROCKETING FRUITS AND VEGETABLE

PRICES

• HALF FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND NUTS

GROWN IN CALIFORNIA

• FISH EVACUATIONS AND WILDFIRES

• CALIFORNIA: $687 MILLION

• FEDERAL: $183 MILLION

• PREDICTED: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILL

ONLY GET DRIER, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

WILL GET HOTTER

• LESS WATER FOR ALL

IMPACT OF MANDATORY

WATER RESTRICTIONS

• MAY 2015, MANDATORY 25% WATER

USAGE CUT FOR ALL HOUSEHOLDS

• AS OF APRIL 7, 2015, WATER USAGE

HAS DECREASED 2.7% SINCE

FEBRUARY

• SOME REGIONS SEE AN INCREASE IN

WATER DEMAND

• USAGE PER PERSON HAS DECREASED

• BOOST IN DEMAND FOR IRRIGATION

• HIGHER TEMPERATURES MEAN MORE

WATER USAGE NEEDED

Source: What Does a 20% Reduction in Daily Water Use Look Like?

From: USDA: Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, 2015

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