The left and environmentalists protect more fish and frogs that Americans unemployed. This is essentially , former Director of Hewlett-Packard and probable candidate for the Republican primary, about the drought affecting California.
It's been four years since the State of the American West faces a historic drought level. Felica Marcus, head of an administration that manages water in California, the "State Water Board" stated: "since data are collected, this January is the driest on record and the snowpack n has never been lower, and that while many areas of the state already suffering severely from the last three years of drought. "
What explains this drought?
Felicia Marcus mentions the snowpack because it is one of the main sources of water for California. Snowmelt from the mountains to the east of the state, the Sierra Nevada, provides 75% to 80% of the water used in the state by feeding rivers and retention basins, which are then used to regulate the water supply during the summer and fall.
Every April 1, the Department of the California Water Resources ("California Department of Water Resources" - DWR) organizes a manual measurement of the snowpack Phillips, about 2100m above sea level, and it invites the press. These measures have existed since 1941 but the press is invited there since 1950. Now, for the first time in 75 years, the site was completely devoid of snow when the DWR effector arrived for his measures.
The previous major droughts in California
This episode of drought is the third in the recent history of California.
Previous lasted six years between 1929 and 1934, two years between 1976 and 1977 and then again six years between 1987 and 1992.
If the drought of 1977 was higher than that of 1929-1934, it was combined with the Great Depression of 1929 and the phenomenon of the Dust Bowl, which threw many agricultural workers unemployed on the road, to California, yet ravaged by drought.
Since 1941, the average is 1.6 meters of snow on April 1. In 2011, at the beginning of the drought, the snowpack measured 3 meters.
Electronic samples concluded that the snowpack contained only 3.5 cm of water against 71.9 cm on average. This is, says the DWR, 5% of the historical average, against 25% last year or even in 1977 during the great drought.
Tom Painter, a scientist at the Observatory of Snow NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California this year is part of "the three lowest and worst levels recorded" since 1977, and that while " population of California was half less. "
This creates a vicious cycle that further aggravates the situation said Tom Painter, "in addition to a decrease in the water level after snow, reduced snow cover helps to warm the climate. Soils then absorb more sunlight. The soil moisture is reduced even more and when it starts to snow, it becomes more difficult for the water from the snow to fill the tanks. "
This situation is not helped by the high temperatures and the Reaches on March 2 by scientists at Stanford University, and recurring forest fires. For the DWR and Barack Obama who visited the site in early 2014,
Fighting against drought
It is in this context, and based on a that compares the current situation to past situations, the state governor, Jerry Brown announced a tightening of restrictions on measures of use of water last April 1 on the sidelines of the day measures Phillips. This is the first time such action is taken at the state level. The Governor had already declared a state of emergency due to drought in January 2014, but it was not enough.
The California Governor Jerry Brown announced a state of emergency for drought January 17, 2014
The prohibitions to individuals in state level implemented in 2014 are still in progress:
- Prohibition to clean sidewalks and garage exits
- Watering ban if it causes significant runoff
- Prohibition of washing vehicles in garden hose if it does not end with function 'stop'
- Prohibition flow fountains or decorative element operating with water if they are not closed circuit
- Prohibition to irrigate lawns and landscaped gardens daily precipitation and 48 hours after
Have been added prohibitions of certain professional destinations:
- Ban for restaurants to serve tap water unless express request of customers
- Obligation for hotels and motels offer their customers not to clean sheets and bathroom linens every day and prominently display this option.
In addition, water providers are obliged to create restrictions for outdoor irrigation. The DWR justifies the importance of this measure by recalling that irrigation accounts for 50 to 80% of water use in some part of the state. Now, water providers must limit the days when irrigation is allowed. If they do not, the limit is imposed on two days per week.
"We need to review our daily use of water and must sacrifice our emerald green lawns"
Feilica Marcus, director of "State Water Board"
Now, local water agencies are allowed to charge offenders. The fine can be up to $ 500 per day for individuals and professionals, and $ 10,000 per day for water suppliers that do not respect the rules. The Director of DWR said "in a context of drought so severe, we need to review our daily use of water and must sacrifice our emerald green lawns and other luxury uses of water."
In addition to these restrictions, the State of California continues to invest to reduce its water consumption. This includes a renewal of certain water transportation facilities and streamlining the work of different agencies and water departments. Following a bi-partisan vote, California has also issued 7.5 billion 'treasury bills for water' ("water bonds"). The investment thus realized will fund water conservation structures, conservation of ecosystems and natural water sources including drinking.
A panel dedicated to drought ("Drought Task Force") was also set up following the state of emergency.
Offices Drought Task Force
Financial assistance is provided to individuals to replace lawns with less thirsty plants and water to encourage the replacement of old valves and other with more efficient facilities.
Finally, websites have been launched to guide the people of California, and .
The state hopes to reduce its water consumption by 25%.
The agricultural exception
Farmers are exempt from these measures. California politicians to justify an exception explaining that farmers have already suffered from restrictions for the three year duration of this drought. The State of California regulates, in fact, their water tanks after use since the beginning of the drought and imposes restrictions on the regular taking of water in rivers and streams.
Farmers were forced three years ago to more and more land fallow. Some growers dependent on irrigation have even ripped orchards and vineyards unable to supply them with water.
Jerry Brown announced in late March the release of a $ 1 billion fund to support agriculture.
Yet agriculture is the main consumer of water in the state. According to sources of information and according to sources of water considered, agriculture consumes between 50 and 80% of water resources for agriculture as it weighs only American.
But these 2% hides the importance of this sector for the state and for the United States. Vines, fruit with almonds, vegetables, cereals, rice, alfalfa, cotton ... California never shying away from agricultural production.
In a published in 2011 by the University of California in Fresno, scholars have estimated that the production and agricultural processing weighed 1,357,000 d direct and indirect jobs in 2009 for a contribution of $ 27 billion into the economy of the state in 2008 (for agriculture, farming, fishing and hunting).
The water war is well underway in California, the climate front, politics, between farmers and urban communities, between individuals and wealthy defendants to cling to their blindness pools and "emerald green lawns."
To go further, along the New York Times (in English):
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