California governor orders first ever water restrictions
The governor of California has implemented the first mandatory water restrictions in the state's history.
The order implements a 25% reduction in water usage for cities and towns across the parched state.
Vast areas of government-owned lawns will be replaced by drought-tolerant landscaping, and towns will be banned from watering ornamental grass.
Last year, Governor Jerry Brown proclaimed a state of emergency after years of drought.
The snow in the mountains is at its lowest level since records began, so water supplies from melting snow will be lower than normal in coming months.
"We are standing on dried grass, and we should be standing in five feet of snow," said Mr Brown, speaking in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
"People should realise we're in a new era. The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water everyday - that's going to be a thing of the past," he said.
The new order will require university campuses, cemeteries, golf courses and other large landowners to make major cuts in their water usage.
Farmers in the United States' largest farm state have been hit hard in recent years.
But Mr Brown's critics said his order did not go far enough to address agricultural use of water.
"In the midst of a severe drought, the governor continues to allow corporate farms and oil interests to deplete and pollute our precious groundwater resources that are crucial for saving water,'' said Adam Scow, California director of the group Food & Water Watch.
Previous extremely dry years led to catastrophic wildfire seasons in California in 2003 and 2007.
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"People should realise we're in a new era. The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water everyday - that's going to be a thing of the past," he said.
I am looking forward to all of the green lawns in my neighbor's yards and thegolf coursesout here in the desert turning brown! All of the massivefountains and water effectsthat seem to be in front of every resort and walled off housing complexes out herewill have to shut down (and they don't belong in the desert, drought or not, either!). Green grass doesn't belong in the desert even when there is not a drought! It sure as hell doesn't belong here during one! Jerry had to cave some to the agricultural industry, because they are a big source of state income, however there is no excuse to him to caving into oil interests that are polluting aquifersand surface water like lakes, streams and rivers.
Besides and what I really don't get, is that the desert is BEAUTIFUL!!! Desert landscaping looks fantastic! If you want a lawn move up to snow country and mow your lawn all summer long to your heart's content. If you want a lawn, do not move out here! We don't want you out here any longer!! LEAVE!!!
It looks like California is (literally) toast again this year. Dog help y'all if there are wildfires this year--- Cali won't have enough water to fight 'em.
It's a good thing there isn't any climate change going on... on top of all the freakish unexplainable coincidences of natural events, climate change would just totally fuck things up, y'know?
Some advice:
Just flush the brown stuff but not the mellow yellow. Save your wash water in pails and use it to flush. No taking baths, but in the shower wet yourself then turn the water off, soap scrub yourself down and then turn on the water again just to wash off the soap. Make sure your plumbing has no leaks - even a tiny leak can waste a lot of water.
Yeah. It sure is there's no such thing as it. Just asks Senator James Inhof of Oklahoma, which strangely enough is having a water shortage themselves too? Must be a coincidence? Huh?
Why no restrictions on agricultural usage of H2O ? That is where the bulk of the consumption goes ... right ?
Because this state provides the bulk of fruits and vegetables for the entire country. It also provides a very, very large source of income for the state and is one of our number one businesses and employers bases. It provides tens of thousands of direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs to the state and around the country. Without the agriculture of the San Joaquin Vally we would be like Detroit when the auto company jobs began to disappear.
Lawns and golf courses and water features and water parks are one thing, but if we restricted agricultural use of water too much we would be committing economic suicide, plus the cost of fruits and vegetables and their hundreds of related products made from them would become expensive beyond the reach of many, if not most Americans. It would become just one more thing America would spend a fortune importing, rather then making money exporting.
We who live where the water is will be watching to make sure that the areas that rely on imported water do their fair share to conserve. Keeping agriculture running is a key goal as is protecting the environment where the rivers and lakes are. It is time to begin to think about moving industry and people from unsustainable places to where water naturally is.
Somethings gotta give . If Cali does not have the H2O to support agriculture they are gonna need to cut back on production . There are many crops that can be grown in other states , ones which never have drought . Egs include the south for cotton & rice . Fla & Wisconsin for dairy . Notice that does not require importing those crops . They can continue to be exported ... just not from Cali .
What states never have a drought? Agriculture in Ca. shouldn't be the issue. Locations of urban populations is the big issue. Democrats in Ca. would love to eliminate agricultural areas in this state. They know that the inland ag counties in the central valley with rivers flowing through them are about as red politically as rural ag areas anywhere else in the country.
Move to Canada - has the greatest amount of fresh water resources in the world. Drought is a very very rare occurance. I remember once in my life we were told we could only water our lawn in the evening, and not to flush the toilet it it's only mellow yellow (which was before water conserving toilets were introduced). Another benefit would be free medical care but I know there are some of you who think that's a travesty.
Dam! Don't think I've heard that onesince the 70's Buzz.
Or, as the bumper stickers from 40 years back would say, "If it's Yellow, let it Mellow. If it's Brown, Flush it Down."
I was referring to moving people within California from dry actual desert places to other places within the state. Los Angeles County should have at most 1/5th the present population. Sacramento-Stockton could sustain much larger populations.
I'm pushing 60 and I don't remember that sticker. I must have got stoned and I missed it!
Lol, right there with you MM.
You know what they say, "If you remember the 60's you weren't there"
I only have about 3 images left in my head from the anti pollution drives of the 60's & 70's. One was that " Let it Mellow " phrase, another was Iron Eyes Cody 's "The Crying Indian" add;
I was about 16and had put that bumper sticker on my 10 year old ford, thenit hit me one day howabsurd that sticker was on the back of my old smoker.
I think that was the day I tried to stop thinkingabout the world in sound bites & slogans.
I was too stoned to remember the first, but I sure remember the Iron Eyes Cody ad. I was always shots of terrible pollution, usually along a riverside with garbage floating in the water or a pipe dumping polluted water into a river and then a shot of him, with one tear coming from his eye. Very powerful! I also remember the Statute of Liberty with a gas mask. My brother-in-law had a poster of it on his living room wall.
I read this on CNN yesterday-- I don't think it is enough, but it sure is a start!
The best of luck to CA.
This is serious stuff, I hope they catch a break and get some much needed rain.....
I'm an atheist, but even I'll say an Amen to that. Our winter to spring rainy season was a joke. I can only remember three days of actual real rainfall here and unfortunately it didn't rain further north enough to help fill the reservoirs. Or snow nearly enough in the mountains for good run off. It's going to be a long, hot, dry summer throughout California.
I still say I'm looking forward to all of the lawns in the valley turning brown. The state and local governments have grants to help with from a grass lawn to desert landscaping. Maybe this will give some of them the incentive to do it and save water. I'm also going to be one of those SOB's who is going to report lawn watering when forbidden and get homeowners fined for it. A green lawn by June is a very suspicious lawn that needs the water patrol (yes we have a water patrol with the power to issue large fines) to check into.
Florida comes to mind .
Wrong . The largest users of water are certain types of farms . These include those that grow almonds , avocados , wine & dairy products .
The largest users of water are certain types of farms . These include those that grow almonds , avocados , wine & dairy products.
Surprisingly I agree with you. Some of the more heavily water usage crops should be moved to states with the water to grow them and California should concentrate on fruits and vegetables. Though the wine country is up north is not having the water shortages that the San Joaquin Valley is. The soft fruits such as grapes can continue to be produced in much of the Northern states.