Freshwater is essential to not only life, but also the economy and society's ability to function properly. As of January 17, 2014, and to this day, California has been in a perpetual state of emergency; the worst drought recorded in the state’s history has forced Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr to take executive action, in order to combat the extraordinary lack of water reserves. If left unregulated, the water shortage could culminate as one of the greatest calamities in California history. Not only would California’s agricultural industry collapse, a chain reaction would be set off, causing a halt of the state’s economy and eventually leaving millions of people across the state without functional access to water. In order to ensure that California …show more content…
For an event to mandate a state of emergency by the Governor of California, it must satisfy California Government Code 8558(b) or 8625. In adherence to 8558(b), Governor Brown recognizes, “that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist in California due to water shortage and drought conditions with which local authority is unable to cope,” thus enacting a State of Emergency. However, merely enacting a state of emergency is not and will not be enough for California to withstand the perpetual state of drought, as it is does not address the root causes of the drought nor does it provide long term solutions that can withstand future …show more content…
Agriculture is not only key to California’s economy, but also the United States’ entire economy because California is largest agriculture producer in the nation, according to the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. Because California’s agriculture is vital to the United States’ economy and agriculture consumption, the drought’s effects are felt across the nation. It is reasonable to assume that the drought negatively impacts the agriculture industry in California. According to, “Impacts of California’s Ongoing Drought: Agriculture,” by lead author Heather Cooley of the Pacific Institute, California’s harvested acreage dropped by 856,000 acres between 2012 and 2014 (10). As the drought progressively worsens, California’s agricultural sector produces less and less total harvest. A common assumption would be that because California produced less agriculture harvest, profits declined; however, this is a misconception. Cooley notes that between 2000 and 2011, crop revenue grew from $21 billion to $28 billion, but then the drought took effect between 2011 and 2013, crop revenue soared to a record high of $34 billion (13). Although the increase in revenue may seem paradoxical, but according to the
Already scientists have observed that more than 75% of the recent economic losses are caused by natural hazards which can be attributed to wind storms, floods, droughts and other climate related hazards. In the year 2008, the U.S. state of Iowa was on the front pages of newspapers all around the world. Weeks of heavy rain in the Midwest caused rivers to swell and levees to break. Millions of acres of farmland are now underwater, their plantings most likely destroyed. By March, Iowa had tied its third-highest monthly snowfall in 121 years of record keeping, and then came the rain. April’s st...
The California water drought has been declared a crisis by the governor of California. 2013 was the driest year on record, and California could be running out of water. Californians should be water wise, and their use, or no use, of water will have an enormous impact on this drought. They can use the techniques published in a recent Time article called, 5 Ways to Bust California’s Drought, to reduce their water use. Landscape techniques, alternate water sources, and the personal conservation of water can reduce the use of water, and can have a positive change on this water crisis.
The Great Basin of North America and Wyoming specifically, is known for its arid and semi-arid environment, as well as prolonged and sometimes severe droughts. Drought is the prolonged and abnormal deficiency of moisture with the concomitant decline in runoff to a level significantly lower than usual (Guldin 1989). The history of droughts in Wyoming has been uncertain in the past, but recent studies of tree rings in the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming have given insight to droughts as far back as 1260A.D. (Gray et al. 2004). Looking at tree ring records in Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and limber pine (Pinus flexilis) trees, Stephen Gray and his colleagues discovered that droughts which have been experienced in Wyoming since the 1750's, are weak in severity and length when compared to those since. The most severe drought period in Wyoming’s history occurred from 1262 to 1281. The droughts of the 1930’s and 1950’s, which have been used as benchmarks for all other droughts in the United States in recent times (Woodhouse et al. 2002), are ranked 149th and 28th respectively in comparison (Gray et al. 2004). The five top ranking droughts for 10, 15, and 20 year periods are all prior to the 1800’s, with the four driest single years being 1263, 1274, 1278, and 1280 (Gray et al. 2004). This indicates a change in precipitation patterns in the Big Horn Basin area of Wyoming since the 18th century, as all recent droughts have been mild when compared to those of Wyoming’s past.
Texas, with its abundances of natural resources, is facing a new demon, one that doesn’t even seem possible, a shortage of water. Water, without it nothing can survive. Texas is the second largest state for landmass in the nation and ninth for water square miles. Within the borders of Texas are more than 100 lakes, 14 major rivers, and 23 aquifers, so why has water become such an important issue for the state? Politicians and conservationists all agree that without a new working water plan, the state could be facing one of the most damaging environmental disasters they have ever seen. The issues that shape the states positions are population growth, current drought conditions, and who actually owns the water.
On the heart (center) of California is a flat area with miles and miles of farms and up to 230 different crops. The central valley agriculture is essential to the United States; it not only delivers almost half of the produce but also helps the economy by also giving more job opportunities (California Department of food and agriculture, 2014). Many families depend on the central valley agriculture to survive economically in the United States. It is a well-known fact that rain and snows in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are a very important element in the central valley. No rain in the central valley can cause many devastating issues to occur quickly. Recently in the year of 2013 California received less rainfall than years before. The small amount of water the central valley is receiving is harming not only to the land but humans and animals as well. It’s destroying the habitats of animals with forest fires caused from the dry spells occurring. The central valley is going through a drought, so much that around this time of year the central valley usually accumulates enough rain for the necessities in the valley, agriculture for example. This year, however, has been different, the central valley hasn’t received enough water and this has caused a drought in the valley. Water is an important element in this world for not only human life, but for the environment in general, a shortage of water supply can bring issues to the environment and those living in it. The central valley holds the largest percent of class one soil, not only that, the valley grows a third of all the produce being grown in the United States, that’s more than 230 crops that are being grown in the central valley. However, this drought isn’t only affecting the resident...
Americans today tend to believe that the Colorado River drought has been a recent occurrence, although drought relief strategies have been implemented since early 1997. To summarize, in the book The Colorado River Basin Drought Planning and Organizations, Colorado is named as the original state to acquire a drought relief plan. For instance, various assume water levels are diminutive in the Colorado and blame is due to the previous ten years of drought throughout the United States. Although it is true that water levels are at a record low, initial plans in the early 1920’s to introduce manufactured structures into the water basin is the original reason Colorado’s water system began to be compromised. It follows, then the supplementary natural
...es the Yosemite Falls and the sequoia trees. One of the state’s problems is the appetite for water. The once fertile Owens valley is now dry and its waters tapped by Los Angeles. In the Imperial Valley, the eradication of water is controlled by the All-American Canal which gets its water from the Colorado River. In Central Valley the poor distribution is the water problem that is an imbalance lessened by the vast Central Valley project. California had cutbacks in federally funded water in the 1970sand 80s which led to California cities buying water from areas that had a surplus of water. But California failed to make a long-term to plan and the federal government stopped the funding of water to the state in 2003. But with all this being said and done, California remains to be a unique state with a lot of entertainment, history, agriculture and a productive economy.
The gold rush was located in California. It was a time period in which there was a lot of mined gold. People started moving to California to mine for gold. The gold rush had more of a positive effect on America because it colonized open land and prohibited slavery.
For about five years California has experienced above average temperatures and a lack of rain. This lack of rain and snowfall has caused California to become increasingly dry, starting arguments over whose right to water is more important and who needs to be more mindful with their use of water. Farming in California truly began during the gold rush when water was redirected to land where food was grown for those looking for gold (Siegler, 2015). The farmers that have stayed on that land now have senior water rights (“Water wars”, 2015). Farmers that settled their land before 1914 are those with senior water rights (Terrell, 2015). Governor Jerry Brown has called for a cut in water use by one-quarter percent to people living
Zara Beadle METR 113 16 December 2015 Final paper California Drought The California drought has been extremely harmful to the states’ air quality. Since 2012, California has seen the worst drought conditions in 1,200 years and it is severely affecting air quality (California’s drought, 2015). As of 2015, the cities of Hanford, Merced, Modesto, Fresno, Yuba City, Lancaster-Palmdale, Chico, Sacramento, and Bakersfield have experienced exceptional drought coverage (Pestano, 2015).
Who is more important? Farmers or water regulations in California? The drought in California has been unbearable, especially with farmers pumping and stealing ground water. Since of this drought, many farmers have become desperate and are stealing a great deal of water from many cities and neighbors, leaving a majority of people without water. The government wants to enact water regulations to where water can be dispersed and used equally. With these new laws, the population can enjoy having running water without the fear of it ceasing to function.
Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Executive Order to Boost State's Wildfire Preparedness and Resources." Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger - Breaking News,
Onishi, N. & Wollan, M. (2014, January 17). Severe drought grows worse in california. The New York Times. Retrieved fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/us/as-californias-drought-deepens-a-sense-of-dread-grows.html?_r=0
The state’s common pool resource was and still continues to be water. This delicate resource in the American west is in danger of disappearing, and for the millions of people living in large cities are desperate to continue to use it. But the issue of common pool resources is not one that is recent but is one that has been plaguing California since its founding. When California’s population started to grow around the turn of the twentieth century, the town official within the state started to run into some common pool resource issues, water. Cities, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, used whatever power they had to own and control what little water the California environment produced. The cities are large and successful municipalities today because of what they had to do to control the water all those years ago. The city used tactics, such as buying out the land, petitioning the government, and, sometimes, illegal actions, to win the waters of California and their success back then highly shows in their success
Water is essential to all life forms and, without it, there would be no life on Earth. Fresh water is precious and limited. People, animals, and crops would die for lack of fresh water. The oceans support many species of plants and animal although we cannot use it without desalination. Studies show that the average American uses 176 gallons of water each day while the average African family uses only four gallons of water ("Water Facts | The Water Information Program"). If we do not limit our water consumption, we will eventually deplete our supply. The earth is seventy percent covered in water, but less than one percent of the world’s existing water source is safe for human consumption. In Southern California, Governor Brown ordered a twenty