Droughts: California's Unwanted Visitor

An Unwanted Visitor

Hot summer days and cold wet winters are usually the norm in the golden state. Needless to say the norm can often be changed. As is the case for the periodic droughts that come and devastate California’s peaceful climate. While these droughts are definitely not an unfamiliar event to residents of California, their effects do vary on the majorly agricultural state. When the weather phenomenon does act upon the golden state, it seems California is always on the defensive end of the playing field. The main dilemma: the lack of water to sustain the major agricultural industry, giant urban cities, and varying ecosystems that call California home. California needs to impose necessary changes, and address current

Residents of Southern or Coastal California may not realize the extensive issues that dry climate has caused on one of the state’s most profitable industries. Agriculture is not just a way of life in California’s Central Valley, it is the way of life for most, in some shape or form. For instance, the Central Valley accounts for just under two percent of the country’s cropland. However, money wise it produces nearly half of the nation’s fruit and nuts (Nijhuis 1). As a result of the drought, water given to farmers to water crops has been reduced. On the contrary, the water being taken from farmers is not going to city use but for environmental use. Water being directed for environmental use can be defined as water that is used to sustain certain ecosystems, national parks, forests, and wetlands. Up to 4.4 million acre-feet of water goes to environmental use annually, meanwhile farmers are being forced to sell dried up fields and find a new way of living. Another issue is that both the people and farms are receiving less water than the state has contracted that they would receive. The state has been truthful to environmentalists however, by providing them with the full amount of water contracted. While conditions have worsened for the agricultural aspect of California, farmers are finding relief in pumping groundwater

This dilemma is truly an issue between the interests of the people and the interests of environmentalists. Sadly, the releasing of water from dams is just the beginning. According to the article, “On the California Water Front”, the golden state has limited water storage because green groups are against building or expanding reservoirs, as construction could disturb species’ habitats (1-2). Not only is water being released because of these notorious fish lovers, but California has nowhere to store water to supply its further increasing population, due to environmentalist objections. The main question at the time may be how environmentalists could have such major effects on the state’s decisions towards the drought. The answer to this inquiry lies in another way green groups are playing their cards with the government. In relation to saving and protecting endangered species, Max Schulz explains that the issue is courts are being forced to order massive releases of water, due to decisions based off laws that have not been amended or changed for decades. Some of these laws include the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and the Endangered Species Act, which serve the main purpose of demanding the protection and enhancement of endangered species and habitats