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Seven States Running Out of Water

mbig

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Please spare me the faux-macho "you're an alarmist" claim.
No one is going to go thirsty anytime soon, but this is a serious issue already affecting food prices nationwide.
Summer, oft the driest season is approaching in many places, it could get worse. It could go on for years more in some of these areas too.
This also is a big issue in the arid states viability.
Texas is booming with plenty of oil but little water.

Seven states running out of water
Alexander E.M. Hess and Thomas C. Frohlich
USA Today via 24/7 Wall St.
6:30 a.m. EDT June 1, 2014
Seven states running out of water

The United States is currently engulfed in one of the worst droughts in recent memory. More than 30% of the country experienced at least moderate drought as of last week's data. In seven states drought conditions were so severe that each had more than half of its land area in Severe drought. Severe drought is characterized by crop loss, frequent water shortages, and mandatory water use restrictions. Based on data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the states with the highest levels of severe drought. In an interview, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) meteorologist Brad Rippey, told 24/7 Wall St. that drought has been a long-running issue in parts of the country. "This drought has dragged on for three and a half years in some areas, particularly (in) North Texas," Rippey said.

While large portions of the seven states suffer from severe drought, in some parts of these states drought conditions are even worse. In six of the seven states with the highest levels of drought, more than 30% of each state was in extreme drought as of last week, a more severe level of drought characterized by major crop and pasture losses, as well as widespread water shortages. Additionally, in California and Oklahoma, 25% and 30% of the states, respectively, suffered from exceptional drought, the highest severity classification. Under exceptional drought, crop and pasture loss is widespread, and shortages of well and reservoir water can lead to water emergencies.

Drought has had a major impact on important crops such as winter wheat. "So much of the winter wheat is grown across the southern half of the Great Plains," Rippey said, an area that includes Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, three of the hardest-hit states. Texas alone had nearly a quarter of a million farms in 2012, the most out of any state, while neighboring Oklahoma had more than 80,000 farms, trailing only three other states.

In the Southwest, concerns are less-focused on agriculture and more on reservoir levels, explained Rippey. In Arizona, reservoir levels were just two-thirds of their usual average. Worse still, in New Mexico, reservoir stores were only slightly more than Half of their normal levels. "And Nevada is the worst of all. We see storage there at about a Third of what you would expect," Rippey said.

The situation in California may well be the most problematic of any state. The entire state was suffering from severe drought as of last week, and 75% of all land area was under extreme drought. "Reservoirs which are generally fed by the Sierra Nevadas and the southern Cascades [are] where we see the real problems," Rippey said. Restrictions on agricultural water use has forced many California farmers to leave fields fallow, he added. "At [the current] usage rate, California has less than two years of water remaining."
[........]
1. California

> Pct. severe drought::: 100.0%
> Pct. extreme drought:: 76.7% (the highest)
> Pct. exceptional drought: 24.8% (2nd highest)
 
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California wouldn't have drought problems if it fell into the Pacific Ocean.
 
I am in Texas, and it's been bad for several years now, especially last summer and now. I live about 15 miles from a lake, and when I drive over the bridge going into town for the past few months, there are sand bars visible everywhere. It's pitiful. It's not the worst drought Texas had had, but it's the worst I've seen since I lived here.
 
Texas is booming with plenty of oil but little water.

The smart-ass side of me wants to say..."Let 'em drink oil"...but given my state's water issues, along with my
relentlessly charming personality, I won't.

Yeah, big problems.
I think de-salinization plants will be necessary.
The water produced will be more expensive, but we have to have it.
Food prices will rise most certainly.
Pray for rain.
 
Ohio has plenty of water.

Sucks for the wildlife, however.
 
I am in Texas, and it's been bad for several years now, especially last summer and now. I live about 15 miles from a lake, and when I drive over the bridge going into town for the past few months, there are sand bars visible everywhere. It's pitiful. It's not the worst drought Texas had had, but it's the worst I've seen since I lived here.

Well, we're supposed to have a big el nino occurring.
I heard one weather guy say this could mean lot's of rain.
I heard another weather guy opine that this could mean LESS rain.
I'm going to keep praying, I guess.
 
Well, we're supposed to have a big el nino occurring.
I heard one weather guy say this could mean lot's of rain.
I heard another weather guy opine that this could mean LESS rain.
I'm going to keep praying, I guess.

Yeah, that's my understanding- in fact I was just having a related conversation earlier today. I hope that prediction is right.
 
Maybe we'll finally get the controversial Keystone Pipeline, but carrying... Water... South from Canada/Great lakes!
They've already floated a shorter one from the rainy Northwest to dry California.
 
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Wow... Eight posts already and no one has blamed Obama, the democrats or the liberals for the water shortage.
 
Maybe we'll finally get the controversial Keystone Pipeline, but carrying... Water... South from Canada/Great lakes!
They've already floated a shorter one from the rainy Northwest to dry California.

That would be a far better project than the train to nowhere that Sacramento seems determined to build.

The State of California uses more water than Mother Nature delivers even during wet years. Sooner or later, we'll run out.

And, even if you hate California for its politics, imagine how much you'll spend for fruit, nuts, dairy, and produce after the valley farmland starts to dry up.
 
The growers on the West side of the San Joaquin valley do.

Hey...I saw an article somewhere...SFGate, I think...about recycling ag. water.
It seemed feasible and cost effective.
I'll try to find it.
 
this is one of those things where you think, "hey, maybe a bunch of humans should get together and put like an artificial canal from places that have too much water to those that don't have enough."

but there apparently aren't enough pieces of paper painted green allocated to do that.
 
Hey...I saw an article somewhere...SFGate, I think...about recycling ag. water.
It seemed feasible and cost effective.
I'll try to find it.
Israel (half Desert/all arid) recycles 80% of it's water.
Spain is second with 10%.
Due to huge de-sal and recycling, Israel will be a water exporter within the next 5 years.
http://www.cbn.com/tv/2648187707001

I think you will see California/LA etc do small scale De-sal and maybe even the NW pipeline.
 
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Well, we're supposed to have a big el nino occurring.
I heard one weather guy say this could mean lot's of rain.
I heard another weather guy opine that this could mean LESS rain.
I'm going to keep praying, I guess.

Problem with these El Ninos in California, lots of warm tropical rain with little snow in the Sierras.

The Central Valley and many areas in So Cal are dependent on the snow packs in the Sierras.

The Colorado River is dependent on the snow packs in the Rocky Mountains.
 
Israel (half Desert/all arid) recycles 80% of it's water.
Spain is second with 10%.
Due to huge de-sal and recycling, Israel will be a water exporter within the next 5 years.

CBN TV - Made in Israel: Water

It's just a matter of facing reality.
Reliance on nature isn't working right now.
Given the specter of droughts and increasing demand, technology can save us....I hope.
 
Problem with these El Ninos in California, lots of warm tropical rain with little snow in the Sierras.

The Central Valley and many areas in So Cal are dependent on the snow packs in the Sierras.

The Colorado River is dependent on the snow packs in the Rocky Mountains.

You're right on the beach.
Fire up that de-salinization plant.
 
Western Australia is farther down that road. The capital, Perth gets half its water from desalination, (water bills have doubled) and injects cleaned up waste water back underground to slow the lowering of the water table.

Perth
 
It's just a matter of facing reality.
Reliance on nature isn't working right now.
Given the specter of droughts and increasing demand, technology can save us....I hope.
At various periods in the last several thousand years, many early SW Native American/Central American civilizations just died/vanished.
Without any tech, even a few year drought is brutal. It was not only their water but their staple food/corn.
They had no tech, but we have the problem of Infinitely more mouths to feed and drought in a food/produce capital like California. (and Kansas)
 
I know, lets put a huge population base in the desert south west. Who's idea was that?:lol: Really though people gravitate to good weather and the south west has it so we get down to the fact that there are just too many people.
 
Western Australia is farther down that road. The capital, Perth gets half its water from desalination, (water bills have doubled) and injects cleaned up waste water back underground to slow the lowering of the water table.

Perth

That's a problem alright.
May I suggest you drink more beer?

On a side note, I saw that Perth is using unmanned drones for shark patrol.
Why not arm them---with non-lethal explosives, if you insist---and scare the man-eaters away?
 
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At various periods in the last several thousand years, many early SW Native American/Central American civilizations just died/vanished.
Without any tech, even a few year drought is brutal. It was not only their water but their staple food/corn.
They had no tech, but we have the problem of Infinitely more mouths to feed and drought in a food/produce capital like California. (and Kansas)

All true.
But I really think our tech. will prevent a catastrophe.
Foods prices will be/are rising.
I will continue to pray for rain.
 
Water desalinization > taking water from the Great Lakes.
 
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