WrightwoodCalif.com Forum
Public Forums => In The news => Topic started by: Wrightwood on Jan 24, 14, 03:54:58 PM
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Northern California totals for Jan 2014
(http://mavensnotebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/weather6.jpg)
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(http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/jpg/20140121/20140121_CA_trd.jpg)
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http://www.weatherwest.com/archives/1114 (http://www.weatherwest.com/archives/1114)
Ridiculously Resilient Ridge continues to shatter records, but pattern shift may be approaching
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(http://mavensnotebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/weather7.jpg)
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California needs more than a 'miracle March' this time
A miracle March would help, but it would not prevent the third drought year in a row for California, meteorologists say.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/01/25/3733170/a-catastrophic-change.html (http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/01/25/3733170/a-catastrophic-change.html)
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(http://mavensnotebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Snow-Survey-Graphic.jpg)
(http://mavensnotebook.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Average-Precip.gif)
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(http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/drought/images/drought_compare.gif)
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I usually pee outside It's nice not having to aim. :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup:
ME TOO !!!!!
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I prefer the accepted civilized method but realize that bears do pee in the woods and do not use any water at all.
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Over a year now we have been discussing our declining water supply at the MAC meetings. We have discussed the importance of a good winter to replenish our local supply. The winter hasn't happened, well at least not enough moisture. Next Monday night's MAC meeting will have an update for our water supply.
In the past year potentials like rationing has been discussed. Trucking in water like we did about 6 years ago may not be an option any longer, it's very expensive, and more communities face the same problem now. We all need to conserve water.
It surprises me how down the hill lawns of grass seem to get a pass. It's not natural and very wasteful. I came from Orange County with big lawns. Living in Wrightwood for 22 years has shown me they are not very important, not natural and very wasteful, especially in times like this. Las Vegas ran a program where they subsidized home removal of grass, I think they had something like a 13% reduction in water usage related to it.
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State water board considers 50-gallon daily limit
Ration would apply to communities at risk for drought
http://www.kcra.com/news/state-water-board-considers-50gallon-daily-limit/24549982 (http://www.kcra.com/news/state-water-board-considers-50gallon-daily-limit/24549982)
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Do you know if that's per day or per household? The article doesn't say, and that would make a big difference. 50 gal/day per person is the U.S. average, supposedly.
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That's 50 gallons per person - per day.
According to the news report the average Californian uses 200 gallons a day.
In Wrightwood we use fall less water per household than the average in California and at one point while fighting rate increases we ranked as one of the lowest in the state.
From USGS:
Estimates vary, but each person uses about 80-100 gallons of water per day.
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-home-percapita.html (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-home-percapita.html)
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Ah, thanks. I looked at our bill; we use about 40 g/day/person in the winter. 55 in the summer when I'm watering the new grass patch, but in a drought I'd definitely let that go.
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According to this calculator I'm using approximately 51 gallons per day at home.
http://www.saveourh20.org/water-use-calculator
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If our policymakers would start talking about the impact on beer.. people would really think about conservation. cheryl o7o
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(http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/palmer/2014/02-22-2014.gif)
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Does California Rain Mean the Drought Is Over?
Recent storms bring respite to the parched state, but real relief may be a year away.
It's "too little, too late" to turn around a creeping crisis
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140304-drought-california-rain-end-weather-ridge-el-nino/ (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140304-drought-california-rain-end-weather-ridge-el-nino/)
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(http://www.wrightwoodfsc.com/barkbeetle/CA.AccumulatedRainfall.jpg)
(http://www.wrightwoodfsc.com/barkbeetle/SwarthoutValleyPrecipitation.jpg)
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(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/weathernews/WarmestRecord.jpg)
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Lake Powell is a major reservoir on the Colorado River. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lake Powell is currently only at 42 percent of capacity as of May 20.
Lake Powell less than half full, see impacts from space
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/25589504/lake-powell-less-than-half-full (http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/25589504/lake-powell-less-than-half-full)
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http://tinyurl.com/qhef3bs (http://tinyurl.com/qhef3bs)
Arizona water managers warn Lake Mead could be sorta unusable in five to eight years
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Mason bees, a solitary bee, are also very important to pollination. Mason bee houses can attract mason bees.
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/mason-bees.html
Also, a pollination garden with attract pollinating insects, such as mason bees.
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/gardening.shtml
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And here on some tips on saving water with deep, less frequent watering.
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/water-well
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While Pacific Ocean warming has leveled off in recent weeks spawning doubts about the development of a Strong El Nino event this fall and winter by some, others believe that the recent migration of rare fish and whale populations into Southern California in recent weeks are early signs that point to the development of a strong and disruptive El Nino event:
http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/early-signs-point-strong-disruptive-el-nino/ (http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/early-signs-point-strong-disruptive-el-nino/)
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I guess what is causing some of the doubts is the fact that they aren't seeing the atmospheric changes that are normally associated with this influx of warmer water.
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Pertaining to bees. Honey bees indirectly tell the story of both weather and climate through both the type and amount of honey a region produces. Since World War II the big honey years have gotten farther apart. This year is a reflection of the honey crop loss due to lack of irrigation and lack of rain in general. Trees such as Eucalyptus and other large varieties tend to produce honey the following year after a strong rain season. In the more micro-view, orange trees produce unless it rains and then they stop producing. All in all, a company such as Sioux Honey Co-op members have a bad time during drought, a very bad time due to the continued present drought, but the more troubling part is the time between good honey years, over the past 60 or more years, becoming longer.
How many pounds average per colony is the measuring stick for a region. Therefore Sudden Decline Disease of bees is not germane to the question. However this disease and several other difficulties have hurt the number of colonies that a beekeeper can keep healthy and producing. Feeding bees, is normal operation in the winter and this year keeps colonies healthy when other sources fail.
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it's amazing how little water you can use when there is none. when i go camping in the desert, i camp where you need to bring everything. my trailer has a 16 gallon fresh water tank and i take 12 gallons for drinking/cooking. that amount lasts me just over 1 week, so 68 gallons would be luxurious. i doubt that i use 68 gallons a day/average here at home, drought or not. but that may be because my parents were conservation freaks and drilled it into me. my Mom always catches the cold water before it turns hot. there are countries where 68 gallons would last a whole village a month. we're spoiled, time to toughen up!
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save water so they can keep on building Mc Mansions with big lawns and swimming pools in arid Southern California.
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I seriously doubt I use 68 gal/day/per person here for just the personal household use. But, maybe I do and don't realize it. I definitely use more than that for the horses and landscaping here in the summer. I have no grass. I have all the landscaping on a drip system and water them once a week in summer.. and far less in winter. We bought plants from the conservation district that are native to here. I love them and they use very little water. Now I must go look at my water bill to see how many gallons I am using so that I know I'm not kidding myself or full of it. And, the washer is on a grey water hookup so it waters some trees and doesn't go into the septic.
Ezzpete: Catching the cold water before it turns hot is a great idea. It takes a good long while for my water to turn hot in the kitchen and showers. I must now apply myself as to how to do this.
Skierbob: Good point.. cheryl o7o
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Interesting . . . we pulled a copy of our water bill and did the math. We found the average # of CCFs on the bill; # of CCFs x748 gives you the # of gallons. Divide that by 30 for a monthly average, divide again by # of people in the home . . . according to this, we use on average 26.49 gallons per person per day. Wow. Good to know. Not only to see how well we are doing in conserving water, but also for disaster preparedness planning!
We installed a Hot Water Demand Pump so the water in the bathroom is warmed up for us; nonetheless, we still catch the water with an empty cat litter plastic jug until it is hot enough for the shower.
Our washer is one of the newer ones that is supposed to use less water, but maybe we can explore putting the washer on a grey water hookup so it waters some trees and doesn't go into the septic.
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Jirka.. Very useful info. thank you.
I'm interested in the "hot water demand" pump. How and where do you hook it up? Approx cost? A DIY?
My grey water line from the washer was in an external wall until I had that area enclosed. It runs from the washer, inside the wall, out to the side of the house where there is a slope.. the pipe exit extends out from that slope and then it runs into trees. You do have to check it often to make sure tree roots aren't growing into it. So far, 14 years and counting.. the effluent from the washer with various laundry additives do not harm the trees. Tho, I'm not sure I would want to grow vegetables in that location. cheryl o7o
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I like the idea myself, BUT, if you have an on demand water heating system, *some* systems manufacturers may say the warranty is void if you use one to read your warranty before installation.
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Interesting report, but when I saw the word "explained", I was hoping for someone's explanation for the drought from a climatology perspective.
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California supplies most of the nation's bottled water, despite extreme droughts
http://abc7.com/weather/most-bottled-water-comes-from-drought-stricken-areas/259804/ (http://abc7.com/weather/most-bottled-water-comes-from-drought-stricken-areas/259804/)
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I always had water delivered when I lived in L.A.'s westside. Must say, I love the taste of our CSD water here better. I keep it cold in the fridge. It is great.
cheryl o7o
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Our hard water is bad for pipes, but great for drinking. Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals. Hard water has mild but demonstrable benefits in helping prevent heart disease and kidney stones.
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From a story that story links to ... this is why we're deluding ourselves if we think climate science has any clue as to what's in store due to carbon emotions:
"Through studies of tree rings, sediment and other natural evidence, researchers have documented multiple droughts in California that lasted 10 or 20 years in a row during the past 1,000 years -- compared to the mere three-year duration of the current dry spell. The two most severe megadroughts make the Dust Bowl of the 1930s look tame: a 240-year-long drought that started in 850 and, 50 years after the conclusion of that one, another that stretched at least 180 years."
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_24993601/california-drought-past-dry-periods-have-lasted-more
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Here's a story related to drought that has no real solution.
SALTON SEA: Inaction would cost billions, report finds
http://www.pe.com/articles/sea-749343-salton-cost.html (http://www.pe.com/articles/sea-749343-salton-cost.html)
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Here's a story related to drought that has no real solution.
SALTON SEA: Inaction would cost billions, report finds
http://www.pe.com/articles/sea-749343-salton-cost.html (http://www.pe.com/articles/sea-749343-salton-cost.html)
According to desert.com's article on the Salton Sea: "The Salton Sea was formed between 1905 and 1907 when the Colorado River burst through poorly built irrigation controls south of Yuma, Arizona." Ironic that letting a body of water that formed, flooding towns and farms, as a result of man's activities, needs to be maintained by more of man's activities so as not to have a different negative environmental impact. :o
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...The two most severe megadroughts make the Dust Bowl of the 1930s look tame: a 240-year-long drought that started in 850 and, 50 years after the conclusion of that one, another that stretched at least 180 years."
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_24993601/california-drought-past-dry-periods-have-lasted-more
Interesting reading. I knew that agriculture was by far the largest user of California's water, but I thought agriculture was a far larger percentage of California's economy than 3%! Even so, it's a very important 3%, and one that I will not be happy to see dwindle due to drought, whether due to natural cycling or man-exacerbated climate change. The article was hopeful in that it talked about alternatives to the water we have always counted on just being there, although definitely more expensive: more water storage facilities, wastewater recycling, and desalination. Bottom line: water is a precious resource; conserve.
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I thought I'd read - years ago now - that the Salton Sea was partially formed by someone that dreamed of a sea route to the south. Maybe not I guess. The first tree ring study I was aware of was done by Dr. Leona Libby. She compared tree rings and cycles of drought to wars. Guess what? A direct bingo. She was Dr. Leona Marshall before her marriage to Willard Libby and the only woman to work on the nuclear bomb during WW2.
Ad astra: I don't know what the percentage of the Ca economy is due to agriculture. I do know our agriculture economy contributes a significant amount of produce to this country and the world.
So, yes. Conserve water. And, I do not know what, if any, impact the new groundwater controls will have on our local water districts. cheryl o7o
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Time to put the moratorium back on water meter installations and leave it on there, we have too many people in PH as it is and the water has turned to crap in the last five years because of overdrafting.
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Death of Yoda the 650-Year-Old Tree Tells Tale of Southwest Drought
http://tinyurl.com/lvbfca6 (http://tinyurl.com/lvbfca6)
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Many times we have water events in our homes from unforeseen "equipment" failures. The following are some of the recommendation I have been made aware of.
Of course, the old saying from Marin county--when they we in their drought years ago still has merit. "If it's yellow let it mellow; if it's brown flush it down"!
Of course, new "waterless" urinals installed in men's and unisex toilets make sense also. Just you wait it's time all come...
Hank
Some recommendations to reduce water usage--and claims:
1. Turn off the water supply to the washing machine after each use
2. During freezing conditions, allow water faucets to drip and keep cabinet doors open; insulate pipes that are exposed and accessible.
3. Have heating, ventilation or air conditioning inspected and overflow lines cleaned annually.
4. Inspect the water heater for signs of leaking or corrosion regularly.
5. Know how and where to turn off water to the house.
6. Inspect washing machine hoses, supply lines, ice makers, dishwashers, and other appliances that use water.
7. Turn off water at the main line when you are going to be away from the house for an extended period of time. [except in freezing conditions!]
8. Have plumbing supply lines periodically inspected by a qualified plumber.
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I wouldn't have thought I'd be posting beach statistics in a drought topic but I find theses statistics interesting.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/news/MD_2014SwimStatistics.JPG)
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Sunday, October 05, 2014
SANTA ANA, Calif. --
California swimming pool companies just regaining their financial footing after the recession are now facing a new challenge: a devastating drought that has put the state's ubiquitous backyard pools under the microscope.
More than three dozen water agencies and local cities are cracking down on water use in swimming pools with rules that range from requiring a pool cover to prevent evaporation to banning residents from draining and refilling older ones that need repairs.
So far, the rules implemented by water districts haven't put much of a dent in business, but those in the industry worry that could come if the drought lingers and restrictions tighten.
And, at a time when wells are running dry in some parts of the state and water-conscious homeowners are ripping out lawns, swimming pools have an image problem that could affect the business long-term if dry conditions persist. The uncertainty has pool builders looking at other bone-dry locales as far away as Australia for ways they can adapt.
"They've got a lot of pressure and it's only getting hotter, it's only getting drier," said Alan Smith, the owner of Alan Smith Pool Plastering Inc., which drains and repairs 900 aging pools a year in Orange County.
Backyard pools range in volume from 10,000 to 30,000 gallons of water and the biggest Olympic-sized commercial pools hold more than 650,000 gallons. A typical backyard one, left uncovered, will lose around an inch of water a week due to evaporation, depending on weather conditions.
Thirty-seven cities or water districts statewide have implemented some level of restrictions on swimming pools, said Jennifer Persike, spokeswoman the Association of California Water Agencies.
The California Pool & Spa Association has pushed back hard and says that by the third year after installation, a backyard pool uses less water than a traditionally irrigated lawn would and using a pool cover reduces the water footprint even further. Currently, only about 30 percent of pool owners use covers, which can cut water loss from evaporation by up to 90 percent.
"What agencies ... should be doing is trying to get savings across the board instead of targeting specific industries. You don't see nurseries on the list, do you?" said John Norwood, the pool association's president.
In southern Orange County, where new pool rules sparked anger, the water district will vote later this month to pull back the ban on filling new pools if the homeowner can show that the pool and decking would use less water than traditional turf, said Jonathan Volzke, water district spokesman. The agency has designed an interactive program so homeowners can do the math before applying for a permit, he said.
Still, the pool industry is working to find ways to stay afloat in a worst-case scenario.
The drought comes at a particularly bad time for the industry, which saw many pool companies go out of business during the recession while others lost up to 70 percent of their jobs. Shrinking backyard lots and a trend toward large community pools at new housing developments instead of a pool in each backyard also hurt.
"It's just one more nail in the coffin, one more thing to hit us, one more difficult thing," said Ed Sotto, of Aquanetic Pools and Spas in Laguna Hills. "There's so much uncertainty."
Some pool builders are repositioning themselves to move into pool repair, instead of new pool construction, and are investing in gigantic plastic bladders that can hold water drained from a pool so it can be reused.
The industry is also looking to Australia, where a six-year drought led to the development of a so-called "water neutral pool" that, in some cases, can even generate a water surplus by using rain-collecting tanks, advanced filter technologies and an invisible chemical shield that locks in heat and reduces evaporation.
Smith, the Anaheim-based pool plasterer, will soon visit bone-dry Lake Havasu, Arizona, to research new filtration technologies and others are asking regulatory authorities whether they can use reclaimed water - not drinking water - to fill pools.
On a hot fall day, Smith watched as a work crew smoothed the final layer of eggshell-blue plaster over a drained pool before filling the 9-foot-deep pit with 25,000 gallons of drinking water from two garden hoses.
The pool was an older one behind a large, two-story home in Santa Ana - an area not yet affected by any restrictions. As he surveyed the work, Smith was still crunching numbers for a drier future.
"Everybody's concerned," said Smith, who has 100 employees. "What if the drought goes another three, four, five years? You have to have a contingency plan in place and that's what we're talking about here."
http://abc7.com/weather/california-drought-worries-pool-industry/337552/ (http://abc7.com/weather/california-drought-worries-pool-industry/337552/)
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In wake of drought and fires, turtle habitat becomes death trap
Biologists strode along the cracked, dry mud surrounding this evaporating north Los Angeles County lake last week, pausing periodically to pick up an emaciated turtle and wash alkaline dust off its head and carapace..
"A lot of these animals are severely ill and starving," said Tim Hovey, a state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, as he gestured toward a group of turtles bobbing in the murky water offshore.
After three years of drought, this natural 2-mile-long lake, about 15 miles west of Lancaster, has become a smelly, alkaline death trap for one of the largest populations of state-protected Western pond turtles in Southern California.
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-1005-turtles-20141005-story.html (http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-1005-turtles-20141005-story.html)
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Watch California Dry Up Right Before Your Eyes In 6 Jaw-Dropping GIFs
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/18/california-drought-gifs_n_5843534.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/18/california-drought-gifs_n_5843534.html)
(http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/california-drought-ba-900-6.gif)
(http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/california-drought-ba-900-5.gif)
(http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/california-drought-ba-900-3.gif)
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Todd posted this elsewhere yesterday, pretty scary stuff.
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http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/sdo_summary.html (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/sdo_summary.html)
(http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/season_drought.png)
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"14 California Communities Now on Verge of Waterless-Ness; Mass Migration out of California Seems Imminent"
"A few months ago, the official count was 28 communities bordering on complete waterless-ness, according to the Water Resources Control Board. Those that have since dropped off the list were able to come up with a fix, at least for now. The other 14, though, face an unprecedented resource collapse that could leave thousands of Californians with no other choice but to pack their bags and head to greener pastures."
And I thought it would take another earthquake to get people to leave...
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Interesting Articles:
"Thirsty West: Why Californians Will Soon Be Drinking Their Own Pee"
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/06/desalination_vs_purification_why_californians_will_soon_drink_their_own.html
"California Hopes To Ease Drought Woes With Ocean Water"
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-ocean-desalination-plant-drinking-water-in-san-diego/
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So how many more storms like the ones California experienced this week would it take to end the drought?
The easy answer is: a lot. But the more complex answer involves looking at historic rain patterns and reservoir levels in different parts of the state, and making a series of calculations.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says 18 to 21 more inches of rain over six months would do the trick for most of the state.
More: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1204-rain-drought-20141205-story.html (http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1204-rain-drought-20141205-story.html)
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Bah! What a bunch of downers. News flash: NWS predictions for hurricane numbers have been 100% wrong for something like 5 years now. I don't think they have much idea what's going on.
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Our best snowpack years were not El Nino years. We don't need an El Nino to have a good "water year". Let's keep our fingers crossed and don't buy into the El Nino scenario.
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Calif drought map USGS
http://cida.usgs.gov/ca_drought/ (http://cida.usgs.gov/ca_drought/)
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(http://i58.tinypic.com/lv91g.jpg)
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More Ski Resorts Close Due to Lack of Snow
http://unofficialnetworks.com/2015/01/more-ski-resorts-close-due-to-lack-of-snow (http://unofficialnetworks.com/2015/01/more-ski-resorts-close-due-to-lack-of-snow)
Last week we reported that ski resorts were closing due to low snow levels. This week we have gotten news that more ski resorts are suspending operations due to the unseasonably dry conditions.
California and Oregon seem to be the hardest hit this season. California is experiencing its fourth year of extreme and exceptional drought. Snowfall this season has been measured at just 33% of average. Resorts that have not flat out closed are holding on by the skin of their teeth. Homewood Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA has shut down all but two bunny hill rope tows and are are essentially closed.
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I just read that heavyweight water agency from Los Angeles has come calling on Sacramento Valley rice farmers, offering up to $71 million for some of their water.
The price being offered is so high, some farmers can make more from selling water than from growing their rice. Many are willing to deal: Nine irrigation districts, mainly serving rice growers along the Feather River basin, have made tentative deals to ship a portion of their water to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and several other water agencies later this summer.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article13908632.html#storylink=cpy
To me this makes me wonder if water allotments for farmers are too large AND/OR what is LA doing to conserve water these days? Also in the news, a bunch of ski resorts worth $100s of millions from several states, including California are being bought by one purchaser. I dont think our local resorts are on the table.
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Our current but always open to revision consensus is, CO2 levels cause global warming, global warming causes climate change, climate change causes drought in California. Trees consume CO2 and release oxygen and water vapor. Cutting down trees? Stupid idea.
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Uh. . . ya. Nice theory, but I don't buy it on a few points. Joe's, for one. And so, if you thin out the trees, allowing more snow to hit the ground, you're still going to have evaporation (which I assume is the problem). Now you're going to have sunlight hitting areas where there wasn't any, still allowing for that evaporation. Maybe less, but the differential seems hardly beneficial given what trees do.
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The science is beyond simply evaporation. Plant roots cause an ability for water to permeate the ground thus hold water. This root mass holds the soil, thus stabilizing the earth near the plant material. Trees exude gases thus encouraging moisture to be consolidated into raindrops, thus rain. As forests decrease in mass, desertification takes hold e.g, the cedars of Lebanon and large parts of North Africa. Sugar production (photosynthesis) will decrease per acre thus carbon will not be sequestered in the trees, thus not decreasing carbon as gas. Also, and not the least, is that slope erosion control will most certainly be compromised. Soils of America are washed into the ocean at tremendous levels over the past century. Only 7% of the earth's surface is arable and thus plant-able and we will be contributing to its diminution. The winners of this scheme will most likely be forest products companies i.e., 20" diameter trees and better (see above article). Japan has had the inside on this feature for many years for plywood to sell here. Thus funneling our dollars to Asia. The electric companies (who will go to the PUC to increase rates to cut the forests) thus increasing your utility bill. The losers may be sound management of our forests, including biodiversity, forest health and stability of the environment.
I'm not sure, but this, to me, seems like a ploy for particular interests at the expense of everyone else.
Oddly, I just read an article about removing the forests except for an occasional tree with a certain genotype to stop the aggression of bark beetles even though bark beetles are part of our ecosystem and do a particular job. Our forests would return hundreds of years from now. This smells of the same scent. I'm not sure of the actual intent or quality of the original source prior to the commentary by the Sacramento Bee.
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People need to stop breeding.
Over-population by humans is killing our planet.
Parent the ones who are already here. We don't need more.
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If thinning our forests to previous levels is the answer, and that is a big "if,"
then the solution would be for the US Forest Service to mark the trees that need to be cut and allow private parties to fell the trees for firewood. That would save the expense of hiring loggers to cut trees that are not commercially viable, while bringing in some income from modest wood cutting fees. (When I lived in MT, back in the 1980s, cutting permits were $5 per tree.)
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Emergency Regulations Development to Achieve 25% Conservation
Fact Sheet (http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/docs/emergency_regulations/regulations_fact_sheet.pdf)
Urban water supplier tiers (http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/docs/emergency_regulations/urban_water_supplier_tiers.pdf)
Do not see Wrightwood on the list but it does include Phelan Pinon Hills Community Services District along with Golden State Water Company San Dimas
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People need to stop breeding.
Over-population by humans is killing our planet.
Parent the ones who are already here. We don't need more.
My opinion exactly.
Thinning forest is ridiculous waste of time, effort, and money.. again IMO.
Lack of parenting has given us the society we have today. Society is in a tailspin.
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Stunning images show Californias drought crisis (http://abc7.com/weather/photos-stunning-images-show-californias-drought-crisis/641324/)
(http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/creativeContent/images/cms/641570_630x354.jpg)
(http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/creativeContent/images/cms/641568_630x354.jpg)
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Good luck getting the affluent to sacrifice their monuments to themselves. Those who can most afford to modify their water usage simply wont. Maybe areas that have the highest evaporation rates should be required to save the most water/pay the highest penalties?
Drive around any affluent area and ask yourselves if you think their landscaping will look drastically different in a couple years. You know you will answer no.
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Drive around affluent communities and you will see vector control treating the street gutters that are literally mossy from the constant water flowing from landscape
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Are the golf courses and parks in the article watered with reclaimed sewage water? I know Ontario's golf course and at least one park, along w/some landscaping is--I wonder how widespread those programs are?
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A recent news story stated a third of all golf courses in (I believe) southern California use recycled water.
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And then there are those towns that fine residents who *gasp* allow their lawns to get brown spots. Sure hope those fines will at least be temporarily removed during this drought emergency... In the mean time, praying for more rain over here.
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California Drought a Shortage of Water or Common Sense?
http://reason.com/archives/2015/04/17/california-drought-a-shortage-of-water-o (http://reason.com/archives/2015/04/17/california-drought-a-shortage-of-water-o)
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This is an interesting new breakthrough that promises to replace the need for reverse osmosis and/or buying bottled water. It's another way individuals can conserve water.
http://www.naturalnews.com/049436_water_filter_revolutionary_breakthrough_conservation.html (http://www.naturalnews.com/049436_water_filter_revolutionary_breakthrough_conservation.html)
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Copy and paste the above link into your browser. For some reason the active link starts with "ftp:..." instead of "http:..."
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I found the error and corrected it - the link above should work now.
Copy and paste the above link into your browser. For some reason the active link starts with "ftp:..." instead of "http:..."
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Kind of odd that the living conserve water so they can keep the lawn above the dead green.
Perhaps natural landscape cemeteries are in our future?
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Cemeteries should go to native landscape.
Native landscape Back East has natural grass. The immigrants from Europe who gradually moved west tried to make the West look like the East.
This is a different climate.
Back East-type grass is not native, and that environment does not belong here.
We don't need no stinkin' grass.
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we water dead humans for eternity ???
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Natural landscaping is beautiful. It makes sense to evolve into using that in our cemeteries - drought or not. But, people do need a place to sit. Grass is more comfortable than dirt. Benches don't require all that much water.
cheryl o7o
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Maybe after we stop watering golf courses and affluent community's exotic landscaping. Until then, let people have a comfortable place to mourn and reminisce.
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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Water bottle companies are facing criticism for selling bottles of water that are filled from municipal water supplies in California - a state where water is scarce due to a severe drought.
Walmart is the latest company to be scrutinized. The company says its Great Value bottled water comes from Sacramento's city water supply. A supplier buys it from Sacramento and sells it to Walmart and other companies.
Walmart isn't alone: Aquafina, Crystal Geyser, Arrowhead, and Dasani also sell bottled water drawn from municipal water supplies in drought-stricken California.
California residents have been asked to abide by strict water restrictions, leading some to wonder why it's okay for companies to make big profits from bottled water that, in some cases, is taken right from the tap.
However, according to the California water board, bottled water companies use 2.6 billion gallons of the water supply every year. That's a drop in the bucket compared to city residents who use 2.4 trillion gallons, and agriculture which uses 8.6 trillion gallons.
The companies say they're monitoring the water situation and will adjust if necessary. But there is a perception problem. Starbucks recently decided to move its bottled water operation out of the state to Pennsylvania.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-drought-walmart-water-bottle-companies-criticized-for-water-usage/ (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-drought-walmart-water-bottle-companies-criticized-for-water-usage/)
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Dare to dream:
http://www.weatherwest.com/archives/3124
So far, this El Nino is not behaving like last year's at this point in time anyway.
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Pertaining to cemeteries. The reason that turf (grass) is used in that industry is ease of maintenance thus cost effectiveness. Headstones that sit upright are not allowed in most cemeteries because mowers and other implements must go around them. The turf used in the areas are rather drought resistant and very rugged, allowing for foot traffic and heartiness of disease and insect problems. The cost of water increasing may force the businesses to use gravel. Plant materials, upkeep and walking paths would most likely make the cost of funerals untenable for most. To be sure, a change is likely, but the answers are not as simple as it may seem at first. As landscape styles, materials and maintenance equipment change every so many years, so may that industry.
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Ah, the rhythms of spring...birdsong...swarms of ladybugs...the Amgen Tour of California...and a prediction that NEXT YEAR'S winter will be a wet El Nino-driven doozy. I suppose that, one of these years, the prediction is bound to be correct! :-)
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My off the wall crackpot theory is earthquakes. Our drought really got going after the Japan earthquake in 2011. Our weather pattern seemed to shift after the Nepal earthquake with these late-season storms. There have been articles describing the amount the ground lifted and fell around the epicenter. Even though the Japan earthquake was in the ocean, you have to wonder if there is some long shot connection.
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Some serious confirmation bias there, joe-- there are a dozen earthquakes that large every year
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Just a SWAG. Both did occur upstream of us weather-wise. The Himalayas are a big weather influencer. Some of it dropped as much as 5 feet. You can't deny that must have some effect. Maybe it only takes a little to shift the patterns a little?
(http://cdn.phys.org/newman/csz/news/800/2015/16-researchteam.jpg)
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I think I few feet of uplift changing global weather patterns is a real stretch.
But one interesting thing did happen with that aftershock -- I like to follow fringe theories that probably aren't true, just for fun, and there's this idea that "earthspots," which are geomagnetic loops equivalent to sunspots, and space weather can trigger earthquakes. A coronal mass ejection that caused the G2 magnetic storm on Tuesday hit the earth right above Nepal right before the quake. I don't really buy it either, but there are so many anecdotes about earthquake lights and sprites that it remains interesting.
http://www.suspicious0bservers.org/sun-trigger-large-earthquakes/
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This posting I made in Feb 2004 was sent to me by a friend and worth re-posting
It's more serious than most people realize.
During Decembers Winter OPs meeting at Big Pines the featured speaker was Ed Clark from NOAA in San Diego. He stated that the next 2-3 decades will be relatively dry. This winters temperatures will be above normal and will continue through next winter. Precipitation during the wet months of Dec-Jan-Feb-Mar will be dry and he seems to be right so far.
He went on to say that we can have brief periods where we get a lot of moisture but the overall trend shown by all models will be drought like conditions like we've been seeing.
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A number of Giant Sequoia or Redwood trees were planted in the 20's and 30's around Big Pines. I looks like all of the ones planted at Vincent Gap are dying as well. So far the ones in front of the Big Pines stations seem to be doing alright.
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I have to guess that water-dropping helicopters are out of the question. But, ya know.. they just might help. cheryl o7o
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The problem is that the water companies make big $ off those huge properties. If everyone were allotted just lets say, 10 ccf per person, the water companies would be in a world of hurt. Yet why does the burden has to fall on the 99%? Eventually if the inequity isnt corrected the whole water conservation program will collapse.
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Styles change every now and then in landscape design and understanding. In the 1950's people were moving to California from the east. Most of the landscape was designed to the taste that was common to the new Californians. Junipers and such. Then in the 60' Walt Disney hired his own Agronomists, Horticulturalists and Landscape Architects to come up with a fantasy looking design. They developed a number of plants that enhanced that view. The 70's and 80's & 90's brought much use of Mediterranean design through Southern California.
The origination of 'lawn' was to show good fortune hundreds of years ago. "A mans home is his castle". This came from castles that had fields around them and cows to 'mow' the grass. This format is with us today in the form that suburbia takes.
Now we are at the edge of a new landscape in our collective view. What was right and even lauded is old. Drought tolerant plants and/or zero-scapic plants may come to enrich our landscape. However turf is still a part of our landscape. From Little League fields to tot lots and parks. Irrigation is still a part and parcel of our (broad view) landscape. Technology allows us to use what we have and good design lets us feel that we are living in a brighter and more fulfilling environment. Professions that fueled Walt's world are the ones that have the best chance of bringing the next phase of technology and design to Southern California.
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Phyto Guy... What a great and insightful post. Thank you.. I like our natural desert plants here. In particular, I like the ones I never have to water and yet they bloom. cheryl o7o
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CJeXLTGUwAASjAX.png)
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I like to walk around in the wash from up around the Sheep Creek bridge down to Desert Front Road. Almost every time I pass the area where the big green water storage tank is I notice the ground is wet, like a stream was there. Today the ground was soaked, and this time I had my camera. It looks like the Sheep Creek Water Co. is dumping water for some reason. Seems like a weird time to be doing that. Anyone have an idea why?
There was enough water dumped so that the stream went from the tanks to almost DFR.
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g215/ezzpete/IMG_0003_zpsbw4uea4m.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g215/ezzpete/IMG_0006_zpsavypm19n.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g215/ezzpete/IMG_0007_zpsfet23zhc.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g215/ezzpete/IMG_0009_zpsrqxie0na.jpg)
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IIRC there was a story in the news the other day about an OC water company having to dump thousands of gallons of water because one of those tanks had become stagnant because people were conserving so much. Sorry, I'm foggy on the details and couldn't find a reference after a quick search.
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Is this the story you were thinking of?
http://abcnews.go.com/US/city-drought-stricken-california-forced-dump-550000-gallons/story?id=32206488
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ezzpete - So Cal Water sometimes lets water out of the well on the corner of Evergreen and Acorn. I don't know why, but I am sure it is a maintenance reason. Could be the same at the wells down in the wash.
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ezzpete - So Cal Water sometimes lets water out of the well on the corner of Evergreen and Acorn. I don't know why, but I am sure it is a maintenance reason. Could be the same at the wells down in the wash.
That could be it, just seems like a lot of water and often.
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Ezzpete... Why don't you give the water company a ring and ask them? There was a similar story in the LAT this week. Due to all the water conservation the various sewer channels are stagnating and causing a p.u. problem, etc. It sort of makes me glad I'm on a septic system. cheryl o7o
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That would mean I'd have to talk to someone. :o :P
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For heaven's sake ezzpete.. . send them a letter. I do sort of think that lynnc is right and this is just a regular maintenance release to ensure that all is working well. cheryl o7o
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There is an interesting Op-Ed piece in the LAT today on water conservation. It primarily focuses on the current regulations for outdoor conservation and argues against them. cheryl o7o
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Co-an7lVUAAIesb.jpg:large)
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The seasonal precipitation ends in a few weeks and Wrightwood has officially been in a drought for 5 years.
2010-2011 36.91" seasonal precipitation
2011-2012 10.12" seasonal precipitation
2012-2013 5.83" seasonal precipitation
2013-2014 11.74" seasonal precipitation
2014-2015 16.54" seasonal precipitation
2015-2016 14.08" seasonal precipitation so far (have until Sept 30 2016)
The season rain year begins every year on October 1st and ends on September 30.
WrightwoodCalif.com, Los Angeles Department of Public Works and the Forest Service use these dates for the rain season.
This video helps illustrate what 5 years of drought has done to Lost Lake at the bottom of Swarthout Canyon. The 2008 photo was taken during a USGS press conference regarding the Great Shakeout. The 2016 video was shot this week after the Blue Cut Fire. (Note: There's no indication that the Blue Cut Fire had anything to do with dried up Lost Lake)
http://www.youtube.com/v/4kPtmG6yZ9Y&showsearch=0&rel=0&fs=1&autoplay=0&ap=%2526fmt%3D18
https://youtu.be/4kPtmG6yZ9Y
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Lost lake is completely dry now? darn there were some nice bass in there
Here it is summer 2015
(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy68/MurdaJ469/85EDF6AC-BF2E-4AC4-A60C-A905525558C0_zpsnrpoxav5.jpg)
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Very nice bass!
Sure looks different 1 year later
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Thanks, yeah hopefully the ducks help restock it once water levels return
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Wow, I had no idea there was that much water there just last summer!
How do ducks help restock bass?
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Wow, I had no idea there was that much water there just last summer!
How do ducks help restock bass?
Eggs get stuck in the ducks feathers as they forage, and get a free flight to new bodies of water as the ducks migrate
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Eggs get stuck in the ducks feathers as they forage, and get a free flight to new bodies of water as the ducks migrate
Interesting supposition but difficult to prove. A google search finds some anecdotal references but nothing that substantiate that. If that were the case, then Jackson Lake would have a thriving population of Bass. More likely is folks restocking with buckets of their selected fish. Illegal and often creates havoc with native fish but done frequently.
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I had never heard of this, but found the topic very interesting.
Here is a link I found while Googling the subject: https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_there_scientific_proof_that_water_fowl_can_transport_fish_eggs_from_one_water_body_to_an_other
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Wow, this is very interesting, never occurred to me. Good studies in that link, too, Iris, thanks. It does raise a question for me, though, still. There are many isolated bodies of water that contain unique species -- like the Devils Hole pupfish that was in the news a few months ago. It seems like those unique ecosystems would become contaminated very quickly if this were common, no?
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Wow, this is very interesting, never occurred to me. Good studies in that link, too, Iris, thanks. It does raise a question for me, though, still. There are many isolated bodies of water that contain unique species -- like the Devils Hole pupfish that was in the news a few months ago. It seems like those unique ecosystems would become contaminated very quickly if this were common, no?
Illegal stocking usually involves reproductively developed fish, which can take easily disrupt a small body of water with their appetite before they even reproduce
Eggs on ducks need prime conditions for the species in question and repeated "stocking" to actually develop a population.
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Interesting supposition but difficult to prove. A google search finds some anecdotal references but nothing that substantiate that. If that were the case, then Jackson Lake would have a thriving population of Bass. More likely is folks restocking with buckets of their selected fish. Illegal and often creates havoc with native fish but done frequently.
I tried targeting those jackson lake goldfish, no dice. They didnt like my carp or trout flies
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(http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/pngs/20160906/20160906_usdm_home.png)
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NWS Hanford ?@NWSHanford 5 minutes ago
New forecast snow totals through Monday evening. Isolated areas above 9,000 ft could see 8 feet of snow #CAstorm #CAFlood #AtmosphericRiver
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1mHWFYUQAAiBfJ.jpg:large)
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1mQMqyUsAAc2vQ.jpg:large)
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Twiitter
MammothMountain ?@MammothMountain 4 hours ago
And this is why the view from the @MammothMountain Summit Cam was blocked for a few days. 19ft+ of snow. Thanks for the shovel!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C2Eiin5UcAAyE5T.jpg:large)
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Twitter
NWS Reno ?@NWSReno 42 minutes ago
No surprise here...the Sierra snowpack increased dramatically over the past week and a half!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C2F91XNUAAAGZUO.jpg:large)
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Twitter
NWS San DiegoVerified account?@NWSSanDiego 42 minutes ago
#Drought improvement continues across #CA. Here is a comparison from where we started this water year to where we are now.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5XIGfIWYAE_H0y.jpg:large)
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DETAILS of Drought Report:
Days of heavy precipitation continued to improve mountain snowpack, but created areas of flooding, especially downstream from the favored upslope areas. As of February 21, the daily Sierra Nevada snowpack was 186% of average for the date and 151% of the April 1 climatological peak. The North Sierra 8-Station Index for February 21 showed 230% of average precipitation for this date, and the Central Sierra San Joaquin 5-Station Index for February 21 showed 230% of average precipitation for this date, both of which are above the 1982-1983 record for the date.
Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, which have been the epicenter of drought in California in recent weeks, received much-needed rainfall. Over 8 inches of rain was reported at two stations near Santa Barbara and over 6 inches at Ojai (6.97 inches) and Thousand Oaks (6.59 inches) in Ventura County. Streams were running full which helped refill depleted reservoirs in the area.
Lake Cachuma rose 24 feet in just one day, which is remarkable and most welcomed. Even though the reservoirs were responding quite favorably, they still have a long way to go before we can classify this area as drought-free. As of February 22, Lake Cachuma was at 82,011 acre-feet, or 42.4% of capacity, Jameson Reservoir was at 52.5% capacity, Lake Casitas at 42.3%, and Lake Piru at 31.7%. These values still represent a significant hydrological drought. Generally, a one-category improvement to drought conditions was made from central California to the Los Angeles basin. Areas of D0-L were left in the San Joaquin Valley where wells were still in jeopardy and groundwater aquifers will take many more weeks or months to recharge. D3 was eliminated but D0-D2 were left in place along the Central Coast where the reservoirs were still below average and groundwater has yet to be recharged. D0-D2 were left in place in southern California where the precipitation was not as heavy and longer-term precipitation deficits remained. With the removal of this D3, D2 is now the worst drought condition in the state; August 6, 2013 was the last time California had no D3.
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Atmospheric River Information Page
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/atmrivers/
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C586oalUYAAe44C.jpg)
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NWS Los Angeles? Verified account
@NWSLosAngeles
The latest US Drought Monitor Map released today shows an increase in the drought category depiction across most of Southern CA. In general, there was a 1 category increase in the drought depiction for southern areas of CA. #CAdrought #LAweather #CAwx #CAwater #SoCal
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DU917hMVMAAse9S.jpg)
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