Central Valley Drought

Water has been around for almost as long the Earth has been around, approximately 4.6 billion years ago. In some shape or form, water has continued to be an important resource since the formation of Earth and continues to be today as well. Water being a finite abundant substance, it covers up approximately 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. It is without a doubt an essential resource needed to sustain life on Earth. Nonetheless, not only is water an important resource for all living organisms for subsistence, but it also serves other purposes: agriculture purposes, medical and health purposes, tourism and much more. However, with the recent emergence of the issue surrounding

The one state that has experienced severe drought affects has been Nevada. Even though most of Nevada has experienced drought affects, Western Nevada has experienced the worst affects of the drought. In the following graph provided by the U.S. Drought Monitor, researched and made by Rippey (2015), it shows the severe and extreme levels of the drought:

No Californian is impervious to the California drought. The Bay Area, Sierra Mountains, and the Central Valley have all reported record drought conditions. Even with this obvious evidence that has been brought forth for about four years now, farmers have been continuously taking local citizen’s water for their own orchards. The California legislature needs to come to the decision that caps need to be put on large water users so the preexisting residents may receive water.

In recent years, California’s water shortage has been an issue and in 2014 an alarming driest historical year has impacted the state in different ways. Because of the lack of rainfall and snow, California’s reservoirs are running insignificant water basins below their capacity. While water shortages are experienced slowly and throughout a length of time, the harshest impacts are noticeable in areas that produce California’s food where wells are used as resource for water in agriculture, and residential areas. Though, most agree the drought is an issue some do not agree. To understand the circumstances, this paper will look at the drought’s impacts on California’s economy for agricultural, famers, and consumers. Also, this written work will examine the environmental consequences of surface water obtainability, and the areas that have encounter the most devastating affects. For most, this paper will examine the allocations of the governor’s drought declaration, and the strategies used by residents to conserver water.

The city of Fresno has a new water infrastructure program which brings opportunity to transport mountain water down here, so that our groundwater supply can rest, recharge, and be restored. Furthermore, the City of Fresno Water Conservation Program has been encouraging activities that lower water demand in the community to help Fresno meet the many challenges of water supply management. Another measure is that the State Water Resources Control Board has issued a new statewide water conservation policy that executes a minimum level of restrictions and stronger fines. Fresno has also moved to the Stage 2 water shortage contingency plan approved by City Council which regulates water use; it declares to limit summer outdoor irrigation to two days per week, to not water every Monday, Thursday, or Friday during summer, to limit winter outdoor irrigation to one day per week, and not to water every Monday to Friday during winter (as cited in City of Fresno Website,

Due to the lack of rain in the past few years, and particularly in the last few months, California faces severe drought. This is the worst drought in more than one hundred years. The impact of California drought affects community, agriculture, organic ranchers, and dairy farmers. Because of these facts, the United States must rethink the way it uses water. Californians alone are asked to reduce their water usage by twenty percent to prevent water waste.

In accordance with Adam Nagourney and Jack Healy’s New York Times article, “ Drought Frames Economic Divide of Californians,” it is believed that the residents of California are economically divided which determines the amount of water they consume. In the two cities of comparison, Cowan Heights and Compton, consumption of water has a lot to do with the residents financial background. The daily water consumption rate for the residents of Cowan Heights, whose household median income is $122,662, was 572.4 gallons per person. The daily water consumption rate for the residents of Compton, whose household median income is

Another one of the many problems that the severe water drought caused was it has a big impact on farmers, families,business, and many other people in the Sacramento area. In “Addressing California’s Droughts” it states that the harsh drought has been hurting a lot of Sacramento families, farmers, and small business that don’t do so well because of the drought which affects their business majorly (Addressing California’s Droughts).The CBS News explain that the State Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin says “there simply is not enough water in the system to meet the needs of the farmers” (Facing Drought,California Will Not Allow Water To The Farmers, Cities). It is also said that without the water on the surface the farmers have to pump water from underground aquifers (Facing Drought,California Will Not Allow Water To The Farmers,Cities). This happens to alter the farmers and their business because without the water for their crops they end up not having any business because they don’t have any crops grown to

Californians are being heavily fined for using a certain amount of water a month, which impacts the daily lives of everyone. Water is a natural resource that is crucial to everyone’s survival. Whether if it’s being used for cooking, showering, gardening, washing your car or just simply drinking purposes; water is a necessity for everyone. Though the bill has not yet been passed by congress and officially has not become a law, the issue still remains on the table. The drought in California has taken a massive toll on agriculture, the environment and infrastructure. The drought is on its route to damage California’s climate change. In the past three consecutive years the average rain fall has drastically decreased, and the winter temperatures have increased. Since majority of California’s water comes from the Western Rocky Mountains, the water supply there is dropping resulting in more strict laws and regulations on how much water can be consumed by the average

California is in a drought and has been for the last three years. Southern California especially is affected by the drought that is now become a regular occurrence with no end in sight. With decreased rainfall and a steadily growing population, Southern California residents now have to make an effort to conserve the renewable resource that is water. Everyone uses water and humans, like all mammals, requires water for survival. With increased demand and decreased supply, water companies now charge more for water than ever before. Water companies can also use this as a way to educate the customers who habitually overuse water with the goal of persuading them to conserve the limited resources available. Recycled water is a more sustainable alternative, however even after treating and purifying that water, it would be still unsafe to drink, and even if it were, no one in their right mind would want to pay to drink what is a essentially sewer water.

As you are fully aware, California has been in a drought for over four years and the declining water level is a growing issue. A water analysis performed by the City of Fresno clearly reveals that in the past 80 years,

“The Grand Canyon is carven deep by the master hand; it is the gulf of silence, widened in the desert; it is all time inscribing the naked rock; it is the book of earth.” (Donald Culross Peattie).This quote by Donald Peattie sums up many Americans’ feelings toward the beauty of Arizona which is home to one of the natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon. The 1,450 mile-long, life-giving Colorado River runs through the Grand Canyon, and it supplies water to much of Arizona and its neighboring states. Tragically, this wonder could be destroyed by the lasting drought that is occurring which means residents and visitors would not experience much of Arizona’s allure. Perhaps even more frightening, if the drought continues for another decade,

California's future will be heavily impacted by this drought if things don’t change. Everything from its economy, to the people, to the physical land itself, is being threatened. According to American Farmland Trust, one eighth of the nation’s agricultural production comes from California: a third of the nation’s vegetables, and almost two thirds of the nation’s fruits and nuts. Agriculture is an enormous industry and is occasionally the only industry in certain parts of the state that is going through a severe drought. It’s impossible to grow crops without water, and it’s impossible to make money from crops that never grew, so in many areas the economy would collapse without sufficient water. American Farmland Trust

Californians have been struggling with trying to conserve our water for over three years. Twenty-Thirteen was our driest year in many populated areas in California, and it doesn't seem to be changing any time soon, unless we all act now. In twenty-thirteen, Los Angeles and Sacramento, went down on record as the driest two cities in California. A drought is when area of land scarcely drop rain. Droughts are caused from climate changes and lack of precipitation, resulting in a shortage of water. Water is vital for all living things and is the essential component of all life. This ongoing drought has drastically affected the state of California. The long-term change in climate is truly affecting California. Our water reservations are lower than

California is entering its fourth year of a record-breaking drought. The combination of dryness and record warmnth have acted to produce the most severe drought conditions experienced in Califronia. The states drought affected Central Valley which is considered the richest food-producing region in the world, much of America's fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables are grown there. Due to the lack of water in California, there has been many argumentative decisions on water conservation such as fining people for overuse of water, bringing glaciers from the Arctic to California and building major water pipelines, but these ideas require much time and money which the governemnt isn't willing to risk.