Amid Historic Drought, a New Water War in the West - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
"While drought consumed much of the West last year, setting the stage for an extensive wildfire season, the conditions this spring are far worse than a year ago. More than half of the West faces “extreme” drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, including wide areas of California and Oregon. Scientists have said the region may be going through the worst drought period in centuries."
Not surprised. This is one of the many reasons, I as an ex-Californian (born and raised there for the 1st 45 years of my life) was so upset over wastefully spending in California especially the Bullet train albatross project, which serves very few people real needs. Not only is it costly, but it is something like 70+ miles from the nearest major population center. So spending Billions of dollars for something that doesn't even link LA and Frisco (it requires people to commute out to the train centers does not make sense).
Ever since I was kid in the late 1970s there has been talk of draughts, water rationing etc. and of course news of the LA basin doing shenanigan's to secure more water for the beast. When I went to school, we sometimes had dust storms coming from the Sierra mountains a dry lake area, that once was a real lake before LA vacuumed up all the water in the 1940s-1950s.
I remember all the silly water rationing measures. Like making us have low flush toilets, that don't always work as far as flushing your poop. But meanwhile, when you watch LA TV you can't help but notice all the water fountains, golf courses, swimming pools that are fed by piped in water.
And that is why any conservative, libertarian hates that bullet train. Their was so many areas as far as water supply that the money could have been spent on. More reservoirs for catching snow pack run off in good years, improving the canal system of the Central Valley putting in concrete so less water absorbed by the ground, covering it so less water wasted by evaporation. And even building some desalinization plants for the coastal major cities. But instead of doing that practical stuff that would help everybody for a fraction of the bullet train, we need to swing for the fences so we can brag about having the first bullet train in the US....
