Massive California aquifer collapse due to extreme ground water depletion

www.revealnews.org...

I find this short sightedness complete astonishing.

Groundwater now supplies about 60 percent of the state’s water, with the vast majority of that going to agriculture. Tens of thousands of groundwater pumps run day and night, sucking up about 5 percent of the state’s total electricity, according to a Reveal analysis of the increased pumping resulting from the historic drought. That’s an increase of 40 percent over normal years – or enough electricity to power every home in San Francisco for three years

WOW, just WOW!

Another worry is that with the massive aquifer collapse's, will they ever be able to fill back up when (if) the rains return? And, apparently it can take thousands of years to refill them if they're not being depleted faster than they fill.

So, does anyone know when the ground water will completely run out or would they just be guessing?

They'd better start building a pipeline from the Columbia River soon....like NOW. Desalinization plants would help but are not the answer because they would just provide a drop in the bucket (pun intended).

a reply to: NOrrTH

It rains in most of the rest of the USA....Why is getting rain a difficult thing for a state? Oh I know, the work it would take to leave tanks in other areas nearby to collect rain would just be overwhelming....

a reply to: NOrrTH

I don't think people would like California stealing water from the Columbia River! I guess they could make some sort of deal, though.

Much of southern California is a desert. There is no mystery. These people live in the desert and then are surprised when the water runs out. Shades of Sam Kinison.

a reply to: NOrrTH

Groundwater now supplies about 60 percent of the state’s water, with the vast majority of that going to agriculture.

There is just so much water available at the start of the growing season every year. Reservoirs are permanently lower since I can remember. They never fill up anymore because farming interdicts the water before it ever gets to the reservoir. Now that is not enough they are tapping the aquifers directly.

Supposedly they are being asked to cut back but theres no way of determining that, really. Theres no meters on the the sacramento river delta, for instance.

Least of all on the wells being dug to tap the aquifer.

One view...

originally posted by: darkbake
a reply to: NOrrTH

I don't think people would like California stealing water from the Columbia River! I guess they could make some sort of deal, though.

what?..do you think a bunch of California water commandos are going sneak up there at night and drop massive hoses into the Columbia river and drain all the water down to Shasta lake?.....geez, nobody will notice that (rolls eyes)

Columbia river seriously? The snow packs that feed that river were very low this year. States up here are already under a drought watch.

Compare that to last year when the snowpack for the Lower Yakima was at 113 percent of normal.

No snowpack this year means no melting snow to replenish rivers and streams.

One source

if the valley sinks much more, we will have to put up Holland like dikes to keep the sea water from coming in

a reply to: NOrrTH

Maybe it's time to close California and resettle the population on a reservation somewhere. Just look up all the dirty 30's stuff that happened with no water. Just need a better organized relocation than piecemeal groups.

As far as taking water from somewhere else you just spread the problem.

Their only hope short of rain is to build giant desalination plants.

oregon and washington state are better places to live if worried about water and future demands

originally posted by: Chrisfishenstein
a reply to: NOrrTH

It rains in most of the rest of the USA....Why is getting rain a difficult thing for a state? Oh I know, the work it would take to leave tanks in other areas nearby to collect rain would just be overwhelming….

These 'tanks' are the reservoirs. The capacity and number of which aren't growing. The number of dams and reservoirs is fixed and they aren't building any new ones.

The problem has arisen not because there isn't run off from the Sierras anymore, but because the farming is so intense these days the water is grabbed up and never makes it to the reservoirs.

In fact they are taking to tapping aquifers, surely a bad sign for the future of Californias water supply.

Mega farming is causing the drought, not the citizens washing their cars and watering their gardens. They make it sound like that but its cover for the real culprits.

Article

Looking at those measurements from the 1930s to the 1970s are unbelievable but to add in the newer measurements just leaves me speechless.

a reply to: blacktie
Nah, I had to water my plants for the first time this past winter so they wouldn't die. It's dry here too, although not to the extreme of California.

originally posted by: blacktie
oregon and washington state are better places to live if worried about water and future demands

WA and OR are changing as well unfortunately when it comes to drought issues.

originally posted by: dreamingawake
Columbia river seriously? The snow packs that feed that river were very low this year. States up here are already under a drought watch.

Compare that to last year when the snowpack for the Lower Yakima was at 113 percent of normal.

No snowpack this year means no melting snow to replenish rivers and streams.

One source

The Columbia River is the answer to California's water problems for the long term. It is an enormous river and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. All they need to do is have the intake close to the mouth (Oregon says they have no problem with that) and yes, pipe it to Lake Shasta.

a reply to: intrptr

No, I understand all of that but can't they get new tanks that aren't underground and set them up in other nearby states that it does rain like 60% of the time? I mean this isn't rocket science, it is rainwater not being captured because of no rain....Guess what? There are many places, most nearby that it actually does rain A LOT and could set up some tanks to collect it....WOW, that was hard....Also, the rain isn't limited to stealing water from a river or stealing water from a local state, it is in constant supply and would be able to cure a lot of these issues....But who am I?

There were new reservoirs built for this need. Unfortunately , they were declared a hazard to a particular newt on the endangered species list . They were never made functional due to this.

originally posted by: Aleister
Much of southern California is a desert. There is no mystery. These people live in the desert and then are surprised when the water runs out. Shades of Sam Kinison.

Here Here.
Reminds me of this song from the 70's

Albert Hammond - It Never Rains In Southern California

They should do what Australia wound up having to do: Build desalinization plants. It worked there. Why couldn't it work in California?

a reply to: dreamingawake

change is happening all around the country seems like
however when the weather news is on tv it's almost 'always' raining around washington state