There is an answer to drought stricken California and other areas.

I learned sometime ago that when trees abound that the water levels are higher but i areas where trees are scarce water levels are lower.

In So Cal 40 and 60 years ago had lots of Vineyards, Orange, Olive and Avocado orchards. while these existed the mean water level was higher. In the 70's and the urban development of these groves began and we saw a 99% decrease of them replacing them with housing projects.

Since then the water tables dropped couple that with wildfires which destroyed whole long growth forests you have the makings for a drought stricken area.

the Answer is Permaculture. the planting of trees and other plants that in a matter of 10 years will bring back up the water table levels so that So California or any area will not suffer drought.

the correlation between trees loss and water levels is a proven fact and it is man made. Lack of trees causes the lack of humidity and weather patterns to form. forested areas are linked to how weather is produced in their areas lack of forested areas lack of rain hence the creation of deserts and drought.



google permaculture if you which to learn more about this subject. permaculture

California is a liberal experiment that failed in so many ways and lack of foresight by officials and its people caused the drought problem they are having today. You need trees to have a water table high enough to pump from and without trees you will have drought.

Plant a tree, shrubs and vegetables and prevent forest fires.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

I live in a gorgeous part of CA. Thousands of oak trees and other trees, hundreds of vineyards in my county, several citrus, avocado groves, and row crops. And yet we just learned we must cut our water use by 28% instead of the Governors original decree of saving 25% water use.

I don't think your theory rings true here.

And still Nestle continues to sell bottled water at inflated prices, there's no drought 'til Nestle runs out haha

a reply to: Ultralight

that is because your area is helping to support the water needs for other parts of the State that lack water.

Just dig a deep well and you will see in your area there is a higher water table than in other areas.

patches of trees surrounded by hundreds of miles of practically no trees wont help much in keeping water levels higher.

It is not my theory it is permaculture truth. When you have more trees and plants you will have higher water table levels.

a reply to: Zcustosmorum

we were told two months ago that oil prices are artificially high, we also know that food prices are artificially high. But there is no life without water. and Nestle found that you will pay for it because it is an absolute necessity for your very existence.

It's a matter of priorities.

It is essential that California has a "Bullet-Train".
(One that will be obsolete as soon as it is built)

But de-salination plants, they're low on the Totem Pole of priorities.
(Who wants to create jobs, produce fresh water for the entire southwest, or pipe water to arid gardens-to-be ?)

I thought the water levels where from underground aquifers, snow melt, rain. Since much of California gets it water from snow melt and aquifers, I would look there for some of the reason of not enough water. Sure overuse is a big problem with not enough water. Blame the social experiment in California. It sure is part of the problem.

What I do not understand is why California has a low water problem to begin with. If they looked to the West the Pacific Ocean is at their front door. One part of the solution is to desalinate. The state should have been investing in this technology instead of depending on the Colorado River, and snow melt. Ocean water is guarantee to be there.

Oh I know politics got in the way of a good thing. So how did that work?

a reply to: Zcustosmorum

the reason we have a water problem is the "smelt" it is a 3 inch fish was put on the endangered species list and must be protected at all costs...they end up killing more smelt in the process of counting them, and the one fish that eats them was something that was introduced , not indiginous to this area. the smelt population has really dwindled...

this all happened because of the super opposition to dams and building more water storage over the last several decades...a lot of fresh water (70%) just flows out to the sea....

www.foxnews.com...

a reply to: ChesterJohn

well I hate to sound like a globalist monster here but is the problem over population. You mentioned something about the housing development s 40 or 60 years ago was that not the time span when everyone wanted to be in California??

Its just a question. I don't have a real good formative answer on this though,. I know 60 minutes was talking about the aquifers being used a lot. and if those dry out watch out.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

Most of the indigenous plantlife of that area is actually evolved to take advantage of fire. In fact, there are several species of pine whose cones need fire to open, sequoia is one of them.

Wildfires are NOT an abnormal part of the natural ecology of the area. Quite the opposite.

Along the coasts of California, a number of plants rely on fires, but in different ways. Some plants like mule’s ear and iris store most of their energy in their roots and underground bulbs. When a fire sweeps past and wipes out everything above the ground, these plants respond to the heat and ash that is rich with nutrients and can be the first plants to sprout back up into the barren landscape. Other plants like ceanothus (a shrub belonging to the buckthorn family), responds to the heat like the sequoia and manzanita, releasing its seeds in response to the fire’s heat. Then you have a shrub called chamise that relies on both the root action and seed release that are responses to a fire.

Part of the reason why the recent wildfires seem to be so destructive is twofold - people have increasing developed into the area where wildfires are common and hard to contain, and land management practices lobbied for by environmental groups make sensible fire control measures difficult for landowners to take, so brush clearance around a property, for example, becomes next to impossible allowing dry growth to build up over time providing fuel for the next fire.

originally posted by: Ceeker63
I thought the water levels where from underground aquifers, snow melt, rain. Since much of California gets it water from snow melt and aquifers, I would look there for some of the reason of not enough water. Sure overuse is a big problem with not enough water. Blame the social experiment in California. It sure is part of the problem.

I once lived down the street from "The Source" Not "Thee Source, the source for all there is..." but the source like the propaganda that is printed on the labels of Crystal Geyser™ That "source" is a water well on Snyder Lane in Rohnert Park, Ca. (Sonoma County- "Wine Country") The area sits on top of an underground river, this is why Sonoma State University is right down the road. If You also research the dirt in that area You'll find that it mostly "adobe" The mud the Native Peoples used to build their homes that would NOT float away..

It should also be noted that most of the water run-off gets sent to southern Ca. via the California Aqueduct that runs down I-5 from the Ca. Delta which our food is grown, down along I-5 up and over the Grapevine and into Los Angeles County..

How about a desalination plant using water from the Pacific and run it as a "border" and then pump that water to both sides and using turbines You could also generate electricity.. 125' moat

a reply to: Ceeker63

Shhhh! Don't remind people that they're busy spending billions on that high speed rail system that they could be spending on desalination ...

originally posted by: Ultralight
a reply to: ChesterJohn

I live in a gorgeous part of CA. Thousands of oak trees and other trees, hundreds of vineyards in my county, several citrus, avocado groves, and row crops. And yet we just learned we must cut our water use by 28% instead of the Governors original decree of saving 25% water use.

I don't think your theory rings true here.

I think the op has it all basackwards.

He is saying there is water because there are trees.

When in fact there are trees because there is water.

Dbl post

Its all to do with evaporation, the trees help shade the ground and the leaves that fall create a mulch that improves soil fertility. The less evaporation the more more water in the ground, permaculture is the best solution to save the planet. If everyone went and got 5 fruit or nut trees and planted them around there area, the world would be a much healthier place plus you would have some food.

Good job. Over-population demands more housing, which cuts away at our natural resources. We need to build smarter.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

Trees can change a climate by providing humidity and shade, but trees also bring up water that is already there. Their roots create channels for the water. As the roots siphon the water, water that wasn't taken into the tree goes up the root. This can raise the water table.

The problem is you need a tree with deep roots already there because the water level is so low. Development has made sure old growth is gone. Without the snow pack and rains to replenish the rivers underground, young trees won't be able to reach far enough to raise the tables.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

Our water tables are not high. feel free to research this.

a reply to: johnwick

Agreed.

a reply to: colliettaI like part of what you said. "Trees can change a climate by providing humidity and shade, but trees also bring up water that is already there". If anyone has ever been through or lived in S. Louisiana, Mississippi. You know about humidity, and a lot of pine trees. The whole damn area is one big forest. Everything is green, and WET. I figure the two combined is why there is so much water there. Since California is over populated they cut down all the important greenery. Now they have drought. California is suppose to be so! environmentally friendly that they have killed the state. Now they have to live with the mistakes they have made. Says a lot about environmentalism.