Editor;
Our current drought emergency appears to be getting worse with this spring promising to be one of the warmest and driest on record with another destructive fire season ahead of us.
We have been asked to conserve and I believe some of us are. But for every one of us showering less and sinking bricks in our toilet tanks there are others who continue to consume more than their fair share of water – soon to be our most precious commodity as our supply dwindles.
I don’t know how many if any people know that agriculture consumes 80 percent of our state’s water supply. We grow nearly half the country’s fruit, vegetables and nuts, exporting water-sucking crops like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, dairy products and wine. Many of these crops require watering even during drought years, with the alfalfa we grow to feed our cows drinking up more water than any other crop.
We’ve sunk so many wells in our search for fresh water that our groundwater is getting harder to access and our land is sinking in places. In less than 100 years, some Central Valley farmland has sunk as much as 28 feet in some areas while groundwater pollution becomes an increasing threat.
We’re bracing for this year’s fires while many of us are still recovering from last year’s megafires.
We need to be doing everything we can to conserve our water and to recognize it as the precious resource it is.
Sincerely,
David Spangler/Brentwood
Anyone who follows the news knows agriculture uses 80 percent of our state’s water supply. That was common knowledge when Brown was in office. And he (unlike Newsom) did something about it.
I believe that the State has done little to create a better water supply system.
As water needs grow, why isn’t there a large scale water recovery agenda in progress?
Everyone cries and wrings their hands but little is being done to solve the problem.
Action needs to be taken other than restrictions and fines.
I’d like to see substantial rebates offered to hose who are conserving and subsidized water reclamation systems for those interested in them. Several of my neighbors are building or have built their own with dramatic results. We can’t stand to see all that rain water sluicing off our roofs and down the storm drains.
“I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today “.
(We live on the Water Planet. We are failing.)
Fewer people would be a good start. Encouraging smaller families.
Some crops like tomatoes and strawberries can be grown better and more efficiently in greenhouses. This would conserve water and supply more food. It’s time we start looking for alternative approaches or it will be too late.
Note: Please don’t put a brick in your water tank. Lessons from the 70s.
Still going through therapy for the whole mellow yellow, brown and drown thing. Never got over that.
Stop growing nuts. They’re nasty. Keep up the dairy industry. Ice cream and hamburgers are delicious.