exploratory essay

Ammar Aloraini. Wanda Russell. English 160W. 27 February 2016.

 

  Water Crisis in California

Introduction

Regarding my field of study, the water crisis in California is an important issue as it entails the social problems that encounter people in the state. Concentrating on this matter is paramount as it can place me in a better position when seeking for a job in working with the county government in the state. Therefore, I will gather all the literature regarding the water problem in California and see whether it is due to a natural cause. Therefore, having this knowledge, I would be able to propose a viable solution to the water crisis in California.

The Water Crisis and its Solutions

The water crisis in the state has led to a debate on what causes it as well as the ways to increase water supply in the State and counter the problem. California is now experiencing four years of drought due to water scarcity that has led to the imposition of restriction on water use in major towns of the state to curb the issue of water shortage. However, this water shortage affects all aspects of life in the state as millions of acres of agricultural lands have gone fallow. This problem persists in California, and it severely impacts on the livelihood of the residents hardening their life. Jerry Brown, California governor recently announced compulsory water restriction in his state aimed at decreasing water use by at least 25 percent (Nagourney, 2015). The debate on water shortage goes over whether global warming is causing the drought or not. For instance, Lalonde (2015) points out that climate change, which is caused by global warming is a culprit to the increased water crisis in California primarily because it causes drought and desertification. Drought and desertification can be attributed to human activities in the state as it has mismanaged its natural resources. Even though climate change has been the sole contributor of water shortage in many countries, human activities are factors to consider in the issue of water shortage in California. Considering the extent of poor human activities in the state, I strongly think the water shortage in California is as a result of human activity such as agriculture and other human-related factors.

For instance, as Lalonde (2015) argued, even though California has had four consecutive years of drought as at 2015, with 2013 and 2014 being the driest years the state has experienced since 1850, climate change can be considered as one factor for the water crisis. However, a large proportion of the drought and water crisis was due to human activities, mainly via industrial agriculture practices where huge quantities of chemicals are used that deplete the soil’s health. Besides, industrial agriculture is characterized by water-intensive mono-cropping and poor tilling methods. These practices, when coupled together, increases the surface runoff, meaning that there will be inadequate surface water to support the booming population. Consequently, these practices contribute to water shortage and crisis. It is for this reason that the governor ordered the mandatory reduction in water use, commencing April 1st, 2015 for the first time in the history of the state.

Some scientists believe that the water shortage is as a cause of environmentalist and not global warming. California is naturally a desert, and thus, the shortage of water can be linked to human activity. According to the “Californian Water Action Plan,” much of the water system in California was initially designed to endure a seven-year drought without causing any damage to the environment or even the economy. On the other hand, some scientists maintain that global warming accounts for the water shortage in California as the increase in temperature translate to depletion of water on the surface. The cause of the water shortage in California has been linked to overuse of water especially by the agricultural sector as well as the urban development. In California, agriculture and farming use the big share of water as it uses 70 percent of the water flowing in Colorado River (Kaldani, 2014). California makes up the largest portion of revenue from agriculture and thus much of its water is directed to agriculture that supports its economy.

In addition, urban development, which is inclined to human activity has been linked to the water shortage in the state. For instance, according to Lalonde (2015), California had critical natural resources, including the large Redwoods forests along its Coastline. These trees, as the author asserts, were the pillar of the entire Californian ecosystem that supported both animals and plants around them, but in just over 150 years, urbanization has reduced the forests to five percent of their original size hence destroying the ecosystem. As a result, surface water was easily drained through evaporation leading to the water crisis. Also, as Lalonde (2015) asserts, the state is the most populated in the country, thereby having the highest population density as 95 percent of the population live in the cities. As the writer points out, urbanization in the state led to an increased number of paved roads, suburbs, and artificial conduits, meaning more concrete covered the surface. More concrete increases runoff, and thus, water which would otherwise penetrate the ground and contribute to more surface and groundwater would be diverted to the wrong places. Destruction of the ecosystem exacerbated water runoff, therefore contributing to the water crisis in the state. In essence, due to inadequate surface water, California mostly depends on groundwater. As such, destruction of the ecosystem through urbanization, which is a human activity is a huge contributor to the water crisis in California.

Other activities include certain practices including lawn watering. As cited in Nagourney’s (2015) article, Mr. Johnson in his essay “Apocalyptic Schadenfreude,” points out that after traveling Southern California, he was struck by vast lawns in Cowan Heights, Beverly Hills, and Palm Springs. These lawns have been considered as water-wasting, and cracking them down is necessary for dealing with the problem. It can be seen as a human activity, further evidencing that human activity can be considered as the main culprit in the Californian water crisis.

California has done very little to improve their storage facilities to help store enough water for the future use. The Central Valley Project (CVP), as well as State Water Project (SWP), have not invested a lot in reservoirs to help meet the increasing water demands in the state since the 1970s (Kaldani, 2014). Also, as the writer points out, there is unregulated ground water, which is considered as a private good rather than public good as for the surface water. As such, it reveals that two legal systems that regulate ground and surface water in the state. These practices lead to ‘groundwater overdraft’ especially during the drought conditions because there is inadequate water. The practices, as Kaldina (2015) argues, which promotes unregulated ground water usage is also a contributor to the water shortage crisis. According to Dimmick (2014), aquifers are being drained to counter the problem of drought, but there does not exist a long-term plan after they have been depleted. These practices can be tied to poor mismanagement of resources. Therefore, I think global warming is not the main cause, and thus other factors such as unregulated ground water and environmental issues as well as inefficient water use are responsible.

Some of the practical solutions that can be adopted proposed by Stock et al. (2015) include recycling and reusing treated wastewater that would otherwise be drained into the ocean. The move can benefit the extensive agriculture in the state and can recharge the already dwindling underground aquifers. Drip irrigation can save a lot of water, especially when used in agriculture and lawn watering. Also, desalinization, even though is expensive, can also be a bold move to mitigate the water crisis. However, ecosystem protection is a decisive move as it will prevent further deforestation. It will also allow the state to adopt more gardening approaches instead of using cement which increases runoff. Lastly, effective policing should be adopted, such as controlling groundwater usage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have viewed both sides of arguments regarding water crisis in California and resolved that human activities are responsible for the water shortage and not global warming. It is imperative to point out that via industrial agriculture, destruction of the ecosystems through agriculture, as well as urban and industrial growth in California have altered its geographical landscape, which has interfered with natural cycles resulting to less surface water due to increased runoff. In addition, the poor policing of ground water, currently considered as a private good has increased the instances of groundwater mismanagement which further exacerbates the water crisis in the state. Therefore, the enhancement of water supply management policies, as well as funding agencies, will help in solving the problem of California. The main point is to improve water management, increasing water storage, and adopting proper water uses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 References

Dimick, D. (2014). If You Think the Water Crisis Can't Get Worse, Wait Until the Aquifers Are Drained. Nationalgeographic. Retrieved 26 February 2016, from             http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140819-groundwater-california-            drought-aquifers-hidden-crisis/

Kaldani, D. (2014). Water supply-Unsustainable California: The Top 10 Issues facing the Golden State. CACS. Retrieved from http://cacs.org/research/unsustainable-california-      the-top-10-issues-facing-the-golden-state-water-supply/

Lalonde, J. (2015). California Isn't Having a Water Crisis, it's Having a Runoff Crisis. A\J –            Canada's Environmental Voice. Retrieved from            http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/community/blogs/aj-special-delivery/california-isnt-           having-water-crisis-its-having-runoff-crisis

Nagourney, A. (2015). The Debate Over California’s Drought Crisis. New York Times.     Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/us/the-debate-over-californias-            drought-crisis.html

Stock, S., Bott, M., Carroll, J., & Clayton, J. (2015). Solutions to California Water Crisis   Already at Work Abroad. NBC. Retrieved 26 February 2016, from                 http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/Solutions-to-Californias-Water-Crisis-  352348071.html

Zamora, A, Kirchner, L and Lustgarten, A.  (2015). California’s Drought Is Part of a Much          Bigger Water Crisis. Here’s What You Need to Know.Propublica. Retrieved from             https://www.propublica.org/article/california-drought-colorado-river-water-crisis-   explained