Drought in California

what’s california’s climate

it has dry summers and mild wet winters, with south-westerly winds from the pacific ocean to bring in rainfall

what is california’s precipitation

200-500mm with 50% of precipitation falling between november and march leading to seasonal shortages

what is the threat of drought to california

california has 24 million acres of farmland and produces 40% of USA’s vegetables, generating £50 billion every year. but these not lots of irrigation and freshwater supplies

what was the cause of drought in california

california relies on winter rain and snow to carry its water supply throughout the year and high pressure systems over the pacific ocean diverted the south-westerly winds away from the coast so no winter storms arrived in california bringing rain

when was a state of emergency issued and how long did the drought go on for

from 2011-2017 with a state of emergency in january 2014 with central valley being the worst hit

what was a social impact of the drought involving subsidence

Subsidence: as groundwater levels dropped, land settled to lower levels, damaging properties especially from over-extraction of aquifers like in the San Joaquin valley

what was a social impact involving conservation

People were asked to conserve water and hosepipe bans were put in place 

what was a social impact involving farmers

Farmers were unable to grow crops on thousands of acres of land, leaving many farmers unable to support themselves and abandoning their farms

what was a social impact involving corruption

People paid private companies to drill private wells to extract precious groundwater supplies 

what was a social impact involving wildfires

Wildfires burned many homes, leaving thousands homeless. People found it difficult to rebuild their homes and insurance premiums became too expensive

what was an economic impact involving money

The cost of the drought has been approximately $2.7 billion a year, meaning less state money to spend on services such as schools

what was an economic impact involving agriculture

California has the largest agricultural industry in the country, worth around $50 billion each year. In 2014 alone, the industry lost $5 billion 

what was another economic impact involving agriculture

Wine production was particularly affected and 17,100 agricultural workers lost their jobs

what was an economic impact involving food

Prices of beef and grain rose due to a supply shortage. Food prices also increased by 6%

what was en economic impact involving electricity

Hydroelectric dams stopped producing electricity

what was an environmental impact involving rivers

Rivers dried up and prevented fish, such as salmon, from reaching their breeding grounds. San Joaquin & Sacramento Rivers CLOSED TO FISHING.  Warmer water temperatures killed young salmon

what was an environmental impact involving wetlands

Wetlands were drained to secure water supplies, altering natural habitats and reducing fish populations

what was an environmental impact involving wildfires

Wildfires: vegetation became very dry, and fires started and spread quickly. Intense heat, such as lightning strikes, can easily set vegetation alight. In dried-up forest areas, wildfires destroyed plant and animal habitats and killed wildlife

what was an environmental impact involving seawater

Sea water ingress: land and drinking water became contaminated by seawater especially in areas of Santa Barbara.

what was an environmental impact in san diego

 Dry conditions led to over 12 WILDFIRES in San Deigo region in May 2014.  Usually no wildfires until September.

what was an environmental impact on central valley

Reduced groundwater led to compaction & SUBSIDENCE up to 60 cm in parts of Central Valley.

what was a government response to drought involving campaigns

State government ran campaigns to educate people to save water

what was a government response involving laws

State laws were brought in to reduce water use in California by 25%. Environmental legislation restricted abstraction of water from rivers to maintain flow levels for wildlife.

what was a government response to fish

Government funded fish rescue programme with trucks relocating Chinook Salmon from shallow water releasing them in San Pablo Bay.

what was a government response involving aid

President Obama declared state of emergency & provided $183 million federal aid. California’s Governor Brown authorized drought relief $687 million, including $25 million food aid for poor families & $21 million for housing subsidy for workers who lost their jobs.

what was a governmental response involving water use

• Cities & districts required to monitor water use & report monthly to governor.

• Hosing of sidewalks prohibited & parks banned from using sprinklers when rain forecast.

• Residents of Santa Clara restricted to watering lawns twice a week or face a $500 fine.

what was a organisational response to drought involving research

Research projects by the University of California helped investigate ways to effectively manage groundwater

what was a organisational response to drought involving NGOs

 NGO Self-Help Enterprises provided water tanks & bottled water to 900 families.

what was an organisational response involving hotels

Hotels asked guests to reuse towels & bed linen rather than changing & washing them each day.

what was an individual response involving farmers

Farmers were encouraged to use water efficient irrigation such as drip irrigation. Arable farmers in San Joaquin Valley cut back on area of crops planted because of insufficient water supply. Farmers bought cattle feed to supplement reduced grazing.

what was an individual response involving homeowners

Homeowners were advised to check for water leaks. Households bought water tanks to catch rainwater as water levels in wells drop.

what was an individual response involving protests

Protestors campaigned against companies selling bottled local water

what was an individual response involving wells

Families in rural areas of Tulare County relient on wells forced to buy bottled water & bathe from buckets as wells dried up.