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KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
Tue Feb 16, 2016, 05:12 PM Feb 2016

Fact & Fiction: Ending California’s Drought

http://www.politifact.com/california/article/2016/feb/16/fact-fiction-ending-californias-drought/

California’s soggy start to winter had many predicting the end of the state’s record drought.

Myths and overstatements popped up like weeds after winter rain.

Some said El Niño’s powerful storms could wash away the drought by spring. Others said the state couldn’t officially declare an end to the drought until reservoirs filled up. And then there were questions about whether an official drought-ending declaration could only come from California Gov. Jerry Brown.

To determine the truth of these ‘water cooler’ statements, we contacted a half dozen climate and policy experts. The claims below aren’t attributed to specific speakers, and they aren’t rated on our Truth-O-Meter. But we figured it’s worth busting some myths.
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ghostsinthemachine

(3,569 posts)
1. Pie in the sky (But no rain!)
Tue Feb 16, 2016, 05:18 PM
Feb 2016

Now it is time to get serious. Good snow pack but not enough. We need lots more rain round here.,....

From the article:

To wipe away the shortfall, the state would need to get an additional 80 inches of rain in the northern Sierra before October -- on top of the nearly 33 inches that have fallen since last fall. That’s the amount of precipitation needed to close the gap and maintain an average year.

Lordquinton

(7,886 posts)
2. Experts last year were already talking about this
Tue Feb 16, 2016, 05:21 PM
Feb 2016

That even if we have record super storms, it'll take about 4 years of those storms to reverse the drought. It's about more than water levels and snow packs.

 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
3. the only thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history
Tue Feb 16, 2016, 05:28 PM
Feb 2016

Our weather paterns are effected by 7 billion humans practicing thermo dynamics .

The repukes rejecting science is the kind of dumbth that destroys solar systems , but they blame gods .

Journeyman

(15,040 posts)
4. California entered a state of permanent drought back in the 1970s . . .
Wed Feb 17, 2016, 12:49 AM
Feb 2016

There are too many people chasing too little water across too large a land mass for us to ever have "enough" water for everyone's desires.

Too many too's.

Auggie

(31,192 posts)
5. Does anyone know of any plans/legislation to increase storage capacity?
Wed Feb 17, 2016, 12:45 PM
Feb 2016

I've heard of some local projects, but nothing state-wide or with any sense of urgency.

 

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
8. Come to think of it, the people who want to drain Hetch Hetchy had a plan to replace its capacity
Wed Feb 17, 2016, 01:30 PM
Feb 2016

elsewhere in the Tuolumne watershed. No reason the same treatment couldn't be applied to other watersheds.

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