10/1/2014
California Water
California has a recurring issue with its dwindling water supply. Certain measure have been taken in some areas to cut down on the usage of water. These cuts are beneficial for conserving water but has a negative affect on the users. One of these affected areas are the residents and farmers located near the Sacramento River. We will discuss how this demand for water and its availability have affected these citizens on the basis of water usage.
For years, the Sacramento River has provided its users with plenty of water used for farming and other household uses. However, recent studies have shown that throughout the years the river and surrounding areas have been experiencing severe droughts due to over usage of the water supply. This issue has caused the California State Water Board to impose specific restrictions prohibiting hundreds of registered users to use to water from this river. These restrictions pertain to "junior water rights" holders (farmers/small city residents) rather than areas in the city of Sacramento because they hold "senior water rights."
This issue also affects the wildlife near this river. The over consumption of water in this river could make the availability of water scarce for animals. This could throw off the balance of the food chain. If one plant or animal dies out from one of these droughts that could throw off the whole survival cycle amongst plants and animals. For example, if the water can't reach the plants then the plants will die, following the herbivores, and eventually the carnivores thus possibly permanently damaging that ecosystem.
This problem has sparked a "call to action" amongst elected officials and certain measures including the restrictions on water usage have been imposed.
"The latest action follows California Governor Jerry Brown's declaration of a state of drought emergency in January, and his call for additional cuts in water use in late April. The governor has called for all Californians to reduce water use by 20 percent. He has also asked for increased monitoring and has made it easier for users to make voluntary transfers of water, especially to farmers."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140529-sacramento-river-water-rights-california-drought/
This cause calls for supporters and active users affected by these droughts to abide by these imposed restrictions to preserve both the well being of the citizens and wildlife who are dependent on the rivers water supply. If both the government and the citizens can work together to tackle this water table problem these restrictions can be withheld and things will get back to normal. Until that time comes, it is up to the people to conserve what water they can and become very resource full on finding other methods for obtaining usable water.
