Water Shortage

For the past century we have pumped water out of the ground to irrigate and otherwise use.  We did this because alternatives were not available.  Unsurprisingly those alternatives still do not exist.  What is happening now is that our water mines are finally running dry.  That means an unpleasant retreat or an alternative investment in water technology.

I am not sure how this will work out simply because it is difficult to get folks onside to do the right thing.

The simplest available solution is the use the circular humidity nets developed on the cheap in Africa.  They can be integrated with local plants rather well and support additional crops as well.  Millions of those and our desertification problem will plausibly go away.  Can you imagine the Great Valley becoming a wet land?

Atmospheric water harvesting tied to a tree driven hydraulic cycle could make this possible.

"Nobody Has Any Idea How Disastrous It's Going To Be" Warns California Water Expert

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-10-05/nobody-has-any-idea-how-disastrous-its-going-be-warns-california-water-expert

Newly released images created from NASA satellite data illustrate the staggering effect the California drought has had on groundwater supply in the state. As Mashable's Patrick Kulp explains, the images show the amount of water lost over the past 12 years, with different colors indicating severity over time. “Nobody has any idea how disastrous it’s going to be,” Mike Wade of California Farm Water Coalition told the Associated Press, as RT reports a growing number of communities in central and northern California could end up without water in 60 days due to the Golden state’s prolonged drought. While California is bearing the brunt, experts note "We're seeing it happening all over the world, in most of the major aquifers in the arid and semi-arid parts of the world."

 

California is currently experiencing the third year of one of the most severe short-term droughts ever recorded. Data from U.S. Drought Monitor shows that as of Sept. 30, 82% of the state is facing extreme or exceptional drought conditions.

But the state is not the only area being plagued by critical drops in groundwater reserves. Data collected by GRACE indicates that the supply of groundwater is in decline worldwide, especially in regions that rely on it most.

"We're seeing it happening all over the world. It's happening in most of the major aquifers in the arid and semi-arid parts of the world where we rely on those aquifers. But we're able to see now the impact we're having on this over exploitation," Famiglietti told Science Magazine.

But it's getting extremely serious in California (as RT reports),

A growing number of communities in central and northern California could end up without water in 60 days due to the Golden state’s prolonged drought.

There are now a dozen of small communities in Central and Northern California relying on a single source of water – which has the water resources board concerned they will not have any at all in two months’ time.

At a mobile home park north of Oroville, more than 30 families are severely cutting back. The water supply is so tight it is shut off entirely between 10 pm and 5 am, according to CBS Sacramento. The families are relying on one well – all the others have dried up – and have to drive five miles to buy drinking water for themselves and their animals.

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In conclusion...

“Nobody has any idea how disastrous it’s going to be,” Mike Wade of California Farm Water Coalition told the Associated Press.