Dought continues to be a hot topic. The international news wire Reuters moved a story today about the California drought, which was picked up as far away as New Zealand. The story quoted "state officials" as saying the farming cutbacks because of the drought will cost as many as 95,000 agricultural jobs.
California rainfall and snowfall have been below average for three years, but some people are calling the 2009 crisis a man-made drought because of restrictions on the amount of water that can be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to protect the delta smelt, according to Reuters.
Whether the work of Mother Nature or human decisionmaking, UC Davis economist Richard Howitt told the reporter the crisis is sure to prompt action. "If you look at California, things happen with crisis and we are in one right now," he was quoted.
California legislators are considering whether to reinvigorate the state's water infrastructure with new canals and storage facilities, according to an article published last week in the Los Angeles Times. Sen. Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) introduced a $10 billion water bond that includes funding for reservoirs and infrastructure.
But the plan is sure to face opposition. President of the Natural Resources Defence Council was quoted in the Reuters story as asserting that agriculture can no longer own the water of California without drastically changing their practices.
The drought debate likely will continue for some time, but amid the doom and gloom, Howitt told Reuters he remains "unfashionably slightly optimistic." He suggested that growers may be able to skirt water problems by switching to higher value crops.
"We can downsize in land area and water use, but because we grow crops that wealthier people like to eat, we can actually offset much of this downsizing by expanding the fruits, nuts and vegetables," he was quoted.