The Los Angeles Times reports that the California drought may be over. No one knows if it is really over or is the filling of our reservoirs a temporary situation. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t lifting his drought declaration. Los Angeles isn’t ending its watering restrictions and Southern California’s major water wholesaler isn’t reversing delivery cuts.
There is more than one reason. The first is that that this rainy season was caused by an El Nino effect. That is a warming of Pacific Ocean waters which results in more rain on the California coast. This occurrence has been proven from prior El Nino years.
The second is the continuing construction industry search for new business. The state will include a proposal on November’s ballot for $11 Billion in water conservation bonds. As I pointed out this past November 5, 2009, building more reservoirs and channels will not increase the water supply. It will, however, put money in the pockets of contractors. As I pointed out then, we have already spent over $13 Billion on water projects since the year 2000. The great water projects were built at an earlier date and continue to provide adequate distribution of water throughout the state.
Coast Contact 