Here on the North Coast for instance. The local Lost Coast Outpost site, Ryan Burns posts that Humboldt County's problem at the moment is too much water. The reservoir is full and our area retains water rights commensurate with a thirsty timber industry that is much diminished. Yet in terms of use, we're to be under the same restrictions as Southern California.
At the moment our water surplus isn't helping anyone else, as it is still comparatively expensive to transport it. There are also places within the county that may need help, and the possibilities of helping out parched streams and therefore the salmon etc. are being explored. And anyway, maybe some of that surplus ought to be saved for non-rainy days. (Although I'm happy to report we had hours of steady rain yesterday.)
Burns' piece by the way quotes our member of Congress, Jared Huffman, expressing similar sentiments to the aforementioned Mark Hertsgaard's piece about industrial agriculture in the state: “A new form of legalized gambling is rampant in our Central Valley: according to CA Dept. of Agriculture, in the midst of this extreme drought, 70,000 acres with 8.3 million NEW almond trees were planted! That’s the opposite of conservation.”
Meanwhile, the LA Times reveals plans for real water rationing in Southern California this summer.
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