California experienced its worst drought in years in 2014. She forced local authorities to declare a state of emergency.
Climatic conditions of the state
The climate of California belongs to the Mediterranean type of the subtropical belt. It is characterized by hot and dry summers. Summer temperatures above +30 °C are common, there is no precipitation at this time. In the off-season, the amount of precipitation slightly increases. But the main time for replenishing moisture reserves is winter, when a large amount of snow falls in the mountains. In spring, melted snow water flows into rivers, lakes and reservoirs. It is they who become the main source of water for the whole summer for the population and economy of the state. Snow also replenishes soil moisture in fields and pastures.
Causes of water scarcity
The summer of 2013 was also very dry. As a result, reservoirs became very shallow, water reserves decreased. The hope of replenishing their resources did not materialize, sincethe winter was mild. In general, in California, the level of snow cover was no higher than 13% of the usual. River flow has dropped sharply.
The reason for the lack of snow was the zone of high atmospheric pressure, which stretches along the entire Pacific coast of the United States. This anticyclone usually does not "survive" until winter, but this year it lingered and became an obstacle to humid air masses coming from Alaska. Humid air was forced to bypass this barrier, which led to heavy snowfalls in other parts of the United States. This is what caused the severe drought in California to begin. The photo shows that in the winter of 2014 (on the left), several times less snow fell than in 2013 (on the right picture).
California drought hit farmers hard
Farms have been hardest hit by water shortages. The state of California provides almost half of the country's vegetable crop, while three-quarters of the water is used to irrigate fields, plantations of grapes, almonds, and olives. Many fields remained unsown in the spring due to lack of moisture in the soil. The plantation owners used the available water only to support the growth of trees so that they would not die from drought, and there was no need to think about high yields.
Almond plantations and vineyards on tens of thousands of hectares died during the spring and summer.
The state's livestock has also suffered heavy losses. Due to the lack of water, farmers had to reduce the number of livestock, selling it cheaply. Grass onslopes not fed by precipitation burned out. To support the life of cattle, you have to import hay from other states, and farmers did not count on such expenses.
Farmers called for help from the state government and the United States, but this was not enough. Many rancheros lost everything they had. And dozens of farm families were forced to move to other states.
Severe drought causes industrial problems
The state's industry has also been hit by the drought. The lack of snow led to severe shallowing of rivers and lakes, which in turn caused disruptions in the state's hydroelectric power plants. The supply of electricity during peak hours has become irregular. As a result, industrial enterprises were forced to cut production.
Forest fires are companions of drought
The drought in the US has become a record in its strength. Its consequences were intensified by a strong fire hazard situation. Throughout the spring and summer of 2014, the residents of the state spent like a powder keg. Forest fires are common in this dry climate, but a terrible drought has increased the danger of fires several times. Tree branches dried up due to lack of water flared instantly from any fire, whether it was a thrown cigarette or a lightning strike during occasional short-term thunderstorms.
Fires often approached farms and cities, houses burned. Firefighters were forced to use special helicopters to extinguish. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that less than a third remained in the state's water bodies.volume of water from conventional reserves.
As a result, firefighters often had to choose whether to extinguish the forest fire itself or prevent it from spreading towards settlements.
Ashes from forest fires cover dried river beds. When the rains come, the surface of the water will be heavily polluted.
Disturbance of ecological systems
The drought in California, which has become the strongest in the last century and a half, has upset the ecological balance. Some species of plants and animals living in the state's waters, including the sturgeon population, are under the threat of extinction. The number of birds settled in the vicinity of rivers and lakes has decreased. Cases of access to the settlements of wild bears, which cannot find food on the lands scorched by the sun, have become more frequent. Of the plants, the most alarming are relic trees of the pre-glacial era - giant sequoias, preserved only in the USA.
Due to drought, the already sparse vegetation on the steep slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains has dried up. The earth, no longer held together by roots, is blown away by a hot wind. If precipitation begins, which is often of a torrential nature, then it will simply be washed away by water flows. Many hectares of vineyards may be left without fertile soil.
The famous Colorado River no longer brings its waters to the Pacific Ocean. The remains of water after withdrawal for irrigation, after being detained by the Hoover Dam to replenish the reservoir, disappear in the swamps into which its lower course has turned.
In short, California is on the brink of an environmental disaster. How much it will be possible to recreate natural ecosystems after the end of the dry period and how much it will cost, experts do not undertake to predict. Moreover, the California drought in 2014 has already caused such material damage to the entire state that it will take more than one year to restore the level of production.
Saving water is the main way to fight drought
The state of emergency introduced in California also determined measures for the economical use of available water supplies. Some of them are advisory in nature, and large fines are imposed for failure to comply with some. For example, residents of California were advised not to waste water on lawns near the house. And for those who are not satisfied with the withered grass in his private property, it is recommended to use artificial turf.
Prohibitions have affected car washing, and in fact the state has a very large fleet of private cars. It is forbidden to fill pools with such scarce water. There is a heavy fine for violation. Many residents cannot imagine a hot California summer without swimming in the pool, so they prefer to pay a fine, but do it their own way. Given that the resort towns of the Pacific coast are not inhabited by the poor, one can imagine the effectiveness of such bans.
Struggle for water
The main part of the population, unlike the moneybags, is well aware of the need to conserve water and is sympathetic to prohibitions. Moreover, they help the authorities in their fight against violators. It has become popular to shoot on the phone how others spendwater, and post records on the Internet, where violators are stigmatized. Many directly appeal to the police demanding action against "water criminals".
The state authorities use various incentives to support activists. For example, money - 100 dollars, but with the condition that the money will be spent only on the purchase of funds to reduce water costs (more economical showers, toilets, etc.).
The State of California is going through a very difficult time right now. Eliminating the effects of drought will take decades. It is not known if the farmers will return to the abandoned ranches and plantations. There is no way to do without strong state assistance.
