Wildfire Watch/ Drought Watch

brianlux

For those of us in California, fire and drought are big news. On the way home from a brief trip to the coast I spotted this event in the distance as it just started taking place:

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/25/6583474/wildland-fire-burning-in-el-dorado.html

The unsettling thing is they say fire season has just begun and this years is going to be brutal. The fire in the article above rages about 18 south of us and much closer to a few friend's places.

The latest on the drought:

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/07/25/research-californias-drought-situation-more-dire-than-we-realize/

Gonna be a long summer.

brianlux

The latest accorting to YubaNet.com:

July 27, 2014 at 12:22 PM
Report of a new vegetation fire, approximately 10 miles east from the Sand Fire. Diverting some aircraft to it.

Not what we wanted to hear. :-(

hedonist

There's just been a huge water main break near here, at UCLA. Sinkhole, water spewing almost violently, flooding all over the place.

It's heartbreaking to see such a precious resource going to waste like this.

(and, almost an hour since it started and DWP has yet to get their asses on site)

rr165892

hedonist said:

There's just been a huge water main break near here, at UCLA. Sinkhole, water spewing almost violently, flooding all over the place.

It's heartbreaking to see such a precious resource going to waste like this.

(and, almost an hour since it started and DWP has yet to get their asses on site)

Shit,you guys can't afford to waste it.Isnt LA and OC under like a drought or water shortage.I have fam in So Cal and I thought they mentioned it.

brianlux

hedonist said:

There's just been a huge water main break near here, at UCLA. Sinkhole, water spewing almost violently, flooding all over the place.

It's heartbreaking to see such a precious resource going to waste like this.

(and, almost an hour since it started and DWP has yet to get their asses on site)

Yes, major bummer. Sorry to hear about that.

What really gets me is seeing water wasted unnecessarily. On our way back from the coast a couple of days ago we traveled through the central valley and spotted several farms running sprinklers- not drip- on crops during the hottest part of the afternoon with temps in the low 100's- not a wise watering plan. I also spotted at least two orchards that were flooded with standing (i.e. evaporating) water and a few farms with overspill water doing nothing but watering dirt and weeds. Crazy.

PJ_Soul

I just keep wondering where the 55 million or so people who are going to end up living in a place with NO water are going to go once it's gone.
From everything I've read and seen on this issue, all those places that get most of their water from Lake Mead or other major non-local reservoirs are INEVITABLY going to be basically unlivable (and certainly unable to sustain any agriculture) because of a lack of water. And they are using up all the groundwater too, at a rate that is the exact opposite of sustainable. This may happen in our lifetimes. This drought is bring more attention to it, but even if the drought ever ends, they're still going to be fucked. So then what????
Are people already leaving? Isn't the real estate market in these places completely crashing, since only a crazy person would move there at this point? Or are people just keeping their heads stuck in the sand and waiting to be forced to find another place to live and work? Wtf is LA going to do? Las Vegas? Etc? :-? I've heard of some desalinization project for several cities in Southern California.... is that really feasible for the whole area I wonder? For the whole southwest? If so, will that destroy the ocean's ecosystem while they're at it?

hedonist

Eight to ten MILLION gallons of water gone to waste yesterday.

Good questions, PJ Soul...I don't have answers, but a couple of suggestions. Maybe some - or parts of - the prized golf courses in California could be sacrificed while this is happening? It doesn't matter how expensive the club dues are; they won't make water magically appear.

And maybe our state (I'm looking at you, Gov. Brown) could use some of the funds earmarked for, say, the rail projects. Stash those projects for now, since our "need" for them isn't dire. Put that money toward replacing the old-ass pipes underneath our city.

By the way, seems the real estate prices out here - in my general area - have been on the rise. Go figure!

Jason P

Water conservation my ass. They are playing indoor water volleyball in southern california now!

hedonist

B-)

Jason P

hedonist said:

B-)

rr165892

Jason P said:

Water conservation my ass. They are playing indoor water volleyball in southern california now!

Dude,that's just a defrosted hockey rink.Bruin Hockey Rules!!!

brianlux

rr165892 said:

Jason P said:

Water conservation my ass. They are playing indoor water volleyball in southern california now!

Dude,that's just a defrosted hockey rink.Bruin Hockey Rules!!!

No no no no, that's close but not quite. It's the new Frozen Gelatin Jumping Ice Hockey. Players must be adept at jumping fences as well as skating on the very slick frozen gelatin. Any more sports questions? Just ask me, The Sports Guy. ;-)

rr165892

brianlux said:

rr165892 said:

Jason P said:

Water conservation my ass. They are playing indoor water volleyball in southern california now!

Dude,that's just a defrosted hockey rink.Bruin Hockey Rules!!!

No no no no, that's close but not quite. It's the new Frozen Gelatin Jumping Ice Hockey. Players must be adept at jumping fences as well as skating on the very slick frozen gelatin. Any more sports questions? Just ask me, The Sports Guy. ;-)

Ok,Bri then answer me this.I don't want to come off like a pig here .Does jumping jello hockey have a woman's team? I am interested in becoming a booster and I'm really glad title 9is still in effect.lol

chadwick

hedonist said:

Eight to ten MILLION gallons of water gone to waste yesterday.

Good questions, PJ Soul...I don't have answers, but a couple of suggestions. Maybe some - or parts of - the prized golf courses in California could be sacrificed while this is happening? It doesn't matter how expensive the club dues are; they won't make water magically appear.

And maybe our state (I'm looking at you, Gov. Brown) could use some of the funds earmarked for, say, the rail projects. Stash those projects for now, since our "need" for them isn't dire. Put that money toward replacing the old-ass pipes underneath our city.

By the way, seems the real estate prices out here - in my general area - have been on the rise. Go figure!

that's like 8-10 golf courses or so in the desert operating as usual on a daily basis.

http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/230876/obama-visits-calfornia-drought-area-golfs-at-water-sucking-desert-courses

they should be ashamed of themselves. as the saying goes, 'heads are buried in the sand'
but as long as the country clubs & other golf courses are green in the desert it's all good.

by the way, country club members should be beat w/ golf cart bumpers & thrown on top of cactus & rock

hedonist

Yup, chadwick - and you can double those numbers since it now appears to be twice what I originally said has been lost.

That green can be found and created by so many other means, even the cactus (cacti?) you mention. Really, what's more important, clean available water, or something aesthetically pleasing to a few?

Our younger cat George has a fixation with water. He'll sit on the bathroom counter meowing for us to turn on the faucet like his life depends on it (truth be told, pretty fucking cute). He's now limited to 15 seconds of slurping.

brianlux

rr165892 said:

brianlux said:

rr165892 said:

Jason P said:

Water conservation my ass. They are playing indoor water volleyball in southern california now!

Dude,that's just a defrosted hockey rink.Bruin Hockey Rules!!!

No no no no, that's close but not quite. It's the new Frozen Gelatin Jumping Ice Hockey. Players must be adept at jumping fences as well as skating on the very slick frozen gelatin. Any more sports questions? Just ask me, The Sports Guy. ;-)

Ok,Bri then answer me this.I don't want to come off like a pig here .Does jumping jello hockey have a woman's team? I am interested in becoming a booster and I'm really glad title 9is still in effect.lol

Oh, definitely. Women's Frozen Gelatin Jumping Ice Hockey is awesome and the boosters get to make all that jello. Have fun!

brianlux

hedonist said:

Yup, chadwick - and you can double those numbers since it now appears to be twice what I originally said has been lost.

That green can be found and created by so many other means, even the cactus (cacti?) you mention. Really, what's more important, clean available water, or something aesthetically pleasing to a few?

Our younger cat George has a fixation with water. He'll sit on the bathroom counter meowing for us to turn on the faucet like his life depends on it (truth be told, pretty fucking cute). He's now limited to 15 seconds of slurping.

Ah Ha! Our Annie knows that same trick. Due to the drought I have to put the faucet on a very slow drip for a short while and she looks at me like, "THAT'S IT??" But her bowl is always full of fresh water. :-)

evsgjamm

Hedonist and brianlux... you've painted an adorable picture of your cats begging for water, getting what they want, and then cooing under the tap for a few moments in blissful heaven.

hedonist

Our cats are like hilarious, perpetual children...not spoiled (mostly) but admit my husband and I are suckers for their antics, mews, and exposed bellies!

This is part of why we chose to have no kids

evsgjamm

Hedonist and brianlux... you've painted an adorable picture of your cats begging for water, getting what they want, and then cooing under the tap for a few moments in blissful heaven.

brianlux

We spent our day off/ my pre-b.day day up at the summit off US 50 checking out the wildflowers and...holy shit...it...RAINED! Not sure it was enough to affect 99.9% of the state but we'll take anything we can get!