The California Rains Didn’t End the Drought

The recent deluge of rain in California caused considerable inconvenience, including threats of flash floods and mudslides which made it necessary for people to evacuate their homes. Nevertheless, probably more than a few Californians welcomed the downpour, seeing it as the end of one of the worst droughts in the state’s recorded history.

Unfortunately, the drought remains. Although the rains helped somewhat to replenish some reservoirs, they barely began to compensate for an intense dry spell now entering its third year.

To illustrate, Los Angeles received 2.97 inches of rain on March 1, which raised the total rainfall it received to 5.16 inches since last July. But that is still 6.16 inches below normal. On that same day, San Francisco got 8 inches, which still left it with only 44 percent of its normal rainfall.

“Despite these recent storms,” said Richard Stapler of the California Natural Resources Agency, “it would still have to rain every other day until around May to reach average precipitation totals, and even then we would still be in a drought due to the last two dry years.”

Of particular concern is the impact of the drought on agriculture. Farmers still face the prospect of having to leave millions of acres uncultivated, which will result in losses of billions of dollars. Much of California’s agriculture depends on irrigation using ground water. In 2009, researchers found that agriculture in the state was using up ground water at an unsustainable rate. The recent downpours will do little to replenish the water table. The rainwater in a heavy deluge typically runs off into streams instead of seeping down into the ground.

To meet the continuing challenges, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a $687 million plan for drought relief, and called on Californians to conserve water. That’s a good idea, but it will only go so far if matters don’t improve fairly soon. Some scientists believe that the state may be entering an extended spell of drought, perhaps lasting decades or more.

A key issue is population growth. More people will place more demands on limited supplies of water. Between now and 2049, just 35 years, the population of California is projected to grow from the current total of 38 million to 50 million. Foreign immigration will be responsible for much of that increase. That is a policy citizens can change.

With drought still gripping California, serious discussion about population needs to begin. If we citizens fail to set reasonable limits, nature most probably will impose her limits on us. And the consequences won’t be pleasant.