[Homestead] Water issues in CA

Gene GeRue genegerue at ruralize.com
Sat Nov 1 13:14:55 EDT 2008


On Nov 1, 2008, at 9:36 AM, Clansgian at wmconnect.com wrote:

> But in SoCal where many of those farms are located it never rains  
> enough to
> farm.  Bone dry desert cities all over the South West have been  
> expanding as
> though if you just had enough money, you could provoke the rivers  
> into supplying
> more and more and more water.

For even more, and possibly worse, bad food news, consider the  
Ogallala Aquifer--ancient water being used much faster than it is  
being replenished.

"The Ogallala Aquifer is being depleted at a rate of 12 cubic km  
(420,000 million ft3 or 9.7 million acre feet) per year, amounting to  
a total depletion to date of a volume equal to the annual flow of 18  
Colorado Rivers. Some estimates say it will dry up in as little as 25  
years."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer

The greatest vulnerability of any homestead land is insufficient  
inexpensive water. If you use electricity to get your water you are  
fully exposed to the price of electricity.


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