Front Page  »  

2013, driest year on record

December 30, 2013

pasopipeThe driest year in recorded history has left wells dried up, golden hillsides and distressed wildlife during the typically lush rainy season.

In San Luis Obispo, the city received only 4.5 inches of water in 2013, with average yearly rainfall at 22.4nches. In North County, Paso Robles has received only 1.9 inches of rain since January.

The last time it was this dry in San Luis Obispo was in 1898, with nearly 7 inches.

For the past three years, California has experienced dry winters and as a result, low snow packs.

Meanwhile, California water authorities say the state is facing another drought in 2014. Gov. Jerry Brown has put together a task force to address the issue.

 


Loading...
Subjects:         
Related:


8 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

It’s the driest year on record and if you own property with a stream flow, this would be a good time to formally record the flow rate. Anyone can say that they have year round surface water on their property but to have a professional document this water at this all time low would be real data to have in your property file.


I have hire Cleath-Harris Gologists, Inc., San Luis Obispo. Someone in the future may appreciate this real data. Do it before it rains!


0

Correction: I have hired Cleath-Harris Geologists, Inc. San Luis Obispo.


0

And if there had been accessible water in Naci, we still couldn’t use it because of the outdated water treatment plant. It’s like I bought a new car and paid so much for it, I can’t drive it off the lot.


0

Well thank god we spent 250 million on the Nacimiento pipeline. That will indeed save us next year…..that 17,400 acre feet we are entitled to will be a welcome relief from to continued draught. Never mind that Naci is at 23% of capacity today (and that looks good compared to San Antonio at 5%). Its a good thing we didnt spend that money on a Desalination plant. I mean we would of had to pipe the water all the way from the coastline. Desal plants are never a good answer during draughts. We want that reliable Lake water.


0

Unless I am mistaken, desal is vastly more expensive than reservoirs as a water source. The fact that is more reliable was less relevant when the decision was made to build the Nacimiento pipeline. They mistakenly, but understandably, underestimated the likelihood of an extended drought. Even if they hadn’t, I doubt that the public would have been willing to go along with the guaranteed high expense of a desal system without a firm knowledge that we were headed towards a true desert climate. They addressed the problem as best they could under the circumstances.


If the drought continues, we may all have to pay the heavy price for desal if we want reliable water sources. (If you think your water bill is high now, you haven’t seen anything yet.) We will also have to change a lot of customs and habits to keep costs under some semblance of control. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who resist anything that requires change from them so there will be a lot of associated political conflict.


(PS. The “English Nazi” in me can’t resist the opportunity to inform you that “draught” is an old form of the modern word “draft” and refers to beer not water. :-) )


0

The “task force” will demand more rain!!! Perhaps contact the Pope to see what he

can do; otherwise, let’s just keep on building everywhere and tilling over the soil for more vineyards. This time next year we’ll be seriously considering salt water conversion….

again!!


0

So there must have been global warming in 1898? Was Gore old enough then? Well then..Bravo Brown, a task force to figure out why it didn’t rain in 2014. Just what we kalifornians need is more high dollar tax sucking gov jobs to fund. I say we have to many useless politicians and task forces blowing hot air causing global warming.


0

Todays tea party trope brought to you by the letter k and global climate science


0