President Trump has suggested that water be transported from the Pacific Northwest to California to help fight fires and for agricultural use.
This idea was strongly criticized by many, including the authoritative Seattle Times ClimateLab, which is supported by disinterested, civic-minded advocacy groups and individuals (see below).
But perhaps, examining the weather situation this year, President Trump's error was not in the general idea, but in the direction of water flow.
Specifically, California should consider sending water to the Pacific Northwest, particularly this year.
To illustrate, below is the latest 180-hour forecast precipitation accumulation over the western U.S.
The mountains of northern California and the Sierra Nevada will receive at least twice what will fall on the Cascades and Olympics.
Los Angeles, yes, LA... will get about the same precipitation amount as Seattle.
Do you want to be shocked? If so, look at the forecast precipitation during the next week at Blue Canyon Airport on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada (just northwest of Lake Tahoe). The high-resolution US GFS model is going for about 50 inches of snow!
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Contrast California's wet bounty with the current situation of the Yakima drainage, which is currently well below normal (see below).
Now that I have convinced many of you of the necessity of shipping water north from sodden northern California to the parched Pacific Northwest, is this idea practical?
It may be!
Far easier than the famous water works of southern California, in which water from the Owens Valley was shipped hundreds of miles to LA across formidable terrain.
Using Google Maps, it only took me seconds to find a nice route from the wet northern CA mountains to the dry domain of Yakima and eastern WA. I am sure many of you could do better.
It could be a solution if there is a consistent pattern of CA rainfall. You being the metrologist are in a better position to analyze the likely future rain fall patterns for CA. Is this what you are suggesting we should expect? Thank you
ReplyDeleteLeave the water in the rivers. History has taught us that dams eventually cause more problems than they are worth. Look at dams on Columbia River, High Aswan Dam on the Nile, dams in China, Elwa River Dam. It goes on and on. Conservation and proper river and ground water allocation by states is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteBut you're forgetting the tech driods need the hydro power to charge their $50,000 Teslas, and the water to irrigate the wino grape vineyards.
DeleteYes, I say don't mess with it. Anyone who farms in a desert deserves what they get and should not expect donations. Just my opinion. It makes more sense to farm in Kansas or vicinity. They get 20 inches of rain, more or less, which is more than twice what Yakima gets.
ReplyDeleteAnsel, your comment is...well just WOW! The basin provides PNW with affordable produce and food for people and livestock. Trucking hay or produce from Kansas will cost PNW residents considerably more. The rich soil in the basin, with its nice weather makes it optimal for growing crops with high yield. Plus, with farmers back east they have to rely on rain coming, causing more crop variability when it doesn't rain, causing more price fluctuations. Plus, don't forget they flood and get wind damaged crops. We need to store more water and have more farm land in our desert not less.
DeleteFine, but I say, don't take water from California. They have a lot more droughts than we do and when they get a bounty of water they should store it (or release some for their fish).
DeleteAnsel, I must of misread when you compared Yakima to Kansas rain fall as if basin farmers (they are considered high desert) deserved it. I can see a two way street to help out. Kinda like how the Grand Coulee pumps excess into Banks lake and then can release it back for irrigation or power production. Be good profit for Washington to sell excess water and produce power. Also, it's hard to store water if have to release it all the time for fish. That's why they need more storage as well to balance that equation out. Not to mention they need to figure out if they want a yard or swimming pool or water in river for fish. The water problem down there is bad management of 4 states and Mexico and none of them can come to agreements. Unless we don't want almonds, that will save money, but almond milk has become so popular. :)
DeleteWell, Banks Lake made a nice swimming pool for me! I once did a 1.5 mile open water swim there all on my own, about July 1992 or so. Water was 78 degrees:-)
DeleteI think it's a very good thing that "Ansel" comments here. He is highly representative of Seattle's hipster "environmentalists."
DeleteApril 1st is still three weeks away.
ReplyDeleteFascinating post! It looks like we are going to get a miracle March and an amazing April this year in the PNW. As you alluded, we are below normal in QPF this winter and around 70% of normal Cascade snowpack. The storm track looks to favor us for the next month so hopefully we can beef up our snow pack. Why has the storm track been laser focused on Southern Oregon and Northern California all year? Is there really no clear answer? Perhaps just variability? It has been uber persistent. We've been on the northern side of the jet slamming California.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm…. I know I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but when I look at the globe in the office it sure looks all downhill from Washington to California. 😄
ReplyDeleteMaybe we can just recycle all the waste water we send down the drains instead of all the digging.
Tom
Years ago (?) there was a plan called the North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA) - - a proposed continental water management scheme conceived in the 1950s by the US Army Corps of Engineers. There is a wiki page and "images" are out there too.
ReplyDeleteYes, they were going to build a dam in Canada 1700 feet high and create a giant reservoir there. As an environmentalist it really made me mad. Then I read that the engineer who proposed it wasn't serious and just wanted the foundation doing the study as a tax dodge. That made me feel better.
ReplyDelete..."Seattle Times ClimateLab, which is supported by disinterested, civic-minded advocacy groups and individuals..."
ReplyDeleteLOL. Good one Cliff.
We should make a pipeline to send CA water and big fiber optic for CA to send us sunshine.
ReplyDeleteAnd the cost of this pipeline? Don't let CA get their nose in this tent! Not that I think you are serious.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting idea that could be worth exploring further, so long as we also have a way to ship water from the Pacific Northwest to California should we have excess water available when they don't. They can help us when we need water, and we can help them when they need water. Win-win?
ReplyDelete