By Rachel Ramirez, CNNPphotographs Ryan Christopher Jones for CNN
Updated 4:01 AM ET, Sun, June 5, 2022
(CNN) The Gary Briggs family has not had water from their private well for more than a decade after years of drought and over-pumping of agriculture and industry.
Now, the eight-acre farm in West Goshen, California, which Briggs left to his son Ryan in the 1970s, has dried up and is empty. His son and granddaughter carry water from sources for drinking and showering. They go to town to wash their clothes, Briggs says.
In recent years, the family has relied on water from cisterns provided by state programs, which they say tastes awful, to haul water containers to and from neighbors – neighbors willing to share what they have left.
Briggs, 72, still remembers when the family estate had a successful orchard. When he was a teenager, he planted walnuts and oranges, and his father grew alfalfa and raised cows and sheep.
“It’s all dirt now,” Briggs, a lifelong resident of California, told CNN. “Central California is dying. We’re becoming a desert. A hot and dry desert.”
“And God forbid, I don’t know how long this drought will last,” he added. “Believe it or not, climate change is here and California is right for it.”
While cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco are struggling to reduce water consumption – water that comes mostly from state reservoirs – California’s groundwater-dependent rural residents are already depleted. They live with daily worries that they will not have enough water to bathe or drink.
Gary Briggs says his family’s well in West Goshn dried up many years ago.
Ruth Martínez is an advocate of clean water who lives in the small town of Ducor.
Governor Gavin Newsom called on city dwellers and businesses to reduce water consumption by 15%, but water consumption in cities increased by 19% in March compared to March 2020, when the current drought began. As the country ran out of water, unprecedented water cuts began to apply to city dwellers this week – in parts of Southern California, residents were urged to cut consumption by 35% to avoid a total watering ban later in the summer.
The scorching summer heat is also approaching. Water evaporates from the soil on hot days, exacerbating drought – a key reason for the emergence of a shortage of groundwater that has never been seen before. Not only was there not enough rain to fill the tanks, the air draws water from what is left on the ground.
Then there is the contamination from the industry.
Ruth Martínez, who lives in the small, unincorporated town of Ducor in Tulare County, has been committed to clean water for decades. In a city of about 600 people, mostly Latinos, their drinking water has been contaminated with nitrates, usually caused by fertilizers used in agriculture.
Following several complaints from residents, Ducor received a state grant in 2015 that allowed the community to drill a deeper well – about 2,000 feet – for access to clean water. But it only worked for three years before Martínez says a new well-run shop across the street from their residential well again threatened their own water supply.
“We didn’t even know about it until we saw the bathing equipment, and when we saw it, it was drilled and everything was on the well,” Martínez told CNN. “The drought has really made the situation worse because we don’t have the [water] pressure we had. We had water quality problems and we had to buy bottled water at the store and the like.”
Martínez, a member of Ducor’s water board, says she has expressed concerns among neighbors who want to know what the government will do. He tells CNN that locals blame agriculture and industry for exacerbating the crisis by pumping more groundwater, despite declining supplies.
Briggs, whose family farm is in Tulare County, also points to nearby dairy farms, which he says have drilled deeper wells and pumped more water from the ground, leaving less water for residential use.
The groundwater beneath the rural communities of central California has not recovered from the previous drought when it was hit again by the current one. And the drought situation in California quickly reappeared this spring. Not only did the state not get nearly enough rainfall this winter to cause drought, the winter snowfall was painful below average, causing little to melt and run off into rivers, reservoirs and groundwater.
The San Joaquin Valley – where Tulare County is located – is already in the worst category of U.S. drought supervisor.
Kelsey Hinton, communications director at the Community Water Center, a group that advocates for affordable access to clean water, said the problem is complex and can be traced back to decades of planning policy.
“The first thing to understand is that these communities have been historically uninvested since the beginning,” Hinton told CNN. “They were not even involved in the general planning for the municipality or considered successful communities that will grow over time. But these are people’s homes, these are their neighbors, they have decades of life and community and they want to grow and they want to have the infrastructure.”
Water has long been considered a property right in California, which means property owners can pump as much water as they want. This has become a problem in a changing climate. During the drought, the water from the pool was pumped out faster than it could be filled.
The National Law on Sustainable Groundwater Management, adopted in 2014, was aimed at tackling excessive abstraction – especially from agriculture – and balancing depleted aquifers. Nevertheless, permits to drill wells have expanded “with little control,” Hinton said.
In March, Newsom issued an executive order strictly banning local agencies from issuing drilling permits to agriculture and industry, according to a 2014 bill, unless they conduct a comprehensive review of how drilling would affect households around them. But Hinton says the order includes temporary measures that will only last until the end of the drought. Water advocates are counting on a bill to be passed by the state legislature that would permanently strengthen oversight of the permitting process.
Martínez, who has worked with César Chávez and the peasant workers’ movement, is a leading spokesman in efforts to pass this law swiftly, as climate change is accelerating the effects of drought.
“We need to get together with legislators and the various communities affected by this and find out, learn about what we can do to prevent certain things from happening,” she said. “All the water-related issues frustrate me. What holds me back is that I’ve noticed only a few improvements.”
Briggs said that given how drastically different the Central Valley is today, compared to those when he planted trees on his family’s farm as a child, there is no doubt that the climate crisis is taking its toll.
“We’re in this part of the country that’s slowly dying because no one takes us seriously,” Briggs said. “I tell my grandchildren, as soon as you get out, leave this area, go somewhere where there is water because this place is dying.”
What is causing the drought in the West?
In other words, climate change is responsible for about 40 percent of the intensity of the current drought. Drought conditions are mainly due to increased evapotranspiration due to rising temperatures and melting of the snow cover at the beginning of the season, which creates longer dry periods.
What are the main reasons for the California drought? Historical and constant droughts in California are the result of a lack of rainfall (or snowfall), higher average temperatures, and dry air masses in the atmosphere.
Why is the West having a drought?
A new study in Nature Climate Change shows that the warming climate on Earth has caused a drought in the west about 40 percent more severe, making it the driest part of the region since 800 AD. And there is a very high probability that the drought will continue until 2030.
What is causing drought in the West?
A new study in Nature Climate Change shows that the warming climate on Earth has caused the western drought to be about 40 percent more severe, making it the driest part of the region since 800 AD.
What is the main cause of the drought?
Drought is caused by low rainfall over a long period of time. Atmospheric conditions such as climate change, ocean temperatures, changes in jets and changes in the local landscape are all factors that contribute to drought.
Is the Western drought caused by climate change?
Drought “severity” in the “western” “US” A study published in Nature Climate Change says that 42% of soil moisture problems for the 2000 to 2021 drought were due to man-made climate change. And in 2021 alone, the contribution of humanity was 19%.
Is the California drought caused by climate change?
Climate change is expected to result in more volatile weather patterns across California. Greater variability can lead to longer and more severe droughts and floods, posing major challenges to California’s water supply. An atmospheric river that brings water to California.
Is drought caused by climate change?
How climate change contributes to drought: higher temperatures increase evaporation, which reduces surface water and dries out soil and vegetation. As a result, periods with little rainfall are drier than they would be in colder conditions. Climate change is also changing the timing of water availability.
Why is the American West so dry?
As the warm air rises over the mountain from the west, all the remaining moisture from the Pacific Ocean condenses into clouds. As a result, the air dries out as it passes over the mountain, leaving the air to the east of the mountain dry. Copyright 2021 KMVT / KSVT.
Why is the Western US drier than the eastern US?
Cold waters don’t evaporate as easily, so places like Los Angeles tend to stay dry. On the east coast, however, warm water from the Gulf travels along the east coast, allowing for greater evaporation and further contributing to the humidity of the east coast.
Why is the west side of the US so dry?
The main reason is the differences in annual rainfall in the United States. West of the Great Plains in the areas usually only about 5 to 10 inches of rain fall per year. If we move east, rainfall increases – reaching 20 to 30 inches per year.
Is California still in a drought 2021?
Due to high temperatures in California in April and early May, 2021 has become a critical dry year. The snow was melting and runoff was evaporating faster in the Sacramento, Feather and American River basins. The state continues to monitor the situation due to the drought.
Is California still in a drought in 2022? 2022 is the driest year in California to date – an ominous sign for summer and fall.
Is California facing a drought?
California is facing severe and extreme drought after two consecutive years of La Niñe, and the hot and dry summer season has not yet begun. Heat waves. Severe drought. Extreme wildfires.
Is California in a drought right now 2020?
Key points. In California and Nevada, droughts spread and worsened in 2020 as dry conditions have developed over the past year. Below-average rainfall, including a weak monsoon, and above-average temperatures and demand for evaporation have exacerbated drought conditions and brought a record fire season.
Is California in a drought 2021?
2021 Review All 58 counties in California have now been declared drought emergencies. Most rain and snow falls in California from November to April. It fills the tanks and aquifers we use to supply homes, businesses and farms.
Is the California drought getting better?
For the first time in more than a year, all of California is excluded from the worst category of drought, as the country’s overall outlook shows much improvement since the start of the water year.
Is California drought getting better?
Unfortunately, as March draws to a close and there are no storms on the horizon, we can say with almost certainty that the drought in California in 2022 will get worse. For more: Why did Californians save less water in 2022.
Is California still in a drought 2020?
Current situation Drought coverage in the last 2 weeks has remained the same as some rain and snow has fallen over California and Nevada. Long-term deficits of precipitation from 2020 and the first quarter of the water year 2021 remain so far.
Is California in extreme drought?
Escriva-Bou said the two-year droughts in California were relatively normal, but 2020 and 2021 were extremely hot and dry – a difficult start to 2022. “This year the situation will be much worse than last year,” he said. “The cumulative effect of the third year of drought makes it difficult to manage.”
Is California in a severe drought?
More than 93 percent of California is considered to be in severe or extreme drought. “We’re definitely at the end of our wet season in California,” Jeanine Jones, head of drought from the California Water Resources Department, told me.
Is California still in a drought 2020?
Current situation Drought coverage in the last 2 weeks has remained the same as some rain and snow has fallen over California and Nevada. Long-term deficits of precipitation from 2020 and the first quarter of the water year 2021 remain so far.
What is California’s climate?
Time & amp; Seasons Much of California has a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. On the coast, the average daily high temperature is around 70 ° F and above, but can occasionally rise to 80 ° F or more on the hottest summer days; low temperatures are rare, even in winter.
Which city will run out of water first?
According to current projections, Cape Town will run out of water in a few months. This coastal paradise with four million inhabitants at the southern tip of South Africa will become the first modern major city in the world to completely dry up.
Which cities are most likely to run out of water? Here are 10 cities in the world that are currently facing freshwater supply problems.
- Sao Paulo. In São Paulo, Brazil, a drought system in the largest city in South America is dangerously depleted due to drought. …
- San Diego. …
- Las Vegas. …
- San Antonio. …
- Beijing. …
- New Delhi. …
- Mexico City. …
- Cairo.
Which US city will run out of water?
El Paso, Texas, according to the Associated Press, the country’s population is expected to double to more than 50 million by 2050.
Will US run out of water?
If water consumption is not drastically reduced, severe water shortages will affect the entire planet by 2040. “By 2040, there will be no water if we continue with what we are doing today.”
Is Texas running out of water?
There are 8 million acres of such water, more than four times more than Region C will need in fifty years, and almost the entire deficit for the entire state of Texas in 2060.
What city is the 1st major city to plan a water shut off?
Cape Town is in the unenviable position of being the first major city in the modern age to face the threat of running out of drinking water.
Which is the first city inching closer to run out of water?
The problem is that Chennai has become the first major Indian city to face acute water shortages. Every morning, millions of residents line up daily to fill cans and pots with water from state water trucks across the city. Some residents get their daily water quota, others once a week.
What is the first major city to run out of water?
Cape Town may be the first major city to run out of water, but it won’t be the last.
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