East Bay water users may have to slash usage

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/05/13/MNVE10KVE0.DTL

They are finally getting near-er to being real about the water crisis that Northern California is now experiencing. And even with the usage curtailment being proposed it will not resolve a serious problem that is derived from no sustaining snow pack on the Sierra Nevada mountain range for two or three snow seasons.

Rationing is an excellent first response but no solution for Northern or Southern California's perpetual thirst. As most of us know Southern California is dependent on Northern California for it's water. What is being proposed by the state is enlarged containment reservoirs in the north. Which is the modern day equivalent of the rain dance and of course more expensive and far less fun.

And also they are not discussing what will actually happen if their is not significant snow pack on the mountains this winter. And though it is not a media sanctioned topic of discussion it is the core concern for all of us living in California.

What i believe we will soon be told is this water situation ...might REALLY be serious. And if the snow pack on the Sierra's is now something that's becoming a memory. Then allot of us are going to be expected to move away from the faucet as the North will experience what the south does already.. A semi desert being sprinkled by a long hose from the north. We'll that hose is going dry and our reservoirs here in the north will nolonger fill both the north and the south's water needs.

The other significant source of water for southern California is the portion taken from the Colorado river and is now going the way of all rivers who depended on a snow pack.

And I don't see the government having many quick choices other than piping water to the northern and southern sections of California from Canada. Thank God.... we built that southern border steel fence first. Will Canada furnish water for California's needs? you betcha and for a price. Will we the taxpayers of California pay the price? Do frogs jump? They sure do for water and they croak for sex. But if for some strange reason Canada declined to sell us the water we want would we just take it? You can bet your britches or 501's we would take it and more if needed to keep the major productive state in the nation from going into a dry up drought.

"Now you might and should respond "That just sounds bazaar!" We'll is it bazaar and irrational to pump water as we are now doing through a 500 mile cannel so some dude can water a postage stamp lawn or a few guys can hit a ball towards a little hole on acres of green grass and then multiplied by a few thousand? But what ever it is if we don't have adequate snow in the north the issue of the allotment of H2O is mute north or south.

You may think this proposal is the result of sun stroke effect. But by comparison consider this. Their has been suggestions in some parts of the world that a artic glacier be towed off there coast and then a crew of gremlins with ice picks fill buckets with ice for transport to the parched mainland. Hey, that sounds good to me especially if the glaciers where not now melting. And whether the current drastic climate changes are caused by sun spots, no spots or even the green house effect the worlds glaciers are now going into the oceans and melting.

And the real fall back for our reassurance and which is only spoken silently to ourselves regarding topics such as this: "Hey, it can't happen here. We are a highly industrialized nation and with American know-how who can resolve problems such as these." Which maybe followed by: " This is not Africa in the eighties where the crops failed due to drought and then millions of people and animals died."or "And besides God's on our side in all of our national endeavors." as our dear leader has proclaimed and more than once."

Have we got the resources to continue this fantasy that California has lots of water and we can use it where and how ever we please? It would now seem the answer is: No!

But even so 23 million of the states population is located south of Monetary and any water that the northern portion may have is considered a resource for the needs of the south. And they plan to open the tap with a southern financed and passed ballot measure.

And will the issue that the state has acknowledged it is broke be a factor? We'll i would think it will be for the bond raters and the lenders. Meaning what this will actually cost to borrow. And then the people who will be expected to pay for this continued folly. And that's us the thirsty 30 million living in the northern and the southern parts of California..

So those blood in the sand water wars will soon seem like computer games in comparison to what we will experience if it doesn't snow allot on the tall mountains this coming winter.