California Water Crisis is Real
SAN DIEGO -- In the Bible, Jesus turns water into wine. But in California, there are those who would take that miracle in the other direction.
The Golden State needs water, and lots of it. The place has been parched for the past four years as it suffers through a record drought -- the worst one since California started keeping records 120 years ago.
Neighbors will ask to borrow something, a cup of flour or sugar. Think of California -- which boasts the world's eighth largest economy, and whose name conjures up images of a coastal paradise of lush golf courses, picture-perfect landscapes and abundant waterfalls -- having to ask Arizona to borrow a glass of water.
Actually, neighbor, could we make that 1.5 million acre-feet of water? (One acre foot of water equals about 325,000 gallons. And 1.5 million acre-feet would cover the 25 percent reduction in water usage over the next nine months that Californians have been ordered to achieve.)
Gov. Jerry Brown has announced the Golden State's first ever mandatory statewide water restrictions. Brown is instructing the State Water Resources Control Board to compel cities and towns to cut back drastically.
Other restrictions include cuts in water use on college campuses, golf courses, cemeteries and other sprawling green spaces. Large farms are exempted, but farmers will have to document more carefully how much water they use.
State officials claim that they will impose fines if necessary to force compliance from individuals, but they also say that they hope many Californians will comply voluntarily. People can expect the usual lectures from public officials about taking quicker showers, washing cars less often, and watering lawns more sporadically.
Brown hit those notes as he announced the water restrictions in a news conference southwest of Lake Tahoe.
"We're in a new era," the governor said. "The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day, that's going to be a thing of the past."
The California water crisis -- the one we've heard about, but most of us haven't experienced up to now -- just got real.
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