Causes Of Drought In California

California is facing the most dramatic drought in history! As a consequence, more problems have occurred in the state. People are facing the struggle of not having enough water to bathe, wash clothes, and do dishes. This massive drought started three years ago and has not gotten any better. Farmers and citizens are fighting over the water. As a result, water is running out and the only any to save it is to have laws. Based on the economic problems citizens are facing, the county should control aquifer use because people are suffering without water, and with the wells there are pressures on the San Andreas plate.
Citizens of the state of California are faced with many challenges that affect their everyday lives. “That includes deciding whether to use precious water hauled from the local fire stations for the ‘bird baths’ Mrs Gallegos says everyone now has instead of showers, or flushing the toilet” (Source 2). The drought in our economy has grown in
the last years and has faced the many difficulties for the people not as wealthy as others. ”Just over 95 per cent of the state now faces severe drought conditions and nearly 60 per cent is in exceptional drought, the highest of five rankings by the US drought monitor” (Source 2). Towns just 30 minutes away from Los Angeles are battling not having any water (Source 2). Those people do not possess enough income to move to places with more water.
The people that do possess the money to buy wells for their own personal use is hurting the environment as well. “...drilling wells without considering the environmental impact. ‘Groundwater is like a bank account. You can’t take out more than you put in on an ongoing basis” (Source 3). This can eventually cause environmental disasters. “Groundwater pumping could also put more stress on the San Andreas Fault”(Source 3). In effect, the environmental effects of digging all the wells has an impact on the plates. The wells are hollowing out the water in the ground, as a result the ground is slowly sinking causing pressure on the plate (Source 3). The opposing argument states that people should dig what they please and not have laws, mostly towards farmers.
“If you own property, you can dig and you can pump as much groundwater as you want”(source 3). If everyone used this than the quantities of water we have left would disappear. Another, problem with this thought is people are possibly stealing water from their neighbors, then the neighbors drill holes and find that there is no water. As farmers that drill wells have a good point, there is more flaws than positivity. As a result of all the evidence, there should be regulations on aquifers because of the environmental impacts of everyone drilling wells, and people running out of water. The ground is being emptied of groundwater, making pressure on the San Andreas fault line. Also people are going days without water. Going days without flushing the toilet, taking a shower, and washing clothes or dishes. At the rate we are losing water, we need regulations to stop people from taking advantage of the
aquifers.