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California drought: As land sinks, farmers' brainstorm on water [View all]
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The deepwater aquifer being tapped by thousands of wells throughout the valley will take generations to restore, experts say. And if the sinking isn't stopped, everything from house foundations to railroad lines - such as the high-speed rail planned for the valley - could suffer.
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Federal water officials are shipping none of their normal allotment this year for most agricultural use, and state officials are shipping just 5 percent. Some agencies such as Hurley's get more - he's receiving 65 percent of normal, his lowest allocation ever - because of historic water rights dating back as many as 100 years. But if the drought persists, harder change will come to those users, too.
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Dipping so much into that water with no rainfall to recharge it is causing the clay layer to collapse, which in turn makes the land on the surface sink. The area around Los Banos has subsided more than most areas of the valley, according to maps compiled by the California Water Foundation.
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Nobody knows exactly how big the valley's draw on the deep aquifers is, since California is the only Western state that doesn't regulate its groundwater. But overall, groundwater supplies nearly two-thirds of the state's water, and scientific studies tracking the drought unmistakably tie the usage to the land subsidence.
--- Snip ---
The deepwater aquifer being tapped by thousands of wells throughout the valley will take generations to restore, experts say. And if the sinking isn't stopped, everything from house foundations to railroad lines - such as the high-speed rail planned for the valley - could suffer.
--- Snip ---
Federal water officials are shipping none of their normal allotment this year for most agricultural use, and state officials are shipping just 5 percent. Some agencies such as Hurley's get more - he's receiving 65 percent of normal, his lowest allocation ever - because of historic water rights dating back as many as 100 years. But if the drought persists, harder change will come to those users, too.
--- Snip ---
Dipping so much into that water with no rainfall to recharge it is causing the clay layer to collapse, which in turn makes the land on the surface sink. The area around Los Banos has subsided more than most areas of the valley, according to maps compiled by the California Water Foundation.
--- Snip ---
Nobody knows exactly how big the valley's draw on the deep aquifers is, since California is the only Western state that doesn't regulate its groundwater. But overall, groundwater supplies nearly two-thirds of the state's water, and scientific studies tracking the drought unmistakably tie the usage to the land subsidence.
--- Snip ---
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-drought-As-land-sinks-farmers-5649466.php
28 replies
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