Aguanomics makes a flashback of his trip to the Salton Sea, where he discovered America (as it is, not as imagined). He wrote:
For a long time, I have wanted to drive AROUND the Salton Sea, e.g., the east side of the Sea. Yesterday, we decided it was a good time to do that. When we got to the South end of the Sea, what we saw astonished me!
In an absolute DESERT, we are growing alfalfa. The fields go to the horizon, and there are hundreds and hundreds of stacks of alfalfa. This is in a place where the summer temperature reaches 120-125 degrees! And they are growing it by flooding fields. And without water, the land is absolutely barren. This is where 20% of all California's water is used.
I know that the Imperial Irrigation District is one of our favorites so you should enjoy this insanity.
Note that 15% of California's water is used to grow alfalfa. The Imperial Valley uses 7.5% of ALL water in California. Zetland poses the right question (which is half the solution):
So why do farmers grow alfalfa? Because they only pay $17/AF of water (recall that urban consumers pay over $1,000/AF for water)... Modesto Irrigation District's farmers pay $23.50 per acre for the basic allotment of water, then $11.75 per acre-foot. Didja see that! If you use enough water, you get more at half price! Those rates are not just crazy low, but the decreasing block rate structure makes them uneconomical (and perhaps criminal, given the current drought).
Thanks Zetland, it is a most powerful note. I liked the word "criminal". You are one of us, it's water flowing in our veins. Now let me be the impertinent old water fool that I am and ask, you have had it now on your blog for one year, what did you do with it?
Aguanomics makes a flashback of his trip to the Salton Sea, where he discovered America (as it is, not as imagined). He wrote: 
3 comments:
Incidentally, here is a related article from the local paper on how this water issue extends into AZ.
The solution to the California water problem is to first break the state up into two states. Once broken up SoCal can either simply cut off the supply of water to the farms, or implement an internal bidding system whereby the water departments and irrigation districts in the state bid for their water. Considering that some of the urban WD's are paying 1,000 an AF the farmers will go out of business.
If such a market is set up it must only include the sources and users of water. The optimal setup would be to have a weekly private bid, with a monthly water forecast and planning meeting. Based on the experience during the Cali electricity crisis, outsiders should not be allowed in.
Ronduck, I read the link you provided and I se that slowly the West is coming to the same solution that was adopted by Israel: desalting brackish water, higher prices. The Yuma desalter can make water at 0.38 $ per cu m (466 $ per acre ft) which is cheaper than Israeli ocean desalting projects. Yet the Yuma plant is not operating now from 15 years. You still have much, much water till you reach Israeli situation.
The only point I will add is that water recycling is already very common here for secondary uses like landscaping. Slowly the city of Mesa is convincing landlords and businesses to have landscaping that consists of desert plants that do not require water, and all of the cities of the valley are recycling water for landscaping. Eventually all landscaping will consist of cactuses and desert shrubs that need no water at all.
Local water managers often state that we will be better off as the state develops since every acre of land that is converted from farmland to houses consumes less water.
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