Could it be rain?

I’m quite excited over the weather predictions for this week. According to three weather websites, they are predicting rain 2 or 3 days this week. It is very exciting. We haven’t had rain this early in the fall season in about 4 years. I’m really hoping that this means we will have a very wet autumn and winter, and these next few months will pull us out of our terrible drought. Lately, I’ve been thinking that we were going in the direction of Australia, which has been in a record 7-year drought (12-year drought by some articles).

I recently wrote a post showing how much water is left in our reservoirs, they are heading towards the empty mark, meaning we are quickly running out of water. Our local department of water and power has reduced the amount of days we can water our lawns and has restricted our water usage. My fear is that we may be heading towards a desert climate, instead of a semi-arid, temperate climate. Not that I don’t appreciate a desert climate or region. Much of Arizona’s population lives smack-dab in the middle of the Sonoran desert, and they have a booming population. However, I have read many articles that point to our next real problem: water shortages.

We might someday see a drought like Australia's here in the western United States- image by Treehugger

The last time my husband and I drove to Mesa, Arizona (just outside of Phoenix) to visit his family, we noted the sprawl of housing developments miles from the Phoenix city limits. My first thought on these communities is, why did they choose to expand this far out? Where are they getting their water from? Apparently, they get much of their water from the Colorado River and from underground aquifers. Some of their water also comes from the Salt River, but these water sources may not be enough to keep up with their population growth.

An article I read a few months back predicted that the Phoenix area of Arizona had enough water to last them 100 years. Well, that’s all well and good for the current occupants who won’t be alive 100 years from now, but what about their grandchildren? To me, this suburban sprawl seems ridiculous if water is in short supply. My only thought is that city officials aren’t thinking any farther into the future than a couple of generations. Perhaps they feel that a solution will appear or it will begin raining more in years to come.

However, history tells of something different. The Anasazi civilization, which lived around the Colorado River around 1200 AD, is said to have fled the area due to a severe water shortage, deforestation, and soil salinization. Tree rings in the area tell of a period showing a 23-year drought. If this lenghthy of a drought befell the west today, many states, including my home state of California, would be in big trouble due to the size of our population.

If we actually receive the rain predicted this week, it will be a promising sign that things are turning around. Our biggest problem in Southern California, is our large population dependent on a very limited water supply. A few months ago, I told my husband that I predict in 5 to 10 years Los Angeles county will encourage property owners to reduce their lawn size. He laughed when I said this, but from what I’ve read about semi-arid regions and the stress the Colorado River is under, this is not a far-fetched prediction. I hope I’m wrong.