All This Rain/ The Drought in Texas

Sorry, Tarrant.

As previously noted, Dallas area is getting close to being out of the drouth. Not quite, especially to the west. And remember, surface water and aquifers are deterrent animals.

Another good surface water graphic:




See also: http://www.texastribune.org/library/...ervoir-levels/

Abilene is wondering where they will get drincking water. W TX still needs a lot of rain just to get back to normal levels.

Abilene is wondering where they will get drincking water. W TX still needs a lot of rain just to get back to normal levels. Originally Posted by pyramider

So with California ... what happens when, and if, water runs out? Is it just not there any longer or one has to purchase jugs/gallons/pools of it?

I'm just wondering what happens when there REALLY is a serious drought in the US? People die of thirst?

I know this sounds like a sophomoric question. But I wonder if the younger generation actually understand that it wasn't so long ago, and it still happens in other parts of the world, no water means death.

Frankly, I worry about the environment for future generations. Hopefully, we'll figure something out.

Well, in other parts of the world there is far more research and engineering being done to develop new methods of desalinization, as well as reviving and improving old methods of desalinization. It would be great if we were to take more time and effort here in the States to solve for that problem as well, but the other places where this is happening (i.e. Israel, the Emirates) are dealing with water scarcity as a more emergent issue. Emergency tends to wake people up to the severity of a problem.

And yet basic physics works too if you have 20 minutes, a pot & lid, a glass and an ocean full of salt water! Assuming this works that is...

Well, in other parts of the world there is far more research and engineering being done to develop new methods of desalinization, as well as reviving and improving old methods of desalinization. It would be great if we were to take more time and effort here in the States to solve for that problem as well, but the other places where this is happening (i.e. Israel, the Emirates) are dealing with water scarcity as a more emergent issue. Emergency tends to wake people up to the severity of a problem. Originally Posted by jdkees

California has several desalinization plants that are only test plants, and not online. The last time I looked, a couple of years ago, the plants were producing drincking water real close the ground water costs. Apparently, the Pacific Ocean is more salty than other water bodies.

No, not all areas are out of the woods. Dallas and east have many lakes back to normal. NW of dfw, many lakes are still below normal.

This past weekend, a relative was complaining about the rain and when I mentioned the drought (I come from a farming background and well, weather is something that I've just always paid attention to), he was still complaining because the water levels in certain lakes were at 100 percent.

However, when I was goofing around on Google yesterday, trying to find definitive answers, mostly what I was reading was the rain had helped, but there were still pockets of Texas that were in severe drought and the DFW area was still listed in drought "mode" (there is some sort of point system that I cannot really regurgitate here because I don't quite understand it).

So my yard is looking good, too. But I've planted some basil, peppers and a few other things and well, some of the plants, in the yard (flowers, etc.) are in poor shape because of so much rain.

I don't really care about a few daisies in the yard. I'm VERY concerned about crops and the drought in California. I mean, this affects our food supply and costs.

It just seems as if people aren't considering the drought when complaining about so much rain.

I'm tired of it, too. Plus, my work slows down when there is a lot of rain. Not always. But a lot of guys don't wish to be in another part of town if there is a lot of inclement weather.

Too easy to get in an accident, etc., or have to explain why you got caught in a flooded area on the other side of town. You know what I mean, right? Originally Posted by ElisabethWhispers

Is there anything grown in California that can't be grown in places with more water? I'm not worried about the food supply at all for that reason.

And yet basic physics works too if you have 20 minutes, a pot & lid, a glass and an ocean full of salt water! Assuming this works that is... Originally Posted by Alastair

Well, that's fine for small amounts but it doesn't really scale.

Like Pyramider pointed out the Pacific is quite salty and difficult to get potable from with the speed and quantities needed to supplement. Then there's the hope of also replenishing the aquifers (underground water) as well, which are all but tapped out in lots of the state. It's one of those types of problems where the method an individual can use to survive just doesn't translate to a useful solution for a population. But there are options.

Pyramider, I've also heard about some minor research on large scale solar cycle methods. Over in either Israel or Jordan I've also read about some attempts to convert old large evaporation pools to replenish local wells. It would be pretty freaky if we wind up using on large scale methods for desalinization that are 3000 years old!

http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/...-aquifers-are/

Well, that's fine for small amounts but it doesn't really scale.

Like Pyramider pointed out the Pacific is quite salty and difficult to get potable from with the speed and quantities needed to supplement. Then there's the hope of also replenishing the aquifers (underground water) as well, which are all but tapped out in lots of the state. It's one of those types of problems where the method an individual can use to survive just doesn't translate to a useful solution for a population. But there are options.

Pyramider, I've also heard about some minor research on large scale solar cycle methods. Over in either Israel or Jordan I've also read about some attempts to convert old large evaporation pools to replenish local wells. It would be pretty freaky if we wind up using on large scale methods for desalinization that are 3000 years old! Originally Posted by jdkees

We have not come up with new ideas in years. There is nothing wrong with modernizing old technology.

In CA, there are so many regulations and so much bureaucracy that getting any desalination plants online are years down the road. Plus, all the coastal communities would be hollering "not in my backyard" when a plant is being proposed in an area. Can you see a desalinization plants 100 miles inland having to pump sea water 100 miles and people bitching about the cost of the drincking water?

http://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/...-aquifers-are/ Originally Posted by TexTushHog

We probably need several very wet Springs and conservation to recharge the aquifers. The conservation is the bugaboo. I have seen some hay growers drill wells and pump out enormous amounts of water to water the hay in the middle of the day. Common sense taint that common any longer.

Good points about aquifer replenishment and related long-term water concerns by Tex Tush Hog and Pyramider.

A lot of folks simply see the news coverage of rapidly rising lake levels and assume all is good.

Ain't so! (Although the outlook is far better than just a couple of months ago.)