The view from Lake Oroville is stunning.
The massive reservoir has 167 miles of snaking shoreline. In
many areas the lake is hundreds of feet deep, capable of holding 3.5 million
acre-feet of water.
But what may be most astonishing is what you don't see here:
The water level has plummeted nearly 200 feet in some areas. Vast hills and
rolling valleys of brown, which used to be covered in water, now tower out of
the lake bed.
It's a troubling sign for all of California, and symbolic of
the devastating drought in the West. Oroville is the second largest reservoir
in the region, supplying cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles with water
used for drinking, irrigation, and even fighting fires.
Scientists say it would take 11 trillion gallons of water
the pull the state out of this crippling drought, and when you see Oroville -
especially with a drone's perspective - you can see how big of a hole the
region is in.
In all there are 12 major reservoirs scattered across the
Golden state. Each one plays a critical role in water supply and distribution.
But the water levels at each one sit well below the historic average for this
time of the year. Some of the largest reservoirs are operating at just a small
fraction of capacity.
California won't run out of water anytime soon - but, with
many experts saying there's no sign the drought will quickly - what we see at
reservoirs is an indicator the region is in serious trouble.
Governor Jerry Brown as already declared a state of
emergency in California - and he's ordered everyone in the state to cut their
water used by 25 percent. But that goal hasn't been meet. And in the meantime
water levels continue to sink at reservoirs.
Oroville, like many of the other lakes in the region, is fed
two ways: 1) by melting snow pack ... 2) by major storms. But with a dismal
snow season, and hot, dry weather in the forecast, there is little relief on
the horizon.
Covering this historic drought for the last 4 years, I've
seen some dramatic images emblematic of the West's current crisis. With a drone
the view is both breath taking - and alarming. California looks to be in
serious trouble.
Governor Jerry Brown as already declared a state of
emergency in California - and he's ordered everyone in the state to cut their
water used by 25 percent. But that goal hasn't been meet. And in the meantime
water levels continue to sink at reservoirs.
Oroville, like many of the other lakes in the region, is
feed two ways: 1) by melting snow pack ... 2) by major storms. But with a
dismal snow season, and hot, dry weather in the forecast, there is little
relief on the horizon.
Covering this historic drought for the last 4 years, I've
seen some dramatic images emblematic of the West's current crisis. With a drone
the view is both breath taking - and alarming. California looks to be in
serious trouble.
We believe that it is about time that we roll up our sleeves
and go to work rebuilding America. We need
to build “Erie canals” type of systems to transfer water from the east towards
the west or even from Washington state and Oregon towards California.
Source: www.actionnewsnow.com