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soon2bafvet t1_j469cf7 wrote

We want this drought to be over

Not like that

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DrunkAsASoberSkunk t1_j47d6cb wrote

Grounds too dry. Water runs off of it like concrete. I’m guessing that if we want out, this is the way it’ll happen

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medfordjared t1_j47k030 wrote

This is why California's climate plan includes water sequestration.

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mountainlynx72 t1_j493pvi wrote

Green infrastructure is going to be critical everywhere in terms of moderating extreme weather events

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CakeBrigadier t1_j48l0aw wrote

This might be really stupid but are there tools like oil drills that can bore holes through dry ground before storms so water can percolate more easily? Is there a reason why doing this large scale would be a bad idea

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deadpottedplant t1_j48xa4b wrote

As someone who had had wells drilled multiple time and lived off wells, I'll share my experience with the process. I am no expert though. Allowing surface water to run into a 300' well for example, would bypass the natural filtering process provided by the soil. Excrement (animal and otherwise), chemicals, etc, on the surface would be allowed to directly contaminate the water table. In California he water can only come out of the well, never back in. Check valves must be installed on the well head to prevent the water being pulled back out of your house and back into the ground by gravity. This is for residential only in my experience. Some water districts in California are experimenting with injecting clean water back into the ground as storage and to prevent salt water intrusion. Also well drilling is really expensive.

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minhtsai t1_j49314y wrote

To add to this great comment, there are areas around LA designated as the "Ground Water Recharge Basins". This is basically big, temporary ponds to capture water before it gets to the ocean. This water is then naturally filtered into the ground and get pumped back up later for urban use.

https://www.pointblue.org/science_blog/attractive-and-beneficial-groundwater-recharge-basins-can-be-both-for-people-and-wildlife/#:~:text=These%20are%20natural%20or%20artificially,groundwater%20level%20in%20the%20aquifer.

You can see these at the north end of the 605 fwy, near the Santa Fe dam, as an example. Smaller, local projects aim to utilize the soil areas around public roads to channel and hold water so more can soak into the ground. They look like small riverbeds meandering around other landscapes. 10 fwy on ramps in the San Gabriel area seems to have this feature as well as the median on the upper Santa Anita Blvd.

Efforts are being made but probably more can be done.

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DrunkAsASoberSkunk t1_j48mehb wrote

Im not sure. These storms are huge though. If a 100 mile wide storm hits and you wouldn’t have the time or resources.

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darkgalaxypotato t1_j48mgb1 wrote

i would also like to hear the answer to this

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CptHammer_ t1_j4bwr3y wrote

The soil filters the water. Drilling holes as deep as wells will contaminate the ground water aquifers. When a well is drilled a check valve is installed to make sure the water comes out and does not go in.

The idea has merit however. Large ponding basins can be found all over central to southern California. These collect runoff water in artificial ponds for the purpose of recharging the ground water (soaking in). Most of that water is lost to evaporation and there are steps being taken to limit that as well, like floating solar panels to keep the sun off and limit surface area.

When it rains too much in one year, there just isn't enough capture to make up for the several years of not enough rain.

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RamsHead91 t1_j48wopo wrote

Playing devil's advocate. This might increase the risk of sink holes or land slides.

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ghoulthebraineater t1_j48u80s wrote

That just isn't practical. One of the big problems with dry ground is water likes to stick to other water molecules. They will work their way into the dry soil but it takes more time. A good example is comparing how much more and how much more quickly a slightly damp sponge will absorb water versus a completely dry one. If you were to pour water on both you'll see that most of the water will just run off the dry sponge.

If were to drill out a few holes in the dry sponge it's not going to really change much. The hole itself might become a small reservoir but it won't change the rate of absorption.

This would scale really poorly in the real world. You'd need so many holes drilled all over the place. It would be incredibly expensive and logistically impossible not to mention insanely dangerous. Having tens of thousands of open wells isn't a great idea.

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invincibl_ t1_j496q0m wrote

That's why you plant trees (and don't tear up all your forests) because this is describing exactly what their root systems do. They can even reproduce on their own!

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bringRavioli t1_j492jo9 wrote

> Is there a reason why doing this large scale would be a bad idea

This isn't my field of expertise, but I have a couple times seen a demonstration where they pour muddy water through layers of soil, sand, and gravel and it comes out clean, which is basically how groundwater gets more-or-less safe to drink.

I suspect open bore holes would defeat some of those layers and cause groundwater contamination.

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padsley t1_j47w7v7 wrote

Niche but the 1662 Book of Common Prayer has prayers for ending a time of drought including words something like "send such moderate rain and showers" to just be clear that we don't want something too heavy.

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hobbitdude13 t1_j483xl6 wrote

Just don't do the wrong thing or egg beaters will fall from the sky.

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