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soon2bafvet t1_j469cf7 wrote

We want this drought to be over

Not like that

441

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

158

medfordjared t1_j47k030 wrote

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

87

mountainlynx72 t1_j493pvi wrote

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

24

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

15

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.

14

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.

7

darkgalaxypotato t1_j48mgb1 wrote

i would also like to hear the answer to this

6

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.

3

RamsHead91 t1_j48wopo wrote

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

4

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.

3

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!

3

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.

2

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.

38

hobbitdude13 t1_j483xl6 wrote

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

4

Dynasuarez-Wrecks t1_j476thw wrote

The rain is great for our state. Maybe it could have been spread out instead of dumped all at once though.

249

churrmander t1_j47ma8v wrote

The Salinas river valley is now the Salinas lake valley.

Almost no one can leave.

81

[deleted] t1_j48lfkg wrote

Climate: "Look, people, we don't want no trouble. There's no water here so you should just leave.

People: "Fuck off we're stayin!"

Climate: (Grabs baseball bat...)"Now youse can't leave."

64

Dynasuarez-Wrecks t1_j48x0ym wrote

I was going to go to Sequoia National Park on Monday, but the flooding and storm warnings changed my mind. Not to mention, I live in a direction that I access the park by the south entrance through a town called Three Rivers, and a landslide has demolished at least one road there.

5

BLDoom t1_j47vmqf wrote

That would be for the best. Unfortunately climate change causes weather to be more extreme. In both directions.

19

UltraAlphaOne t1_j4ydsao wrote

That’s California weather. But really drought only exists because humans live reproducing like bacteria and in the process we make our environment a cesspool while complaining and crying and praying for everything to be perfect.

1

woodworkerdan t1_j46zvt0 wrote

The storms have brought much needed water, but we’ve been in drought so long that even a couple weeks of monsoon weather won’t make me believe we’re out yet.

210

magheet t1_j47fgbw wrote

Luckily here in Colorado the western slope is getting higher than normal accumulation. That will help a lot come this summer. Refill the Colorado River at least part way.

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showMEthatBholePLZ t1_j4866lr wrote

Exactly. This is good but not the end. It would take many good rains over many seasons to get all of California drought free.

I recall it being more about the way the ground retains moisture and how it’s been affected after being dry for so long.

11

bermudaphil t1_j48qd60 wrote

Anyone who lives somewhere hot where it can go lengthy periods without rain, even if it is just a seasonal thing, should understand why this rainfall isn't going to solve the draught, even if the sheer amount of water that fell theoretically could have in a basic model that doesn't account for what happens during a lengthy period without rain.

Even just a few months here without rain and the ground is so hard, it becomes more like hardened clay than soil or dirt, and the rain doesn't seep into it quickly, meaning any winds, slopes, etc. make it just roll/flow away before it saturates the soil.

It takes times for the soil to become pliable and accept rain, and I don't know the actual science about it but I sure know that when it gets dry in the summer here, the first heavy rains don't feel like they've done much for how much rain there was, and it seems like all they've done is fill up pools.

By the time it has rained a few times and the ground gets more receptive to absorbing water, the rains definitely have a notably different impact.

That is after 1-4months of fairly dry weather, and I live somewhere with exceptionally high humidity. California has had many, many years of draughts far more extreme and very little humidity, so it is going to take far more than just a few torrential rains before they get anywhere close to being out of a draught. You can't expect the reversal of many years of something extreme to occur within just a short period of the opposite, at least not in most situations.

11

ghoulthebraineater t1_j48uuik wrote

Yep. Water likes to stick to water. If the ground has some moisture already the water is more than happy to go into the ground with all of its other water molecule buddies. If the ground is completely dry it takes more time so it will either pool up or just keep flowing.

3

5050Clown t1_j46wq1q wrote

The drought is definitely over in the parking lot of my friends apartment complex. Anyone want to buy a Tesla that has water damage due to being completely submerged?

107

KingSystem t1_j46xgzy wrote

Should be fine just put it in a swimming pool of rice

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mtcwby t1_j484i7m wrote

A guy we know has storage space and currently have a dozen late model teslas stored there with destroyed batteries. There's a high likelihood they're totals due to battery replacement costs.

To be fair, insurance usually totals cars in floods now. There were floods in the midwest years ago and after the cars were fixed they had nothing but problems with electronics thereafter.

16

Alexzander1001 t1_j47vw56 wrote

Heavy rain doesn’t really solve drought, it needs to be over long periods of time otherwise the water can’t be absorbed into the soil

9

jvanstone t1_j48121x wrote

Ask "B is for Build" on Youtube. He just bought like 4 of them.

3

DamonFields t1_j47jnc9 wrote

It will take years of these storms to recharge the much depleted aquifers in California.

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ShitImBadAtThis t1_j48jsbj wrote

Yeah according to the article the entire state is still in massive & extreme drought. It's just not in the absolute worst category anymore

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avrealm t1_j48rlyz wrote

It's not in the absolute worst category

So far ;)

8

UltraAlphaOne t1_j4ye232 wrote

No, we’ll keep reproducing like bacteria and demanding ever more.

1

Stlr_Mn t1_j48jybo wrote

Isn’t it centuries/millennia?

−1

DesignInZeeWild t1_j479c95 wrote

We get rain tomorrow in LA and I’m stoked for it! We very much need it.

24

PhilosophicWax t1_j47aj9j wrote

You're now just in "moderate and serve drought". https://www.drought.gov/states/california

24

daxon42 t1_j480m1i wrote

Exactly. It’s the ‘dead in 1 second’ vs ‘dead in 2 seconds’ problem. Still not out of the drought. At new years, they said we needed 19 more storms like that one to replenish the snowpack and reservoirs properly. Nature took it as a high priority todo and has been grinding.

15

DanteJazz t1_j481ik5 wrote

Thank goodness! The reservoirs are starting to fill up (1/3+ now). The snowpack is 150% to 200% of normal in different part of the Sierras. The rivers are getting their fill. And the groundwater will start to replenish.

Hopefully, they can repair the broken levies, and it's sad for those that lost their lives during the rain storms.

23

Mrepman81 t1_j498lqm wrote

Even if the snowpack is 200% above normal, if the rest of the season is dry, will that be any help?

2

GArockcrawler t1_j49leb0 wrote

An article I read this morning on Accuweather said the current snowpack is greater than what they typically see in April at the end of the season. It seems to me that as long as they can hold onto it e.g. we don't get some weird warming spell that melts it all, they should be good for this year.

1

Deathdealer661 t1_j471v5k wrote

Dont worry we will be back into a drought by summer.

21

Dinglepussers t1_j47af8k wrote

California is right next to the ocean. Just get some more water /s

14

Creative_Ambassador t1_j47wvor wrote

Most of that water is sitting puddled in my backyard and on the back-upped storm drain on my street.

11

DDLJ_2022 t1_j486ys1 wrote

I wish there was a system where the water could be sent to the reservoirs and not flow back to the ocean.

I wish our city also allowed us to store rain water. It would be helpful in gardening and growing crops.

9

58Caddy t1_j488jtp wrote

Then utilities wouldn't make any money from you. Can't have that can we?

6

medoy t1_j48omcg wrote

I don't think storing your own rain water is that helpful in most of California. It rains for 5 months then doesn't rain much for 7 months. The time I need the water is in those 7 months and you would need an insane amount of storage capacity to make a significant dent.

0

DDLJ_2022 t1_j48rkdr wrote

I would assume any amount would help. If we were allowed I would get big tanks to store the rain water and use it for my trees and plants. Connect them to drip system and I wouldn't be using the drinking water.

4

invincibl_ t1_j49amt7 wrote

This was a common DIY project especially back when we had a decade-long drought in most of Australia.

IBC tanks are a pallet-sized tank that is commonly used to transport fluids. You can acquire one (or several) of these for a few hundred dollars. Then you can just redirect your downpipe to the tank, put a filter in to catch leaves and other junk, install a hose fitting and you're done.

4

medoy t1_j48u9d3 wrote

What is the espoused reason that is prohibited where you live?

2

DDLJ_2022 t1_j49fn57 wrote

After your comment I did some digging and looks like city won't care if you collect it in bins etc. You will need a permit if you make a reservoir on your property to collect rain water. I will start doing small collection now.

1

bermudaphil t1_j48r7m8 wrote

Well, if the water is pulled from reservoirs that are unlikely to get filled during those 5 months when people would be primarily being using water they collected from rainfall, then it seems like it would have some positive impact.

This is from the point of view of someone who lives in a country where every. single. house. is constructed with roofs that catch, purify and store water for usage. Not a third-world country, a quite wealthy one.

During the summer people do have to purchase water during the few months with very little rainfall, but it isn't as if those months where we get to have full tanks due to rainfall, and get to have that water not be bogged down by chemicals, are having no positive impact. Quite the opposite, in fact.

2

medoy t1_j48s92i wrote

Most of California's water consumption is from agriculture. A couple personal catchment systems would make little difference.

Its hard to understand until you've lived here how its like the Atacama desert for much of the year and then only modestly rainy for a couple months most years.

Many months are not "very little rainfall" but basically zero rainfall.

5

GArockcrawler t1_j49lkhv wrote

Are you even allowed to do that? I know that some western states prevent you from storing rainwater runoff because it "belongs" in the aquifers or some such nonsense.

1

aphasial t1_j48env8 wrote

That would require environmentalists to allow California to build proper water infrastructure and capital improvements in the form of more and better dams. instead of using their control over the Legislature to browbeat the populace for any water usage and put farmers out of business.

−5

Splinterglass65 t1_j49h8wf wrote

I really wish the news would stop publishing these articles about being out of the drought and all the water we are getting. It just gives people the excuse to use more unnecessarily.

5

iwouldhugwonderwoman t1_j49goq5 wrote

You’re all welcome.

I go out to LA and bring all the rain from coastal east coast with me.

I’m now back over where I belong but at least my team won the national title!

4

Crazy_Ebb_9294 t1_j47u3ev wrote

It’s like God said… y’all prayin for rain… I’ll give it too you and then some!

3

Waris-Tx t1_j48nz10 wrote

It’s only temporary the lakes are NOT refilling. By summer it will be dry dry dry

3

Gaff1515 t1_j4984zf wrote

maybe

1

niibtkj t1_j498xj4 wrote

You realize California is still in "moderate to severe drought," right?

2

Gaff1515 t1_j4994pt wrote

absolutely I am aware of that. but you you think you know exactly whats coming next by saying by summer it will be dry dry dry. you have no clue. so I said maybe

−2

niibtkj t1_j49dma5 wrote

It wasn't even me that made that comment. Also, though it's true we can't 100% predict the future, it's also really, really stupid to say we have no clue. I'm sure you personally don't, but how do you think the weathermen predict rainfall on any given day? Would you say they ultimately "have no clue?" Unless California is drenched in an unprecedented biblical rainfall for months, it's extremely safe to predict how dry it'll be in the future based on how dry it has been for years.

2

AViciousGrape t1_j4dvovz wrote

The lakes ARE refilling. Nearly every single reservoir in the state has risen 20+ ft and counting. Lake Shasta is at 76% of its historical levels and Lake Oroville is at 95% and it continues to rise.

1

Waris-Tx t1_j4dw4a4 wrote

Lake mead has not moved, looked at report today.

1

MacDerfus t1_j49759w wrote

Yeah that's what happens when it rains for basically three weeks

3

huggles7 t1_j48h6va wrote

Is there a way to store the excessive rain water and snow pack for later use?

2

marklondon66 t1_j48ulln wrote

I'll take one of these every month Jan-Mar if that's what it takes.

2

dreamwarrior22 t1_j493z5m wrote

Lake Cachuma is gorgeous again

But a lot of people died so is it really that uplifting?

2

Gaff1515 t1_j4982fb wrote

a lot more people will likely live because of the extra water, no?

4

MacDerfus t1_j49814y wrote

A lot of people died in a different way than they would have

1

patrido86 t1_j4at0kd wrote

too bad El Niño doesn’t happen every year

2

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1

churrmander t1_j47lie1 wrote

Yeah, it's cool and all for us to be out of a drought BUT WE'RE FUCKIN' DROWNIN' OVER HERE!

1

aimtron t1_j47mura wrote

We're not out of a drought. As the headline says, we're out of the worst category of drought. We're still in a drought. Crazy Right?

6

churrmander t1_j47uj5m wrote

I mean it makes sense. We'd probably need yearly rainstorms like what we're seeing now to really make an impact, right?

2

aimtron t1_j48mfos wrote

Yeah, probably for 3-5 years minimum.

1

RedDeuce2 t1_j4862t8 wrote

Still not enough, keep the rain a comin'.

1

SterlingNano t1_j48g31f wrote

Exiting "worst drought categories " does not mean exiting drought. Please do not assume California is okay because it's isn't in "extreme drought" now

1

OnceUponAStarryNight t1_j48mf6n wrote

Even at its best, most of California is an arid climate, so some degree of drought is pretty standard and really isn’t a problem or concern.

3

SterlingNano t1_j48s74q wrote

Actually it's not though. The central valley is arid, and the bottom like 15% is desert, but that's not most of the state.

1

Blitzkrieg404 t1_j495e32 wrote

I'm no expert, but rain that evaporates must come down somehow? Maybe not always in the place, but everything can't be rained in Bangladesh, right?

1

GArockcrawler t1_j49kyvg wrote

The news of the recordbreaking snow pack in the Sierras has been interesting to follow. I understand now how the whole Donner party could have been stranded.

1

glubs9 t1_j48cy03 wrote

This is not uplifting news. This is dystopic news

0

[deleted] t1_j48usqy wrote

Now it's up to the Californian government not to squander our water reserves...

0

one_anonymous_dingo t1_j481hun wrote

"For now" just wait until next year when to cycles get worse.

−1

aphasial t1_j48eciw wrote

Unfortunately, California's abject failure to build more dams or invest in proper hydrological engineering means reservoir capacity is woefully insufficient to extend the use of the water we have for the next dry spell.

−1

FoxGaming00 t1_j48pmd4 wrote

This drought is not over

−1

Curlaub t1_j493wdr wrote

The recent weather is nice but it’s not a long term solution. They’ll be back in a drought soon as the rain stops

−1

T-980 t1_j49sjdo wrote

Doesn’t mean jack if we can’t have normal rain fall yearly

−1

jab136 t1_j48mvc3 wrote

Yah, this isn't good news because it can be used to spin a narrative saying that we don't need to worry anymore about water issues in the west

−2

nolongerbanned99 t1_j47djrb wrote

Ok. Can we wash our own cars now. Please.

−4

solisilos t1_j47vydy wrote

Why do you feel the need to take perfectly good drinking water and throw it on the ground just so your car has shiny paint?

5

jvanstone t1_j481x0j wrote

Same reason I take a shower and wash my dishes. I want my things clean. Also, the water from my tap is not "perfectly good drinking water". It's awful, smells bad, and is far from "perfect". It came from the ground, and it is going back to the ground. It'll be fine.

1

solisilos t1_j4915i2 wrote

washing dishes and your body has a direct impact on your health. washing your car is just a luxury. Also, fresh water is a non-replenishing resource. It goes to the ground, runs to the ocean and then takes nature years or humans a lot of money to use it again for anything. that is very wasteful. I'd recommend getting comfortable with a dirty car if you chose to live in a dry climate.

0

nolongerbanned99 t1_j4ahiq9 wrote

How about no. USA is supposed to be about freedom. And if yiu don’t wanna wash your dishes, brush your teeth or take a shower to ‘save’ the environs, then more power to ya.

But I bought a nice car and I like it all shiny so I’m gonna wash it. Less frequently with the ban but still. I dgaf what happens to the water after it runs off my bright and shiny car>

I know this offends you, but why don’t you try worrying more about what you’re gonna do and less about what other people are doing.

1

solisilos t1_j4ciix1 wrote

Found the snowflake 😂 "bUt My fREedUmB"

2

nolongerbanned99 t1_j4cmove wrote

I dgaf about the environment. It was fine millions of years ago, and it will be fine millions of years from now when humans may no longer walk the earth

1

MacDerfus t1_j4986tw wrote

No, but that was never about the water, just to fuck with you

2

nolongerbanned99 t1_j4agmy0 wrote

Well they did a good job if that. I thought we were living in some socialist country …. Oh, wait

1

jvanstone t1_j481lyf wrote

I don't know who said you can't.

0

NerfHerderEarl t1_j486uvb wrote

Lots of places have bans on washing cars in the driveway. I'm guessing OP just doesn't want to take his car to a professional car wash place.

4

jvanstone t1_j48ernq wrote

Has anyone ever been fined for washing their car in their driveway? I'm on private property. Seems tough to fine me for using water I paid for.

0

NerfHerderEarl t1_j48nvdn wrote

I'm sure there are but I don't live in a county that has enacted those rules. My county only says you have to have a nozzle on the hose so as to not have the water running down the drain the entire time you wash your car. Seems like a pretty fair rule to me.

The mindset of I can use all the water I want as long as I pay for it is fairly shortsighted in my opinion. Especially in a location with such bad drought issues. There were/are municipalities that nearly are out of water for drinking. To "waste" it to keep your car clean because you paid for it would be a dick move in my opinion.

3

jvanstone t1_j493qge wrote

I paid a lot of money for my car and for the water I use once a month to wash it. I'm on my own property using the water I bought and I don't care if anyone is butthurt.

0

nolongerbanned99 t1_j4ah76t wrote

This is all well and good but so many counties in cali temporarily banned washing cars at home. You can take ‘em to a professional car wish but it’s overpriced and they are likely to scratch your car. Drought which is now resolving itself slowly.

1

[deleted] t1_j47oqp6 wrote

Now California don’t immediately forget what a drought is.

−4

NerfHerderEarl t1_j48761v wrote

We're all still in one, just not in the "exceptional" category, only "severe" or "moderate" now.

1

Marksman18 t1_j47jcvq wrote

That's not how it works. The drought has been going on for 2 decades. California would need months if not years of consistent rainfall to truly exit the drought.

−7

imapilotaz t1_j47mdok wrote

Reading is a good skill. Especially beyond headlines. They exited "Exceptional" drought. They are almost all still in other levels of drought.

15

OtakuMage t1_j46tv20 wrote

This is less uplifting than people think because none of this rain went into the Sierras or Rockies. This means still empty lake reservoirs and not enough snow pack.

−12

filipehenrique t1_j477cdw wrote

Have you seen the news? Snowpack in parts of the Sierra’s are already ahead of their April averages.

They are getting snowpack and the reservoirs are being filled.

34

Darryl_Lict t1_j471yr6 wrote

Our local reservoir went from about 8% capacity to overflow predicted this weekend during this season. It's amazing how much rain we got. I don't remember it being like this since I think it was 1996 when we got like three 100 year storms in one year.

27

RoboLucifer t1_j4764iz wrote

I am curious if the problem lies in the fact that although the res is filled again, this is temporary, and there is not necessarily an ongoing source of replenishment. Unless the snowpack is good? I haven't been paying attention.

2

churrmander t1_j47m2i2 wrote

Snowpack in the mountains -- if my enviro science class knowledge serves me well -- is good because it means that reservoirs are replenished over the summer as snow in the lower altitudes of the mountains melts off and flows down river.

No snowpack means the reservoirs aren't continuously fed and thus any fullness will likely only last us this summer at best.

I'm sure I'm incorrect somewhere, so if any environerds wanna chime in, be my guest.

10

imapilotaz t1_j47m649 wrote

You are 100% wrong. The Sierra are WAY ahead in snowpack than "average" and dramatically ahead of recent years.

Mountain lakes/resevoirs are always lowest in winter as all the moisture is sitting frozen in feet of snow above.

27

Kraka2 t1_j47mgu7 wrote

Uh have you seen the snowpack in Mammoth?

10

SuperSlimMilk t1_j47pe14 wrote

Rockies are receiving more than 8+ ft of snow on their summits and a good amount of the moisture from this atmospheric river event made it past the Rockies.

8

timshel42 t1_j47s5rk wrote

didnt they get literal feet of snow from a few of these systems

6

DanteJazz t1_j481wav wrote

Maybe not the Rockies, but the Sierra got rain and snow. The snow pack is 150-200+% of normal. The foothills have got a lot of rain. The reservoirs are starting to fill, but we will still need more rain Feb.-April to fill them.

4

LoveThieves t1_j474zda wrote

read some studies that one rain storm in a month won't fix the drought, even a year of rain, takes decades of normal rain to go back to normal.

3