A Brief Note On The State Of California - 1609 Words

There are many industries being affected in the state of California due to its exceptional drought. It seems that every industry is being affected by the drought in one way or another. On one hand, industries like agriculture are being forced to cut down on their necessary water usage; On the other hand, industries like oil are being looked over while they waste massive amounts of water and only make the drought worse. How can they do this? How can they take away water from another industry in an attempt to save their oil? How can they watch fields of fruits and vegetables be destroyed in a massive agricultural genocide? This is an outrage, cracking down on some while others get an exemption. It is unfair and unjust for California to allow†¦show more content†¦In 2011, conditions were just abnormally dry and harmless, so they were expected to eventually return to normal. Unfortunately, conditions got so severe that by January 17, 2014; Governor Jerry Brown declared a state o f emergency. On April 1, 2015, the California Department of Water Resources measured the statewide water content of the Sierra snowpack at five percent of the average for April 1st (â€Å"California Drought†, 2015). This snowpack is a crucial water source for streams and rivers, providing a third of the water used by California’s cities and farms, and it is at its lowest level since 1950. As a result, Governor Brown imposed a 25 percent reduction for the state’s 400 local water supply agencies. Previously in January, there was a voluntary 20 percent reduction, but the state largely ignored it. (Megerian, Stevens, Boxall, 2015) After plenty of voluntary water restrictions set by the state failed, California was forced to do something more serious. The state has been reduced to issuing tickets and fees to its citizens for using unnecessary water, for example, fines as big as $500 are being issued to California residents for just simply being caught watering their grass. It has been completely necessary for California to place these restrictions so they can save their water. Restrictions on the local water agencies are resulting in reduced water for cities and more transparency in California’s