Posted on 06/24/2023 8:50:10 AM PDT by jcon40
In the face of its worst drought in centuries, California is finally getting around to regulating its groundwater use. As an agricultural economist who studies water regulation in California, I think this is a unique chance to change the way we price groundwater and protect this scarce resource. But I’m worried that we might not make the most of this opportunity.
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The good news is that more than 60 percent of the 102 submitted plans mention policies that will increase the cost of extracting groundwater. This is a huge change from the status quo. The bad news is that the prices are likely to be too low (this level of detail hasn’t been hashed out yet) and are often pegged to the wrong metric. This will prevent the plans from achieving sustainability, and from doing it at the lowest cost.
(Excerpt) Read more at freethink.com ...
But catching the Sierra run off is not an option...
this state (CA) is so stupid.
Up here in NorCA, I’ve been driving over the american river that has been running so high for the past month. All that water has just been flowing down freely, to the sacramento river, to the delta and out to the ocean. What an F’ing waste.
So when i see the advertisements for conserving water, I laugh and run my sprinklers every damn day. Screw them, I don’t pay for it.......
It rained for weeks on end here in the Central Valley yet they kept saying we are in a drought!
I don’t think we have a water problem, we have a Democrat problem (and before you say, the Democrat’s power is in controlling San Francisco, Sacramento and LA, the rest of the state if it could break away would be a Republican state.)
Nothing last forever and that includes corrupt politicians. People and businesses are leaving the state taking their money with them. Sooner or later eve die hard Democrat voters will say enough is enough.
Charging people for extracting groundwater from a well that is on their property is just another way of controlling the masses to subsidize the massive urban areas. Yes there may be a drought but when you have nearly 4 million people in LA proper not counting the surrounding suburbs that is feeding on all water sources it is a drain on mother nature. It is not climate change. It is called a dry cycle which happens in nature. When the rains come again they will squall like a mashed cat because the mud slides are taking out neighborhoods and blame climate change. Wake up folks climate is always changing.
Salmon are on top of the chain. Klamath dams are now being removed. Shasta was designed to be lifted, etc.
Once the taxman gets his foot in the door, rates will skyrocket and the revenue will be squandered. Nothing will change for the better and the middle class will continue to suffer or leave the state.
Taxing farmers so they use less water......what a moronic idea.
All the money Cali pisses away on welfare and other stupid crap, they should be creating desalinization plants for the urban areas and increase the capture of the water they do get.......which is plenty.
I was there for the Rose Bowl. All these barriers to keep water away from fancy houses so it runs rapidly to the ocean.
But illegals get healthcare.
>>anyone who owns a parcel of land can pump groundwater without limit and free of charge
Not quite true, California follows the ‘Correlative groundwater rights’ model, so there IS a limit to what they can pump. Nonetheless, taxing groundwater amounts to a taking of that property, so i don’t see how their scheme could pass constitutional muster.
"Pricing groundwater will help solve California’s water problems. (Scary regulators)"
I question the sincerity of non-popularly elected California government bureaucrats in solving the state's water problems for the following question. Given the article referenced below, Is California water management another front-end government manufactured crisis for funneling California taxpayer dollars to desperate Democrats?
Californians approved billions for new water storage. Why hasn’t it gotten built? (Non-FR; 1.16.23)
California's missing train is also suspicious for the same question imo.
“Pricing groundwater will help solve California’s water problems. (Scary regulators)”
Not nearly effective as getting rid of the Democrats in power ... of course it’ sup to voters to do that so not likely to see any change until the start of the next millennia
Those living in CA should have seen this coming.
Not to worry. I’m fairly certain there will be a cutout for Saudi and Chinese farms.
It was seen 25 years ago. We’ve fought it hard.
The LA area including the LA County/OC etc is closer to 15 million...
It is really unfortunate that California sits so far way from the largest body of water in the world. The problem is not a issue of supply, the problem is an issue of willingness to spend (tax) the consumers to clean and pump the water.
How many desal plants could have been made at the old closed down power plants on the coast with the money California has wasted on their stupid choo choo? Right off the top of my head is Morro Bay. That plant closed years ago and it just sits there.
That happens with every drought in California. When it starts raining again, bureaucrats are reluctant to give up the regulatory power they have assumed during the drought.
God help us if the government gets control of water.
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