<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px"><div class="" style=""><span class="" style="font-family: Belizio, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; content: ' '; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html<br class="" style=""></span></div><div class="" style="font-family: Belizio, Georgia, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"><span class="" style="font-family: Belizio, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; content: ' ';">Op-Ed</span><span style="font-family: LAHeadline, serif; line-height: 56px;" class=""> </span></span></div><h1 class="" itemprop="name" style="font-size: 58px; line-height: 56px; font-weight: 400; display: inline; font-family: LAHeadline, serif;">California has about one year of water left. Will you
ration now?<br class="" style=""></h1><div class="" style=""><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class=""><span class="" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); padding-right: 3px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold;">By </span><span itemprop="author" style="color: rgb(255, 84, 67); font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;" class="">JAY FAMIGLIETTI</span></span></div><div class="" style="color: rgb(255, 84, 67); font-size: 13px; font-family: Georgia, serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Given the historic low temperatures and snowfalls that pummeled the eastern U.S. this winter, it might be easy to overlook how devastating California's winter was as well.</span><br class="" style=""></div><section class=""
data-role="panelmod_articleBody" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; clear: left; width: 1039px;"><div itemprop="articleBody" data-role="panelmod_articleBodyParagraphs" class="" style=""><div class="" data-role="pagination_page" data-content-page="1" style=""><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">As our “wet” season draws to a close, it is clear that the paltry rain and snowfall have done almost nothing to alleviate epic drought conditions. January was the driest in California since record-keeping began in 1895. Groundwater and snowpack levels are at all-time lows. We're not just up a creek without a paddle in California, we're losing the creek too.</div><aside class="" data-content-embedlocation="Embed + (1)" data-content-id="81145412" data-content-size="medium" data-content-type="gallery"
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ease; -webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 0.8s ease; -webkit-transform: none; position: relative; width: 519.5px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: top; float: left; clear: right;"><div class="" style="width: 519.5px; -webkit-transform: none;"><div itemprop="video" class="" data-role="mediamanager_item" data-state="thumbnail" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo_ndn" style="position: relative; z-index: 10; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 292.21875px; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;"><a data-role=" mediamanager_trigger" id="83050789" data-video-attributes="{"type": "ndn", "id": "83050789", "video_id": "28710194", "wid": "15771","tracking_group":"91002","autoplay": "false"}" data-state="no_image" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#"
style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67); display: block; width: 519.5px; padding-bottom: 292.21875px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><figure data-role="imgsize_item" class="" imgheight="300" imgwidth="550" imgratio="16x9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 292.21875px; position: relative; width: 519.5px; height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55031c62/turbine/la-snow-drought-bad-news-for-california-20150313" alt="Snow Drought Bad News For California" class="" title="Snow Drought Bad News For California" data-content-naturalwidth="1600" data-content-naturalheight="900" data-ratio="16x9" data-width="550" data-height="300" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55031c62/turbine/la-snow-drought-bad-news-for-california-20150313/550/550x309" style="display: block; -webkit-transform: none; -webkit-backface-visibility: visible; opacity: 0.7; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height:
100.69999694824219%; ; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; bottom: 0px; margin: auto !important; padding: 0px !important; width: auto !important;"></figure></a></div><div class="" data-role="gallery_item lightbox_metadata" data-pagenumber="1" data-pagecount="6" style="z-index: 50;"><span class="" data-role="gallery_toggleCaption" style="display: block; float: right; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 11px; z-index: 10; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 13px; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); cursor: pointer; height: 20px; padding-right: 10px; background-color: rgb(40, 40, 40);">CAPTION</span><span class="" style="display: block; clear: none; padding: 10px 10px 5px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; height: 20px; background-color: rgb(40, 40, 40); text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden;">Snow Drought Bad News For
California</span></div></div></aside></div><div class="" data-role="carousel_view" style="position: relative; width: 519.5px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-transform-style: preserve-3d; -webkit-transform: translate3d(0px, 0px, 0px) scale3d(1, 1, 1);"><span class="" data-role=" carousel_nextpage lightbox_next" style="; top: calc(28.125% - 10px); font-family: trb_Icons; text-align: center; font-size: 14px; cursor: pointer; z-index: 121; -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; right: 0px;"></span><span class="" data-state="carousel_hidden" data-role=" carousel_prevpage lightbox_prev" style="; top: calc(28.125% - 10px); font-family: trb_Icons; text-align: center; font-size: 14px; cursor: pointer; z-index: 121; -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; left: 0px; opacity: 0.3;"></span><div class="" style="width: 519.5px; -webkit-transform: none;"><span class="" data-role="lightbox_close" style=""></span><div class=""
data-role="carousel_list" style="width: 519.5px; position: relative; padding: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; overflow-x: visible; white-space: nowrap; transition: -webkit-transform 0.8s ease; -webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 0.8s ease; -webkit-transform: none;"><span class="" data-role="embed_info lightbox_info" style=""></span><aside class="" data-content-embedlocation="Embed + (1)" data-content-id="83050789" data-content-size="medium" data-content-type="video" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo-ndn" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page carousel_filmstripitem mediamanager_container " data-state=" carousel_selectedfilmstripitem carousel_activepage " style="display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 0.8s ease; transition: -webkit-transform 0.8s ease; -webkit-transform: none; position: static; width: 173.15625px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: top; float: none; clear: both; opacity:
1; white-space: normal;"><div class="" style="width: 173.15625px; -webkit-transform: none;"><div itemprop="video" class="" data-role="mediamanager_item" data-state="thumbnail" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo_ndn" style="position: relative; z-index: 10; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;"><a data-role=" mediamanager_trigger" id="83050789" data-video-attributes="{"type": "ndn", "id": "83050789", "video_id": "28710194", "wid": "15771","tracking_group":"91002","autoplay": "false"}" data-state="no_image" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67); display: block; width: 173.15625px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"
class=""><figure data-role="imgsize_item" class="" imgheight="100" imgwidth="200" imgratio="16x9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 97.390625px; position: relative; width: 173.15625px; height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55031c62/turbine/la-snow-drought-bad-news-for-california-20150313" alt="Snow Drought Bad News For California" class="" title="Snow Drought Bad News For California" data-content-naturalwidth="1600" data-content-naturalheight="900" data-ratio="16x9" data-width="200" data-height="100" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55031c62/turbine/la-snow-drought-bad-news-for-california-20150313/200/200x113" style="display: block; -webkit-transform: none; -webkit-backface-visibility: visible; opacity: 0.7; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height: 100.69999694824219%; ; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; bottom: 0px; margin: auto !important; padding: 0px !important; width: auto
!important;"></figure></a></div><div class="" data-role="gallery_item lightbox_metadata" data-pagenumber="1" data-pagecount="6" style="z-index: 50;"><span class="" style="display: block; clear: none; padding: 5px 0px; margin: 0px; font-size: 13px; height: 25px; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; cursor: pointer;">Snow Drought Bad News For California</span></div></div></aside><aside class="" data-content-embedlocation="Embed + (1)" data-content-id="81145231" data-content-size="medium" data-content-type="video" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo-ndn" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page carousel_filmstripitem mediamanager_container " data-state=" carousel_nextpage " style="display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-transform: none; position: static; width: 173.15625px; overflow: hidden; -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.8s ease; -webkit-transition: all 0.8s ease; opacity: 1;
vertical-align: top; float: none; clear: both; white-space: normal;"><div class="" style="width: 173.15625px; -webkit-transform: none;"><div itemprop="video" class="" data-role="mediamanager_item" data-state="thumbnail" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo_ndn" style="position: relative; z-index: 10; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;"><a data-role=" mediamanager_trigger" id="81145231" data-video-attributes="{"type": "ndn", "id": "81145231", "video_id": "26474558", "wid": "15771","tracking_group":"91002","autoplay": "false"}" data-state="no_image" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67); display: block; width: 173.15625px; padding-bottom:
97.390625px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><figure data-role="imgsize_item" class="" imgheight="100" imgwidth="200" imgratio="16x9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 97.390625px; position: relative; width: 173.15625px; height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-53f647bb/turbine/la-are-desalination-plants-the-future-of-water-in-droughtstricken-california-20140821" alt="Are Desalination Plants The Future Of Water In Drought-Stricken California?" class="" title="Are Desalination Plants The Future Of Water In Drought-Stricken California?" data-content-naturalwidth="1600" data-content-naturalheight="900" data-ratio="16x9" data-width="200" data-height="100" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-53f647bb/turbine/la-are-desalination-plants-the-future-of-water-in-droughtstricken-california-20140821/200/200x113" style="display: block; -webkit-transform: none; -webkit-backface-visibility: visible; opacity:
0.7; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height: 100.69999694824219%; ; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; bottom: 0px; margin: auto !important; padding: 0px !important; width: auto !important;"></figure></a></div><div class="" data-role="gallery_item lightbox_metadata" data-pagenumber="2" data-pagecount="6" style="z-index: 50;"><span class="" style="display: block; clear: none; padding: 5px 0px; margin: 0px; font-size: 13px; height: 25px; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; cursor: pointer;">Are Desalination Plants The Future Of Water In Drought-Stricken California?</span></div></div></aside><aside class="" data-content-embedlocation="Embed + (1)" data-content-id="81144496" data-content-size="medium" data-content-type="video" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo-ndn" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page carousel_filmstripitem mediamanager_container " data-state=" carousel_nextpage " style="display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px;
padding: 0px; -webkit-transform: none; position: static; width: 173.15625px; overflow: hidden; -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.8s ease; -webkit-transition: all 0.8s ease; opacity: 1; vertical-align: top; float: none; clear: both; white-space: normal;"><div class="" style="width: 173.15625px; -webkit-transform: none;"><div itemprop="video" class="" data-role="mediamanager_item" data-state="thumbnail" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo_ndn" style="position: relative; z-index: 10; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;"><a data-role=" mediamanager_trigger" id="81144496" data-video-attributes="{"type": "ndn", "id": "81144496", "video_id": "26537308", "wid": "15771","tracking_group":"91002","autoplay": "false"}" data-state="no_image"
href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67); display: block; width: 173.15625px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><figure data-role="imgsize_item" class="" imgheight="100" imgwidth="200" imgratio="16x9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 97.390625px; position: relative; width: 173.15625px; height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-53f6395a/turbine/la-california-drought-stings-honeybees-beekeepers-20140821" alt="California Drought Stings Honeybees, Beekeepers" class="" title="California Drought Stings Honeybees, Beekeepers" data-content-naturalwidth="1600" data-content-naturalheight="900" data-ratio="16x9" data-width="200" data-height="100"
src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-53f6395a/turbine/la-california-drought-stings-honeybees-beekeepers-20140821/200/200x113" style="display: block; -webkit-transform: none; -webkit-backface-visibility: visible; opacity: 0.7; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height: 100.69999694824219%; ; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; bottom: 0px; margin: auto !important; padding: 0px !important; width: auto !important;"></figure></a></div><div class="" data-role="gallery_item lightbox_metadata" data-pagenumber="3" data-pagecount="6" style="z-index: 50;"><span class="" style="display: block; clear: none; padding: 5px 0px; margin: 0px; font-size: 13px; height: 25px; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; cursor: pointer;">California Drought Stings Honeybees, Beekeepers</span></div></div></aside><aside class="" data-content-embedlocation="Embed + (1)" data-content-id="81154465" data-content-size="medium" data-content-type="video"
data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo-ndn" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page carousel_filmstripitem mediamanager_container " data-state=" carousel_nextpage " style="display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-transform: none; position: static; width: 173.15625px; overflow: hidden; -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.8s ease; -webkit-transition: all 0.8s ease; opacity: 1; vertical-align: top; float: none; clear: both; white-space: normal;"><div class="" style="width: 173.15625px; -webkit-transform: none;"><div itemprop="video" class="" data-role="mediamanager_item" data-state="thumbnail" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo_ndn" style="position: relative; z-index: 10; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;"><a data-role=" mediamanager_trigger" id="81154465" data-video-attributes="{"type": "ndn", "id":
"81154465", "video_id": "26542814", "wid": "15771","tracking_group":"91002","autoplay": "false"}" data-state="no_image" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67); display: block; width: 173.15625px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><figure data-role=" imgsize_item" class="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 97.390625px; position: relative; width: 173.15625px; height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-53f7996a/turbine/la-drought-in-west-literally-moves-mountain-20140822" alt="Drought in West Literally Moves Mountain" class="" title="Drought in West Literally Moves Mountain" data-content-naturalwidth="1600" data-content-naturalheight="900" style="display: block;
visibility: hidden; -webkit-transform: none; -webkit-backface-visibility: visible; opacity: 0.7; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height: 100.69999694824219%; ; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; bottom: 0px; margin: auto !important; padding: 0px !important; width: auto !important;"></figure></a></div><div class="" data-role="gallery_item lightbox_metadata" data-pagenumber="4" data-pagecount="6" style="z-index: 50;"><span class="" style="display: block; clear: none; padding: 5px 0px; margin: 0px; font-size: 13px; height: 25px; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; cursor: pointer;">Drought in West Literally Moves Mountain</span></div></div></aside><aside class="" data-content-embedlocation="Embed + (1)" data-content-id="81613868" data-content-size="medium" data-content-type="video" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo-ndn" data-role="socialshare_item carousel_page carousel_filmstripitem mediamanager_container " data-state=" carousel_nextpage "
style="display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; -webkit-transform: none; position: static; width: 173.15625px; overflow: hidden; -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; transition: all 0.8s ease; -webkit-transition: all 0.8s ease; opacity: 1; vertical-align: top; float: none; clear: both; white-space: normal;"><div class="" style="width: 173.15625px; -webkit-transform: none;"><div itemprop="video" class="" data-role="mediamanager_item" data-state="thumbnail" data-content-subtype="embeddedvideo_ndn" style="position: relative; z-index: 10; height: 0px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;"><a data-role=" mediamanager_trigger" id="81613868" data-video-attributes="{"type": "ndn", "id": "81613868", "video_id": "27530234", "wid": "15771","tracking_group":"91002","autoplay":
"false"}" data-state="no_image" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67); display: block; width: 173.15625px; padding-bottom: 97.390625px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><figure data-role=" imgsize_item" class="" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 97.390625px; position: relative; width: 173.15625px; height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-54345296/turbine/la-californias-coastal-redwoods-stressed-by-recordbreaking-drought-20141007" alt="California's Coastal Redwoods Stressed By Record-Breaking Drought" class="" title="California's Coastal Redwoods Stressed By Record-Breaking Drought" data-content-naturalwidth="1600" data-content-naturalheight="900" style="display: block; visibility: hidden; -webkit-transform: none; -webkit-backface-visibility: visible; opacity:
0.7; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height: 100.69999694824219%; ; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; bottom: 0px; margin: auto !important; padding: 0px !important; width: auto !important;"></figure></a></div><div class="" data-role="gallery_item lightbox_metadata" data-pagenumber="5" data-pagecount="6" style="z-index: 50;"><span class="" style="display: block; clear: none; padding: 5px 0px; margin: 0px; font-size: 13px; height: 25px; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow: hidden; cursor: pointer;">California's Coastal Redwoods Stressed By Record-Breaking Drought</span></div></div></aside></div></div></div></aside><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class=""> Data from NASA satellites show that the total amount of water stored in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins — that is, all of the snow, river and
reservoir water, water in soils and groundwater combined — was 34 million acre-feet below normal in 2014. That loss is nearly 1.5 times the capacity of Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir.</div><aside class="" data-role="panelmod_container imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-load-type="noop" data-panelmod-type="relatedContent" style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; float: right; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); clear: right; position: relative; z-index: 25; width: 360px; left: 20px; font-family: Times; font-size: 10px;"><div class="" style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 340px; min-width: 340px; max-width: 340px; position: relative; z-index: 1000; padding-right: 10px; height: 160px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" class="" data-role="panelmod_opener" style="font-size: 15px;
margin-bottom: 3px; line-height: 18px; font-weight: 700; font-family: Belizio, Georgia, serif; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); float: left; clear: both; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="" style="font-family: trb_Icons;">l</span>Related </a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-hertsgaard-jerry-brown-fracking-20150206-story.html" data-role="imgsize_item" class="" imgheight="150" imgwidth="150" imgratio="1x1" style="display: block; float: left; clear: left; width: 130px; height: 130px; margin-right: 20px; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67);"><img data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-54d43132/turbine/la-oe-hertsgaard-jerry-brown-fracking-20150206" alt="Gov. Jerry Brown's fracking problem" class="" title="Gov. Jerry Brown's fracking problem" data-content-naturalwidth="2048" data-content-naturalheight="1336" data-ratio="1x1" data-width="150" data-height="150"
src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-54d43132/turbine/la-oe-hertsgaard-jerry-brown-fracking-20150206/150/150x150" style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 130px; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.25s ease 0s; transition: opacity 0.25s ease 0s;"></a><dl class="" style="margin: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0px; clear: none; width: calc(100% - 150px); float: left; height: 109px; overflow: hidden;"><dt class="" style="margin-bottom: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(52, 141, 160); text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-hertsgaard-jerry-brown-fracking-20150206-story.html" class="" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(52, 141, 160);">OP-ED</a></dt><dd class="" style=""><a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-hertsgaard-jerry-brown-fracking-20150206-story.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67);" class=""><span class="" style="font-weight:
700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18px; font-family: LAHeadline, serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); word-break: normal; width: 143px;">Gov. Jerry Brown's fracking problem</span></a></dd></dl><span class="" style="padding: 6px 0px 0px 10px; clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-transform: uppercase; white-space: nowrap;"><a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" data-role="panelmod_opener" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">SEE ALL RELATED</a></span></div><div class="" data-role="panelmod_opener" style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: middle; border-right-width: 10px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: transparent; overflow: hidden; width: 55px; -webkit-transform: translateX(-25px); cursor: pointer;"><div class="" style="width: 55px;"><div class="" style="position:
relative; left: 35px;"></div><a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; display: block; min-height: 56px; position: relative; left: 5px; padding-right: 15px; text-align: right;">8</a><div class="" style="position: relative; left: 35px;"></div></div></div></aside><div id="" class="" data-role="adloader adloader_ad" data-state="adloader_unloaded" data-withinviewport-options="bottomOffset=100&topOffset=1000000" data-adloader-position="articleBanner_3" data-adloader-size="320x50" data-adloader-adtype="sidebarbanner" data-adloader-label="" style="position: relative; margin: 60px auto 2em 20px; width: 320px; min-height: 67px; float: right; clear: both; z-index: 1; font-family: Times; font-size: 10px;"></div><div
style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Statewide, we've been dropping more than 12 million acre-feet of total water yearly since 2011. Roughly two-thirds of these losses are attributable to groundwater pumping for agricultural irrigation in the Central Valley. Farmers have little choice but to pump more groundwater during droughts, especially when their surface water allocations have been slashed 80% to 100%. But these pumping rates are excessive and unsustainable. Wells are running dry. In some areas of the Central Valley, the land is sinking by one foot or more per year.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">As difficult as it may be to face, the simple fact is that California
is running out of water — and the problem started before our current drought. NASA data reveal that total water storage in California has been in steady decline since at least 2002, when satellite-based monitoring began, although groundwater depletion has been going on since the early 20th century.</div><aside class="" data-content-id="83044660" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="story" data-content-subtype="story" data-role="socialshare_item imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-state=" " data-load-type="comment" data-load-method="innerHtml" style="margin: 11px 40px 35px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 250px; overflow: hidden; -webkit-transform: none; float: left; z-index: 1; font-family: Times; font-size: 10px;"><div class="" style="width: 250px; -webkit-transform: none;"><span data-content-kicker="Editorial" class="" style=""></span><a class=""
href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-exide-to-close-vernon-plant-20150313-story.html" data-content-media-present="true" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67); float: left; width: 250px; position: relative; display: block;"><figure data-role="imgsize_item" class="" imgheight="150" imgwidth="300" imgratio="16x9" style="margin: 4px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 140.625px; position: relative; width: 250.5px; height: 0px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); overflow: hidden; float: none;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55026199/turbine/la-ed-exide-to-close-vernon-plant-20150313-thumbnail" alt="How was Exide allowed to pollute for so long and endanger so many people?" class="" title="How was Exide allowed to pollute for so long and endanger so many people?" data-content-naturalwidth="2048" data-content-naturalheight="1365" data-ratio="16x9" data-width="300" data-height="150"
src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55026199/turbine/la-ed-exide-to-close-vernon-plant-20150313-thumbnail/300/300x169" style="display: block; overflow: hidden; float: none; -webkit-transition: opacity 0.25s ease 0s; transition: opacity 0.25s ease 0s; -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height: 100.69999694824219%; ; left: 0px; right: 0px; top: 0px; bottom: 0px; margin: auto !important; padding: 0px !important; width: auto !important;"></figure></a><div class="" data-role="lightbox_metadata" style=""><a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-exide-to-close-vernon-plant-20150313-story.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67); float: left; width: 250px; position: relative; display: block;"><span class="" style="display: block; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: LAHeadline, serif; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; font-size: 20px; line-height: 24px;">How
was Exide allowed to pollute for so long and endanger so many people?</span></a></div></div></aside><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Right now the state has only about one year of water supply left in its reservoirs, and our strategic backup supply, groundwater, is rapidly disappearing. California has no contingency plan for a persistent drought like this one (let alone a 20-plus-year mega-drought), except, apparently, staying in emergency mode and praying for rain.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">In short, we have no paddle to navigate this crisis.</div><aside class="" data-role="panelmod_container" data-panelmod-type="comments" style="margin: 20px 0px 20px
20px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; float: right; border-left-width: 1px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); clear: right; position: relative; z-index: 25; width: 360px; left: 20px; font-family: Times; font-size: 10px;"><div class="" style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 340px; min-width: 340px; max-width: 340px; position: relative; z-index: 1000; padding-right: 10px; height: 160px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" class="" data-role="panelmod_opener" style="font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 18px; font-weight: 700; font-family: Belizio, Georgia, serif; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); float: left; clear: both; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="" style="font-family: trb_Icons;">c</span>Comments</a><div class="" style="clear: both; width: 340px; min-height: 115px; height: auto;"><ul class=""
style="-webkit-hyphens: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; top: calc(100% - 20px); word-wrap: break-word; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.6em; font-family: Georgia, serif; width: 90% !important; padding-left: 0px !important;"><li class="" style="display: inline-block; box-sizing: border-box; width: 306px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; font-style: italic; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><div class="" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Agriculture is responsible for 80% of California's fresh water use (State Dept of Water Resources). Agriculture represents 3% of California's $2.2 Trillion economy (State Dept. of Finance). Interior and exterior residential water use, including lawns and swimming pools, accounts for...</div><div class="" style="font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: nowrap;
padding-top: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">BUDLITE6</div><div class="" style="font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-size: 10px; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: nowrap; padding-top: 0px;">AT 10:29 AM MARCH 13, 2015</div></li></ul></div><span class="" style="padding: 6px 0px 0px 10px; clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-transform: uppercase; white-space: nowrap;"><a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" data-role="panelmod_opener" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">ADD A COMMENT</a></span><span class="" style="padding: 6px 0px 0px 10px; clear: right; float: right; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-transform: uppercase; white-space: nowrap;"><a
class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" data-role="panelmod_opener" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">SEE ALL COMMENTS</a></span></div><div class="" data-role="panelmod_opener" style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: middle; border-right-width: 10px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: transparent; overflow: hidden; width: 55px; -webkit-transform: translateX(-25px); cursor: pointer;"><div class="" style="width: 55px;"><div class="" style="position: relative; left: 35px;"></div><a class="" href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html#" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; display: block; min-height: 56px; position: relative; left: 5px; padding-right: 15px;
text-align: right;">189</a><div class="" style="position: relative; left: 35px;"></div></div></div></aside><div id="" class="" data-role="adloader adloader_ad" data-state="adloader_unloaded" data-withinviewport-options="bottomOffset=100&topOffset=1000000" data-adloader-position="articleCube_4" data-adloader-size="300x250" data-adloader-adtype="cube" data-adloader-label="" style="position: relative; margin: 60px auto 2em 20px; width: 300px; min-height: 250px; float: right; clear: both; z-index: 1; height: 267px; font-family: Times; font-size: 10px;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Several steps need be taken right now. First, immediate mandatory water rationing should be authorized across all of the state's water sectors, from domestic and municipal through agricultural and industrial. The
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is already considering water rationing by the summer unless conditions improve. There is no need for the rest of the state to hesitate. The public is ready. A recent Field Poll showed that 94% of Californians surveyed believe that the drought is serious, and that one-third support mandatory rationing.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Second, the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 should be accelerated. The law requires the formation of numerous, regional groundwater sustainability agencies by 2017. Then each agency must adopt a plan by 2022 and “achieve sustainability” 20 years after that. At that pace, it will be nearly 30 years before we even know what is working. By then, there may be no groundwater left to
sustain.</div><aside class="" data-content-id="83043787" data-content-size="small" data-content-type="pullquote" data-content-subtype="pullquote" data-role="socialshare_item " data-state=" " style="margin: 10px 40px 40px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 250px; overflow: visible; -webkit-transform: none; font-family: Belizio, Georgia, serif; font-weight: 700; float: left; font-size: 10px;"><div class="" style="width: 250px; -webkit-transform: none;"><span class="" data-role="socialshare_sharetext" style="display: block; padding: 24px 0px 0px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 28px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word;">Total water storage in California has been in steady decline since at least 2002 ... while groundwater depletion has been ongoing since the early 20th century.</span><span class="" style="display: inline; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-size: 12px; font-weight: 400;">- </span><div class=""
data-role="lightbox_metadata" style=""><a class="" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_toggleState socialshare_container" data-socialshare-context="pullquote" data-socialshare-url="/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313-story.html" data-socialshare-title="California has about one year of water left. Will you ration now?" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55020931/turbine/la-oe-famiglietti-drought-california-20150313" data-socialshare-description="Total water storage in California has been in steady decline since at least 2002 ... while groundwater depletion has been ongoing since the early 20th century." data-socialshare-slug="la-total-water-storage-in-california-has-been-in-steady-decline-since-at-least-2002-while-groundwater-20150312" data-socialshare-content="pullquote" data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-content-id="83043787" data-socialshare-default-image=""
style="overflow: hidden; z-index: 12; width: 50px; height: 35px; display: block; ; margin-left: -10px; margin-top: 5px; -webkit-transition: all 0.1s; transition: all 0.1s; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none; color: rgb(255, 84, 67);" href=""><span class="" data-role="socialshare_share socialshare_setdefault" data-socialshare-type="twitter" style="width: 40px; height: 43px; float: left; cursor: pointer; font-family: trb_Icons; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 21px; display: inline-block; line-height: 23px; font-weight: 400;"></span></a></div></div></aside><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Third, the state needs a task force of thought leaders that starts, right now, brainstorming to lay the groundwork for long-term water management strategies.
Although several state task forces have been formed in response to the drought, none is focused on solving the long-term needs of a drought-prone, perennially water-stressed California.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Our state's water management is complex, but the technology and expertise exist to handle this harrowing future. It will require major changes in policy and infrastructure that could take decades to identify and act upon. Today, not tomorrow, is the time to begin.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Finally, the public must take ownership of this issue. This crisis belongs to all of us — not just to a handful of decision-makers. Water is our
most important, commonly owned resource, but the public remains detached from discussions and decisions.</div><div id="" class="" data-role="adloader adloader_ad" data-state="adloader_unloaded" data-withinviewport-options="bottomOffset=100&topOffset=1000000" data-adloader-position="pageBottomCube" data-adloader-size="300x250" data-adloader-adtype="cube" data-adloader-label="" style="position: relative; margin: 40px 0px 0px 20px; width: 300px; min-height: 250px; clear: both; float: right; z-index: 1; height: 267px; font-family: Times; font-size: 10px;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">This process works just fine when water is in abundance. In times of crisis, however, we must demand that planning for California's water security be an honest, transparent and forward-looking process. Most important, we
must make sure that there is in fact a plan.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class="">Call me old-fashioned, but I'd like to live in a state that has a paddle so that it might also still have a creek.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class=""><em class="" style="">Jay Famiglietti is the senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech and a professor of Earth system science at UC Irvine.</em></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); position: relative; width: calc(100% - 340px); font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;" class=""><span style="font-weight: 700;" class="">Follow the Opinion section on
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