As many of you know, California is in a particularly bad drought. Lots of water is being used, but where is it all going?

After its consumed in whichever way it is, it should return back to the planet, but where exactly would the water be going? Back into the ocean?

Just trying to understand the cycle water flows in and out of civilization.

And a side question: by "water reserves," is it usually meant to refer to usable water (filtered/cleaned/etc)? Is it difficult to purify sea water in quantities that can offset California's water reserves' usage?

Some used water is repurified and reused but a lot of it is lost, especially water used for irrigation. Its not like it disappears from the planet but it isn't immediately usable again. I imagine water reserves refers to resevouir levels, this water may not be immediately drinkable but is easy to filter.

Getting usable water out of the ocean (desalinization) is quite costly and very energy intensive so it is not really a practical solution.

A lot of people think water shortages are one of the greatest challenges people will face as our population continues to grow exponentially.

most of californias water is used in agriculture. so as far as what happens to it, its either consumed by plants / animals or goes unused in the soil and returns to ground water (or just in general the water cycle).
california's drought is not necessarily proportional to the reservoir levels, since lake powell (the main southern reservoir) is fed from the rockies. although, im not sure where the yosemite and hetch hetchy reservoir (northern california) gets their water from. california's drought situation is more likely determined by the amount of rainfall the state sees combined with how much snow the mountains receive. so even though california is in a bad drought right now, lake powell and lake mead saw water levels rise 40 feet this summer (and about 20 from last year) because the snowfall in the rockies were fine

I watched a documentary today called Watermark.

It showed, somewhere in California, a very vast area is the highest dust polluted place in the United States. It's a toxic dust, that due to winds and so forth used to travel to populated areas, also due to heavy winds would create toxic nados, clouds, etc.
So, to resolve this dust problem, they started using water, so that the dust doesn't fly and just sticks to the ground. (I think I saw some mountains in the background of the dust winds, I forget)

Anyway, just wanted to say that, to show where else California is constantly using water. Obviously for a good reason, but still, we aint talkn about a little bit of water here

Californias climat doesn't have alot of rain. I dont live there but many friends do, and they've all said, rain is quite rare.
Without rain, those reservoirs can't get filled, unless they're the subterranean ones that get water from beneath the earth; wells, tunnels, etc.

Water reserves (reservoires), as one stated above, are mostly used for agriculture.
Also, many of these reservoirs (man made) that stretch for thousands of cubic miles, have turned to deserts due to climat changes. (I forgot the location)

All water "can" eventually get filtered to be used again. Nature can do this on it's own, with time of course. Although the more we pollute the harder nature has to work to clean. The cycle becomes much longer, which then causes different problems for us, because we need that water sooner then later.
Farmers, know about this, which is why many have turned to chemicals to replace water. Because supply/demand, keeps on growing...

e - typo

This post was edited by James84 on Aug 5 2014 12:40am

Nature can only create so much fresh water from swamps/rainfall given a fixed duration of time and fixed rates of diffusion, purification, evaporation, etc.

Imagine hypothetically that nature can only produce 400,000 of fresh water in a given area per day. If you use more than 400,000 gallons of fresh water per day you are going to slowly dissipate water until there is a shortage.

The wells will dry up, the water table will fall, and there will be drought. In reality the amount produced isn't fixed and depends on rainfall/etc but this process gives you a picture of the problem.

obtaining 'fresh water' from sea water is extremely expensive

all the california water goes to cities where people shower and water the back yard, and to agriculture.

both people+agriculture grew alot, and now the water isn't enough

probably all being used for ice bucket challenges, Take that third world countries with limited access to drinkable water!

Let's start the "chop a perfectly good tree and shred it challenge" so we can raise awareness on mental illnesses.

the drought would not of been so hard on, if it wasn't for the State secret of diverting so much water for fraqing!! They Don't give a fraq about you, just profits..

All of Madera ranchos can no longer water their lawns front or back...But the oil companies waste lots I bet...They sucked us dry..

'The amount of water used in fracking constitutes about .0004 of a percent of the water used in the state; the same amount used by 500 households or single golf course over a year.'


Did you hear that sound?
.. its just another fracking superstition biting the dust.