From the Information Desk: Where does California’s water come from?

This week, I’ll be highlighting all the great resources available on Aquafornia’s Information Desk, located at the top of the right hand side bar. The Information Desk is a collection of links to exclusive Aquafornia articles and water related web resources.

Today we’ll start with the newest addition, Where does California’s water come from? This article covers all the basics about California water – where it comes from and the various water systems that move water around the state:

California has been called “the most hydrologically altered landmass on the planet”, and it is true: the California of today bears little resemblance to its former self. Today, there are reservoirs where there once was desert, desert where there once was cropland, and cropland where there once was a swampy marsh. Some rivers have been dried up; some rivers flow through mountains into other rivers’ beds; and some rivers even flow backwards at times.

California’s transformation from a sparsely populated region into one of the world’s leading agricultural and food production regions is due to the development of the area’s natural resources, especially water. Water development, storage and distribution projects have transformed deserts into farmland and supported development of large cities and towns. These water projects have helped make California a leading agricultural producer, a major manufacturing center, the most populated state in the country, and the eighth largest economy in the world.

However, this rapid and intensive development has not been without its consequences. Fish populations have been depleted, wetlands have been drained, and dams and levees have altered natural water flow patterns. Invasive plants and species are changing ecosystems and altering native habitat. Species of many native plants and wildlife have declined or become extinct, and water quality has been impaired by agricultural, mining and urban sources.

Find out all about California’s water by clicking here.

Comments

Admin

• Log in

Credits

Powered by Vertigo & WordPress
WordPress Themes by Brian Gardner