California Drought

[Ray]

Anybody hear how the drought may effect the Almonds - Honey bees and us BeeKs?

[Jen]

I haven't heard any news on that yet Ray, I know the trucks loaded with hives are on the freeways. We have had soo much rain very early. I do believe there is better news to date on nectar and pollen with the almonds so far. But, the fact that our spring happened so early leaves dought that there will be enough food for the bees later this summer when the drought kicks in again. In our direct area, we have Star Thistle for the end of summer feeding, which is drought tolerant. But, last year even the Star Thistle was barren of nectar.

[tbonekel]

Hopefully this year will be better.

[Jen]

Back Atcha Tbone, Texas was a dry waist land last year as well. Wishing you rain 

[LogicalBee]

We had record rain last spring.  I also had a couple of house floods.  Rain isn't always such a good thing  :'(

So what's the water plan for CA?  Or is there a plan?  I read someplace that Gov Brown was going to direct another billion toward water projects, but that sounded more like repairing city water lines rather than pumping in new water.  I also read that Agriculture (and almonds in particular) use the vast majority of the water; something like 90%. 

[Ray]

Doing some reading: Water bottling might take a big hit. Hay is a large water consumer (bulky and hard to ship economically) so the Dairy industry is going to have problems.

I was wondering what kind of repercussions we might experience due to the drought. (for example) Will the big pollinators need to look East of the Rockies for nectar to top off their hives?  Will that effect sugar and HFCS prices? Will that drive up pollination fees. Will that effect the package bees and queens?

[Jen]

We've been listening for what's going to happen here in upper northern california. Seems we will be water rationed but not restricted. Many residents in our town just let their lawns go dormant last summer, us included. Most all of my plants and small trees are in wine barrels and watered about once a week.

[Ray]

Some more news:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/apr/04/sacramento-drought-agriculture-california-water/

Water limits renew urban vs. rural debate

Here are some snips:
For example, it can take more than one gallon of water to produce a single almond.

The nonprofit called on the governor this week to place a moratorium on the use of groundwater on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley where water-intensive almond and pistachio groves are abundant

 The governor doesn’t control the federal supplies of water, and doesn’t have the ability to monitor or enforce how much every farmer in the state takes out of the ground.

[Jen]

For example, it can take more than one gallon of water to produce a single almond.

     Wow!

      What about drip systems for each almond tree. I mean, I know you have to have the water for a drip system, but doesn't that make sense?

[Ray]

I'm sure there are a lot of things that COULD be done. In these days of ADVERSARIAL politics and SENSATIONALIZED news, I don't know if anything will be done.   
The almond crop is gaining attention, as far as water use goes. 

[Jen]

Well I'm glad about that Ray, last year many almond growers here in Calif had to abandon their almond orchards because the water table got soo low. In southern Oregon it would be the pear orchards and vineyards.

[rodmaker]

   The drought here in the central valley is severe. The farmers are going to be able to pump water without restrictions only have to keep track of how much they pump. Jen all new orchards are drip irrigation.but there are farmers who still flood irrigate. The problem will be unable to make a profit farming fruits and vegetables so 700,000 acres will be fallowed maybe more. The farmers are still planting new almonds and nuts in areas that have never been farmed before. As far as bloom was very short and the bees came and went fast.The southern part of the valley is seeing a lot of wells going dry. I am on a list to get a new well drilled . So far i have plenty of water after lowering my pump last year.

[tecumseh]

when I recently drove thru part of what I would call southern California on the way to and back from the ABF convention I though it looked like a lot of older vineyards and some citrus was being replaced by the planting of almond trees.   Of course so much of the potential pollination business depends on the almonds and I for one am hoping and praying California record settling drought ends quickly.  We had a severe drought here that ended back at the end of 2011 and it definitely made the keeping of animals and bees much more difficult. 

[Les]

In several decades the wars won't be over oil, they will be over water or the lack thereof.  Too bad I couldn't send you our rain from NY.  Woke up in the middle of the night to a horrific storm.  Wind blowing, hail slamming against the windows, thunder and lightening.  This usually occurs in the summer around here not in April.  Neighbor said her rain gauge recorded 2 inches!

[Slowmodem]

In several decades the wars won't be over oil, they will be over water or the lack thereof.  Too bad I couldn't send you our rain from NY.  Woke up in the middle of the night to a horrific storm.  Wind blowing, hail slamming against the windows, thunder and lightening.  This usually occurs in the summer around here not in April.  Neighbor said her rain gauge recorded 2 inches!

Georgia has been fighting with Tennessee for several years now trying to move the state line so they can tap into the Tennessee River.  Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been fighting over a river, too.  So you're not going to have to wait decades, it's happening now.  What's ironic is that the major cause of all of the problem is poor planning and overbuilding for the resources available.

[Les]

Hmmm, maybe too many human beings population Mother Earth?

[Ray]

Les, I don't believe it will take several decades. I expect some sort of a dispute over the water in the Great Lakes.
I expect see a dam built across the Straits of Mackinaw. The only Great Lake totally in the USA. That would allow using the water in it, without International Issues.

[Les]

Ray, I hedged on the side of several decades.  I truly agree that it will be sooner.  Unfortunately, so many people do not understand the water crisis that is looming in the imminent future.  Telling people they will have to curb their water usage will be a flash back to the seventies when we had the oil embargo.  You could only obtain gas on either odd or even days depending on your license plate (or tag as they refer to it in some states).  Unfortunately, most people are too young to remember the embargo days.  We have a society now that is based on "I want it when I want it and to hades with other people".  I worry

[Jen]

I remember the embargo days Les, and I think that when we have to start rationing water it's going to be harder to deal with than fuel.

[LogicalBee]

I feel for CA, but does it really make any logical sense for the CA government to mandate a 25% reduction in human consumption of water (20% of supply) and no reductions for agricultural use?  The Almond trees alone consume a trillion gallons of water; 20% more than the people use indoors!  That's CRAZY in a dry place like CA.  Can’t we grow Almonds in North Carolina or someplace on the East Coast with plenty of water?   

Then there is the permanent damage occurring to the aquifers from subsidence.   When the water is removed and not replaced, the land sinks and crushes the porosity of the rocks that can hold water.  There’s no way to fix that.

Ray, we have a “Great Lakes Compact” signed into Law by the Government of Canada and our former fearless leader which should make it next to impossible to steal our water.  As the Detroit Free Press reported, “Shipping Great Lakes water?  That’s California Dreaming”

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2015/04/19/michigan-great-lakes-water/25965121/