New research from the California Department of Water Resources shows that the lake, used for millions of Californians’ drinking water and irrigating hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, isn’t quite the size it once was. The agency released its findings June 26, writing that in the 56 years since Lake Oroville was filled, rock and silt settling on the reservoir floor have cut its capacity by almost 113,000 acre-feet, or more than 36 billion gallons.
Calif’s?
If they really need the capacity, dig up the sediment. It’s really fertile soil that can be used for farming. It won’t be easy to get but it does have value, which along with the extra capacity would help offset the cost.
California really needs to start migrating agriculture to desalination and leave more water for households.
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New research from the California Department of Water Resources shows that the lake, used for millions of Californians’ drinking water and irrigating hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, isn’t quite the size it once was. The agency released its findings June 26, writing that in the 56 years since Lake Oroville was filled, rock and silt settling on the reservoir floor have cut its capacity by almost 113,000 acre-feet, or more than 36 billion gallons.
Calif’s?
If they really need the capacity, dig up the sediment. It’s really fertile soil that can be used for farming. It won’t be easy to get but it does have value, which along with the extra capacity would help offset the cost.
California really needs to start migrating agriculture to desalination and leave more water for households.