California

Look at the Colorado River: ALL the water in that watershed is captured and still the dams won't fill.

Signs that say "Pray for Rain" won't save us.

The farmers who think that water is "wasted" flowing into the sea can go fuck themselves. We destroyed the Colorado River ecosystem for what? Depressing car-culture suburbs, cheap milk, and ground beef. All of it unsustainable.

ALL wells should be metered and their production limited to sustainable rates. Farms that have the worst environmental impacts, for example those with excessive salt drainage or unsustainable groundwater draws, should be bought out entirely and restored to something resembling a natural state. Farmers who still live on their grandparent's land could be part of that restoration process. The whining and pleas of giant corporate farmers who would use the land up, ruin the aquifers, and then abandon the land to the alkali dust should be ignored.

Burning natural gas to desalinate water is insane. Fossil fuels are the root cause of this drought, burning more natural gas makes drought worse.

Desalinating sea water requires a continuous source of energy. The only carbon-free energy source capable of that is nuclear power.

Pumping water uphill can be done when electricity is abundant, during off-peak hours or when solar and wind energy exceeds demand. California is unique because we pump a lot of water up hill and generate a lot of electricity as it flows down hill. But this system is dependent on ample water supplies. Adding desalinated water to the mix would make this water too expensive for most types of farming.

I don't hide my antipathy towards the factory farm meat and dairy industry. These industrial "farms" use huge amounts of water, contaminate the water that drains off them, and produce products that are not necessities. I look forward to a future where an actual beef hamburger is the more expensive option at fast food places and cows milk isn't served in schools.

If we managed our water wisely California rivers that historically flowed into the sea all year round wouldn't dry up, our aquifers wouldn't be failing, and there would be abundant wetlands for birds and other wildlife.