When it comes to California and climate change, the predictions are staggering: coastal airports besieged by floodwaters, entire beaches disappearing as sea levels rise. Another disturbing scenario is brewing inland, in the sleepy backwaters of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It’s a threat to the Delta’s ecosystem that could swallow up a significant portion of California’s water supply.
Scientists from government and academia say rising sea levels caused by climate change will bring more salt water into the Delta, the hub of California’s water-delivery network. As a result, millions of gallons of fresh water will have to be flushed through the Delta, and out into the ocean, to keep salinity from inundating the massive pumping stations near Tracy. That will leave less water available for San Joaquin Valley farmers and the 19 million Southern Californians and Bay Area residents who depend on Delta water – eventually as much as 475,000 acre-feet of water each year, enough to fill Folsom Lake halfway, according to one study by the Public Policy Institute of California. “With rising sea levels, with climate change, that creates additional pressure coming in from the ocean,” said Michael Anderson, the state’s climatologist, in a recent interview. “Sea level […]
Full article: How climate change could threaten the water supply for millions of Californians
Scientists warn of salt pollution of freshwaters — salinity
Seagrass Die-off and How Freshwater from the Everglades gets into Florida Bay
Here’s how that water gets divvied up. The Colorado River passes through Mesa County, March…
Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited, speaks to staff from Trout Unlimited, NOAA…
Photo Credit: iStock The lake supports nearly 300 species of birds, mammals, and fish, as…
Map: A 3D view with basemap transparency adjusted to show underground wells, with filtering by…
As part of SF Climate Week, KQED’s Danielle Venton sat down with the California Secretary…
JT Chevallier and JB Harris operate BEBOT during a demo on Tallac Beach, June 15,…