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SasquatchTamales t1_jdcflsg wrote

I'm sorry but this article is categorically false; there is no way ninety-nine percent of California is in drought conditions after the rain we have continued to have. Glad they got their check for their article but the sensationalism of it is bullshit, showing me pretty graphs doesn't support your argument when we've now had sustained months of rainfall, snowpack, and reservoirs coming back to healthy levels.

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Weaselpiggy t1_jdee19b wrote

If you look at the data this article does not include any drought data since 1/17/23. It stayed at 99.36% until February.

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_owlstoathens_ t1_jdclmri wrote

I believe it comes down to retention of water rather than amount of rainfall or snow pack.

If you have an empty glass and fill it with ten times the amount of water it can fit, which then spills over onto the floor - you don’t have ten glasses of water, you still have one glass of water and the rest is on the floor (or in the ocean). There are currently only about five reservoirs with additional recharge capability and two to three more under way - meaning despite the amount of rain a significant amount is lost and when summer arrives the water retained will be used up as it typically would.

I think you also have to considered how the water cycle works as well as the soils in California, in which a number of areas most likely just see the water run off into waterways to the ocean, used by farms and high water sources like golf courses.

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SasquatchTamales t1_jdcuomh wrote

I get that; but ninety-nine percent is news sensationalism. Coastal and inland regions have been saturated for three months and a heightened snowpack means replenishment in ground water through spring. Some areas in the valley may still be in drought conditions but to say that ninety-nine percent (even from January's figures) is a lie.

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_owlstoathens_ t1_jdcv7y5 wrote

I mean sure, the idea that it’s ninety nine percent on the dot seems a bit suspicious - it’s prob just a number being used to sound like ‘a lot’.

The last article I read on this topic about a month ago soar california has something like 60% of its expected water use met for this year.. which I’m guessing is what they’re trying to express, that despite all the rain it’s still not adequate for the states water use needs.

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SasquatchTamales t1_jdcw55v wrote

All I've said is ninety-percent is bullshit, and to say that they meant by ninety-nine percent is "a lot" is hilarious. Ninety-nine percent is the whole pie, subtracting a meager one percent is insignificant by anyone's standards.

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_owlstoathens_ t1_jdd70s4 wrote

Yeah I’m not certain why they’d say ninety nine percent - What I meant is that perhaps they’re just using it as an expression rather than scientific data.

The most recent I’ve seen show that something like seventy three percent is still in drought - these are most likely areas with poor perk rates and infiltration/water management.

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grammarpopo t1_jdcyu5j wrote

Mansplain much?

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_owlstoathens_ t1_jdd8eih wrote

I don’t know what the hell youre talking about - I work in landscape architecture so I was trying to explain things based on knowledge I’ve accrued - was I writing to a woman or do I sound condescending in that manner? Bc that wasn’t my intent and I find your comment to be pretty random, it was simply a metaphor.

I thought the point of Reddit was sort of to share knowledge and have conversations, I particularly love when people share expertise. I’m not certain why what I wrote is mansplaining

Why’d you comment this on my comment when everyone above is literally typing out how aquifers work and how water tables function. Why’d you decide to comment that on mine.. I thought the water glass comment was a good metaphor for why an area can still be in drought despite getting a lot of rain.

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emptybagofdicks t1_jdct9mr wrote

The problem is that people have been pumping too much groundwater and that takes a long time to replenish. In some places the wells have already run dry. Precipitation alone cannot solve that problem.

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