California officially in drought

Der Governator is blamed by some for not declaring a drought earlier; others blame the federal courts and environmentalists for blocking more water withdrawals from the Sacramento Delta. Doesn’t matter, Californios; after the driest spring in 88 years, you’re definitely and officially in a drought.

And, I’d say, get used to it.

Global warming-associated climate change says the Desert Southwest is going to get drier as well as hotter. That means even less water from the Colorado River and less snowmelt in California’s own rivers from the Sierras.

As for conservation, yes, farmers could do more, but, it’s obviously residents who have to tighten their belts.

The answer is NOT, contra Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and avocado grower Al Stehly, building new reservoirs:

“It's not a water problem; it's a plumbing problem. You can't get it through the delta,” Stehly said. “I don't know what they're doing in Sacramento. They're sitting on their hands.”

Schwarzenegger implied as much yesterday, calling on legislators to approve his proposed $11.7 billion water bond, which would pay for more reservoirs and help restore the delta.

But, with California already billions of dollars in the red, even with Ahhnold using another bond to avoid budget cuts or tax hikes, can California even afford this?

And, if you’ve to less water flowing into rivers, what good does it do to build more reservoirs anyway? Isn’t that almost literally pounding sand down a rathole?