Home is where the drought is

Reading the Big Thirst and talking about both the current drought situation and water conservation has really hit home for me particularly. I am one of the many TCU students from California, where we're currently experiencing one of the worst megadroughts in history.  Yes, it is a statewide drought, but what many people don't know is how hard it has hit northern California especially (my home). All of the pictures on the news are from lakes that I've been going to my whole life, and it is scary to know that they might not be there much longer. Northern California's many lakes supply most of central and southern california's water, but we don't have enough water for everyone anymore. They are draining our lakes just to keep the state's crops alive. Folsom Lake, a lake 10 minutes from my house that I grew up going to, is so dried up that you are not allowed to boat on it anymore. Two beaches we would go to in high school are now connected into one beach because the water level has gotten so low. Pictures of Folsom lake are constantly in news stories because it is in such drastic conditions. San Joaquin river that Dr. Williams showed us in class also right by my house.

Folsom Lake, California before and after

Our governor declared a statewide drought emergency and we constantly are told to limit our water use to help conserve. The problem though is that no one (that I know of) is cracking down on the whole state like places like Las Vegas have done. But how could that even be done with such a big and opinionated state like California. Its not just a city with a water problem, its one of the biggest states in the country. If we don't get enough rain this year, it is scary to think of where we could be. The projections are frightening. This is my home that is more dry every time I visit. Actually experiencing the drought is so much different than just reading about it. It was hard for me to even grasp the severity of the whole situation until I saw one of lakes in person. My home is right smack in the middle of the "exceptional drought" area.

Current California drought monitor; Most of the state is now in exceptional drought

I was skeptical when I learned that this class would be about water, but it has actually been a very interesting topic considering our huge need for water and our dwindling resources. The first few chapters of the Big Thirst were fascinating because I previously didn't really consider ALL of the things that require clean water in our everyday life. The amount of water that we use on things like flushing toilets and watering lawns is astonishing. The talking of a "second modern water revolution" is a crazy thing to think about.
What I found very interesting while preparing for our presentation on the Big Thirst is the idea that all water problems are local. Conserving water in Texas is not going to help children in Africa get water, or even really help California. So even though the drought is slowly becoming nationwide, the solutions are local changes in individual communities and cities. If anything, reading the Big Thirst has made me, and hopefully others, acknowledge the current water crisis in a more realistic way.