I Found This An Interesting Read

[Flutterby]

"California Has Enough Water
From Friends of the River

Surprised? We certainly face major challenges like global warming and increased demand. So some people are rushing to build dams -- expensive 19th century solutions to 21st century problems.

We don't need solutions that are expensive, destructive, and useless.

A little common sense shows us that the real answers to our problems are easy, efficient, and smart.

Why Dams Don't Work

1. Expensive

Dams today are the most expensive option for water, costing billions of dollars each to build and maintain. Taxpayers could end up paying a bill that's almost 50 times -- yes, 50 times! -- the cost of smarter solutions.

2. Destructive

California already has lost 90% of our river environment. We have lost 95% of our salmon and steelhead habitat. Our commercial fisheries and the communities they once supported are barely hanging on as it is.

3. Useless

California already has 1400 dams on our rivers. As a practical matter, there is very little water to collect behind new dams anymore. According to the state, dams are even less reliable than cloud seeding!

Why Common Sense Does Work

1. Saving water = easy.

Conservation really does work. California has cut its per capita water use by 50% over the past 40 years, even as the state has boomed. Simply using the tools we already have like new appliances and drip irrigation we can easily cut our water use another 20% and still support a growing population and even bigger economy.

2. Recycling water = efficient.

Why spray clean, clear drinking water on our golf courses and median strips? We can use the rainwater than runs into our storm drains and recycle our wastewater. Through reclamation and recycling we can save enough drinking water each year for 1.5 million households roughly all of Los Angeles.

3. Storing water = smart.

Every year enough water for almost 3 million households one-quarter of all the households in California disappears into thin air behind our existing dams. It's much smarter to store our water underground, by allowing it to seep into the water table. In fact, we already store enough water underground to fill Hetch Hetchy 15 times over and there's room for much, much more.

Still have questions? You're not alone. Check out these FAQs."

source: http://www.foothillconservancy.org/
Join: http://www.foothillconservancy.org/pages/join.cgi

 

[dugsboat]

Thats a bunch of hoey with gittering generalaites and deceptive facts. PURE BS.

 

[Goat Locker]

The major flaw with these comments are they are based on a conservation groups comments.

Why Dams Don't Work

1. Expensive

Dams today are the most expensive option for water, costing billions of dollars each to build and maintain. Taxpayers could end up paying a bill that’s almost 50 times -- yes, 50 times! -- the cost of smarter solutions.

Yes, while expensive to layout initially the cost benefit is amazing. Just add hydro to each of them. We have a small dam here in the cities by the ford plant. Ford built it when they put the plant in and it has provided their power ever since. Compare this with the cost of new nuclear and wind and it would be a draw. On a larger scall think Hoover Dam, they produce enough power to power over 2 million homes!!! That is a lot of power for a low cost, no fuel, no green house gases.

2. Destructive

California already has lost 90% of our river environment. We have lost 95% of our salmon and steelhead habitat. Our commercial fisheries and the communities they once supported are barely hanging on as it is.

Yes, it can be devestating to the environment if not handled properly. With todays knowledge we know better than to build a dam and shut off the water to fill behind it. New dams can be built and slowly fill the water behind so that we do not destroy the habitat downstream. Remember that once a new lake is made the water will flow like original otherwise the lake will overflow. Also at least her in the midwest they are learning to let floodwaters pass to keep the downstream estuaries filled like normal during flood seasons.

3. Useless

California already has 1400 dams on our rivers. As a practical matter, there is very little water to collect behind new dams anymore. According to the state, dams are even less reliable than cloud seeding!

Alright, does anyone actually believe this statement? There is always water to collect. The tree huggers just dont want us to do it.

Why Common Sense Does Work

1. Saving water = easy.

Conservation really does work. California has cut its per capita water use by 50% over the past 40 years, even as the state has boomed. Simply using the tools we already have like new appliances and drip irrigation we can easily cut our water use another 20% and still support a growing population and even bigger economy.

Great ideas, I am all for saving water and doing everything we can to lower our water usage. We personally bough our washer and dish washer based on this

2. Recycling water = efficient.

Why spray clean, clear drinking water on our golf courses and median strips? We can use the rainwater than runs into our storm drains and recycle our wastewater. Through reclamation and recycling we can save enough drinking water each year for 1.5 million households roughly all of Los Angeles.

Another good idea

3. Storing water = smart.

Every year enough water for almost 3 million households one-quarter of all the households in California disappears into thin air behind our existing dams. It’s much smarter to store our water underground, by allowing it to seep into the water table. In fact, we already store enough water underground to fill Hetch Hetchy 15 times over and there’s room for much, much more.

Another bogus fact, we can make facts say whatever we want. Of course water evaporates. Even if the dam wasnt there the water would still evaporate! As far as storing water that is another bogus statement. If you built a man made lake you would actually have more ground covered with water and thus would allow for more water seeping into the water table.

Another consideration is that when we get to droughts the dam's can help us. If used smartly we can manage the water flows and maintain water higher in the stream thereby allowing for commercial traffic to continue and maintain the wildlife habitat.