So the rain has come, what does this mean for the drought?
Before we get into what is happening as the rain falls, let’s look at what happens to the ground
during a drought. Soils naturally carry moisture, this moisture spaces out soil particles while also holding
them together. As the soil dries out, the space once occupied by the moisture is lost and the soil shrinks.
When thinking of drought, an image of cracked barren soil likely comes to mind. Those cracks are
formed because of shrinkage due to loss of moisture. This soil shrinkage can cause problems like
cracking in homes and infrastructure as structures settle with the drying soil.
Now the rain or snow has started falling, how does this affect the soil? Because the moisture has
been lost and the soil has compacted, there is no longer space in the soil for the water to enter. If you
would like to see this visualized check out the YouTube video linked below (1). Because the ground can
absorb less water because of compaction, there is an increase in runoff and a decrease in groundwater
recharge. Each has knock-on effects. Increased runoff increases the risk of flooding, and while flooding
may be a large quantity of water, it isn’t water that will stay when the weather is dry. Decreased
groundwater recharge means less water is in storage when the weather is dry creating a cycle of
increasing water scarcity.
Some good news: precipitation levels are above average for California (2). While this is a reprieve,
it doesn’t solve the problem. California reservoirs are still below average, especially in the agricultural
south of the state.3 This also doesn’t account for the decreased recharge that aquifers are seeing.
California needs long-term solutions for its water problems, such as industrial, and Oil and Gas water
reuse. IX Water is working to be part of the solution to California’s long-term water problems and you
can help through our crowdfunding campaign. Find out more about our mission:
https://wefunder.com/IxWater
1) https://youtu.be/urQHsOmoKLg
2) http://cdec.water.ca.gov/reportapp/javareports?name=PLOT_FSI.pdf
3) https://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain